Faults:

Well, I had a 6-cylinder turbo engine that was a gas guzzler, so I previously replaced the engine with a 4-cylinder with a kick-down shaft.

General Comments:

I love this car. It is sturdy. We once had a Toyota Camry ram into its rear. The Camry was badly damaged in front, but all that affected our car was that the rear fender was bent. As for performance, I say 9/10. The kick-down though is very powerful; a head turner.

Two thumbs up,

Adrian.

Faults:

Small rust hole in engine bay next to gas-stay arm (below wiper) due to a drain hole clogging up years ago and the previous owner ignoring it.

Rear diff is very slowly leaking oil.

Headlights just stopped working after I drowned the headlight relay while washing the engine bay. Must try to find another one now. Easily fixable (and completely my fault).

Rust underneath boot/trunk rubber seal. Not serious and easily treatable.

Very light surface rust in some areas under the car. Not serious and not an issue for Warranty of Fitness checks.

General Comments:

Mine is the "new shape" from 1993 to 1997.

I'm impressed with the quality of this car. Compared to a Toyota Windom/Lexus GS300 of the same age, this car was far superior in smoothness of ride, interior ergonomics, and quietness of ride.

The 2 lire, 6 cylinder engine starts up quickly every time and makes very little noise and vibration. I can barely tell the engine's there until it goes over 4000RPM then it's *just* noticable! I'm seriously impressed!

The gear changes are very smooth (comparable to later model BMW's), the engine produces no vibration and the dashboard layout is very minimalist and tidy. The handbrake has even been removed and replaced with a button/foot pedal. Seriously cool.

Faults:

I once had a little rust in the auto transmission fluid, but that was easily sorted out with an oil and filter change.

Only other problem I have is non-availability of spares.

General Comments:

Well I first had a Nissan Gloria, which was a dream car, very comfortable and quick for a big car, with that famous V6 engine, and stable on the road, but a very rare car in Zambia, so spares were a headache.

I ordered an upgraded version of the Gloria from Japan, but sadly they told me they were out of stock. The sent me the Nissan Laurel Medalist 2.5, and I've been smiling ever since. A comfy car, fast, good acceleration for a mid sized car.

I upgraded the tires from the 195/65 R 15 standard mags to 225/45 ZR 17 Chrome rims, and she looks a beauty, handles better too.

Faults:

I have to replace the air conditioning motor as it is worn. At this mileage this is not a surprise!

General Comments:

This car drives like a dream. It is very quiet, and is very peppy for a non-turbo Diesel. I have just done a long trip of 330km, and got 7.25lt/100km. Of course it uses more around town. It is an ex-taxi and was well looked after, with a full reconditioning on the motor at 280,000km.It has also had an inter-cooler added to the gearbox, so you don't notice a gear change.