Faults:
The rear wiper motor was faulty when I bought the car, and is not cheap to replace (£170 + VAT in the UK). Basically I missed checking it during the sale.
Had to replace the exhaust (£120) shortly after purchase, but I knew that would be the case and this helped me knock money off the initial purchase price.
The clutch is very grabby in stop/start traffic, which implies that it'll need replacing sometime in the nearish future. I can drive around it at the moment, so it's not too serious.
Apart from that, no obvious issues at all. Fairly low mileage for the year. I've had it fully checked and serviced by a friend of the family (ie. not normal dealer costs). The guy is an ex-Nissan employee and has given it a full bill of health. Looks in immaculate condition, so for the price, I love it.
General Comments:
This car is seriously quick, much quicker than anything else I've ever owned. I'd guess it's easy good for over 140mph (of course I'd never try to find out on the Kings highway)...
It's one of the few cars I've come across that "feels" like it has enough power. I'm sure you know what I mean by that.
Surprisingly it's really not that exciting. My previous car was a Corolla GT Twin cam. The corolla was much slower, but still managed to be more exciting.
As an analogy, it's more like how you'd expect a Jag coupe to be, ie. pretty refined, quiet, handles well etc.
The power delivery requires a bit of learning as it's just a normal 1.8 until 3000rpm, at which point you get a mass of power/torque (completely intoxicating feeling). Above 6k it's basically all over, so it's pointless red-lining it. This takes a little getting used to if you've been driving high-reving 16v engines recently. You'll find yourself normally in a gear too low, which is great for acceleration, but soon leaves you out of revs (that redline really comes up soon).
As for it's handling, loads of grip in the dry, but be more circumspect in the wet. Being rear drive, the steering is not-corrupted by power, which makes it more refined and easier to place accurately through corners. Takes a bit of learning to drive it quickly, but very rewarding when you get it right.
The only thing I'd really say against it's handling is that it's doesn't feel very agile, but that's just it's weight after my old GT corolla (about 20% heavier). Remember that it's actually quite light for it's power (a good 300kg less than a 300ZX).
As for it's looks, well it's sleek. I prefer the looks of the pre-facelift model, but that's just me.
On it's own, I find it a little Jap-bland.
However, in a carpark full of the usual gluttony of euro-box dullness it looks wonderful.
The interior is an interesting mix. The dashboard seems well built and is fine to deal with. The leather steering wheel somehow manages to feel like it could just aswell be plastic, so it's not that great.
The drivers seat is fine, apart from not having much side support, so there's a tendency to slide around a little during high speed manoevering. The passenger seat is BAD news with poor lumbar support and no adjustments being possible. The standard car radio/cassette is frankly not worth the time of day and was quickly replaced by an Alpine CD tuner, well worth the £200 from Halford (fitted). The speakers are just about acceptable.
I've been getting 26 to 29mpg, but I do live in London, so often end up in traffic jams.
As a value for money machine, it's brilliant. Many are put off by high potential running costs (spares and insurance). Find one in good condition, I've read many horror stories about turbos dieing. Mine seems great, guess I've been lucky.
For competition, you'd be looking at a Prelude Vtec, Corrado VR6 and possibly even the BMW Coupe. It's faster than all in a straight line (short of an BM330 coupe), yet much cheaper.
I could add the Rover 220turbo and Callibra turbo, but I understand that the handling on both is crap (certainly NOT true of the 200sx which has brilliant balance and poise).
If you want a really exciting car, this really doesn't fit the bill.
If you'd like a car that's seriously fast (I've not met anything on an A or B road that has got anywhere near it when I've tried), refined and yet still has space for shopping from Ikea, then this is brilliant.
On a personal note, I love this car. Just a great combination, high recommended.
30th Sep 2007, 17:22
I've got a Nissan 200SX. As soon as it hits 80mph it's off like a bullet and you can't see me for dust. The dump valve is very loud, and the car has a top speed 162mph. I have another 2; one is off the road, and my other one has a top speed of 155mph.