Nothing has gone wrong with car.
The car performs well with the 145 horse power engine. The fuel economy is decent also; I have averaged 29 miles per gallon in mostly city driving.
The car doors close very tightly, the handling is great, and the 4-wheel disc brakes are absolutely the best I have ever experienced.
The Sentra costs thousands of dollars less than Honda Civic, the insurance is less, and the Sentra doesn't have a timing belt to change, which will save even more.
I owned a 1993 Toyota Corolla, which seemed gutless and mushy compared to the Sentra. I had a 1991 Volkswagen Jetta that was quite nice. However, the new Jettas are very expensive, and have some defects because of over-production.
The Sentra SE comes with a sport-suspension, which handles great except for a little bit of stiffness on rough roads. Also, the car has a bit of wind noise at high speeds.
The front seats are very comfortable, although, the rear seats lack leg room. The front head room is much better than previous Sentra models, and better than 2001 models of Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, and Nissan Altima.
The Nissan Sentra was not exactly what I wanted, but I have gradually become convinced that it is not a bad option at all.
Mine is an XE 2001 version, and so far it has not broken down, nor even presented strange noises. It simply fullfills the requirement of transportation. I do not find it especially comfortable (because of its low level front seats).
Anyhow, I do acknowledge that the car performs OK and is cheap to maintain. So far I have not spent much money in it, and I think I will keep it for a few years more. I am proud to say that this car built in Mexico is very well built! If this car can perform nicely in Mexico, I think it can perform perfectly in any other countries as well.
Note: If you dislike simple cars, please abstain from buying it.
Hey, Same as you, I have a Sentra 2001 SE2.0 and a Toyota Corollar SD 1997.
My Sentra accelerates great and the brake is good. My car can reaches 200km/h. I know this is insane and super dangerous, but I just try that once.
But my car is no stable, it sometimes lean to the right side on the highway. (I know that the road in North America is designed to curve a little bit, but both I and my mom notice that the car is leaning to one side) I have brought it to the garage and they say no problem at all. I don't know why, do you guys have same problem.
Ronald Tse.
Yes, what you mention on stability is true. I try not to run over 140 km/hr in my Sentra. I am afraid I will get out of the road on a stiff curve. Also The tires supplied by Nissan Mexico are bad. They are "General Tire" Brand. I would rather use Goodyear, Uniroyal, Tornel or Michelin. I feel the car especially unsafe when it rains. I am afraid the tires will not have enough friction coefficient to stop the car on time. I always brake with enough distance from other cars. Fortunately, Nissan Mexico changed the tire brand in its 2002-2004 models. I am waiting for the tires to wear out to buy new ones...
The car does lean a little bit when you grab a curve. I believe this is due to the lack of weight from the chassis. I wish the Sentra would weight a little more, so it could gain stability.
Else, the car performs OK. It doesn't break down and it is not expensive to maintain. I have seen many Sentras around the country, and it is a better option than other small cars sold today.
Regards.
Alejandro Gallegos.
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