1983 Nissan Sunny 1.5 GL 4dr review from Singapore
"Too much cost cutting spoils an otherwise good design"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Air con incapable of cooling the car.
Engine vibrations on idle.
Door trims tend to warp.
Numerous rattles and squeaks.
General comments?
The Sunny was bought to replace a three year old Isuzu Gemini (I-Mark in the US) as I had a good trade in deal on the Isuzu, which was not popular locally.
Although the Sunny was peppy, handled well for a Nissan of that time, sipped fuel, was roomy and proved popular, it was not one of my better buys.
This owed to the general cost cutting very evident as the car got older, with the door panels starting to warp under the tropical heat and numerous rattles and squeaks accentuated by engine idle quality which would shame a diesel of that time.
The most serious defect by far was the pathetic air-con that was totally incapable of cooling the cabin and was noisy to boot.
Thus, after a brief seven month ownership, this car was sold. Fortunately, I did it before the characteristics of this Sunny series became more widely known, thus managing not to lose too much money in the process.
Recommended reviews
| Very reliable and likeable car |
|
| I punished it, and it took it all in its stride! |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Don't Know |
| Year of manufacture | 1983 |
| First year of ownership | 1983 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 1983 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.5 SOHC Manual |
| Performance marks | 7 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 8 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 5 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 7 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 8 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 75 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 11000 kilometres |
| Previous car | Isuzu I-Mark |
| Date of Entry | 7th March, 2003 |