What does everyone think of the sentra SE-R. Im thinking about picking one up because my es300 is pretty old at this point and causing me some problems (1992). I'm looking at a 2002 se-r with 73,000 miles. Its going at the local dealer auction and i should be able to get it for 5 or 6 grand. Anyone have any experience with this vehicle? It gets great gas milage, has a low insurance payment, and it pretty quick and responds well to mods. I would think it would be a nice change from my finished lexus project .

 

thats a DAMNED lot of miles for a 2 year old car...i would steer clear.

but they are nice cars.

 

I had 2 sentra's...an 85 and a 90. You couldn't kill those cars. I tried. Never changed the oil. No tune ups. Nothing. Both ran forever. I did change the oil on the 90 once a year until I sold it in 93. My sister bought it and drove it til it died.....100,000 miles later. Very cramped inside but I had enough room for my big butt. They looked okay modded, too. I put on custom wheels, stereo and a few other bits. If you're looking for reliability....it's spelled Sentra.

 

The Sentra SE-R is a nice little semi-performance sedan that is reasonably priced and equipped for what you get. There are actually 2 different SE-R's, the base model with a 165-HP four, and the Spec-V, with a 175 HP four and some added chassis components.
I personally think that most of the more recent Nissan interiors, including the Sentra's, are on the cheap side..but that is a matter of taste.....you might like it.
Be leery of auction sales, though. Many auctioned vehicles are there because their owners couldn't make the payments, which often means they couldn't afford to take care of them either. Others (especially in regular auto auctions) are there because the police impounded them for drugs or other criminal use.
Consumer Reports has rated the current-generation Sentra worse-than-average in reliability. I would not recommend an auctioned car unless you were allowed an inspection and a test-drive first.
If you feel the car is in good shape, though, and you like it, it may be worth buying. One thing, though, may affect the future of the value of used Sentra SE-R's, though....the fact that Nissan is now just introducing the larger Altima SE-R with a high-performance V6 will tend to drive down Sentra SE-R values in the future.
Good Luck.

 

WAY too many miles for 2 years, but that is a good price....

If those miles were 100% highway, then I guess go for it

 

You're correct, reggie, that earlier Sentras were almost bulletproof.....but that is not the case with the present ones. See my earlier post and the refence to Consumer Reports.

 

Wow dude......u really tried to kill ur Sentra

 

My first car wa a 1989 hand me down Sentra! I loved it. It was indestructible! We just changed the oil though. In 139k miles the only thing we changed was the muffler. If Nissan wasn't so blah when it was time to move up, I'd stil be a Nissan owner probably.

Funny thing is most new Nissan interiors make me feel right at home. They look just like my old Sentra!

 

Older Nissans were great machines, no doubt. My sister had a 200SX and MAN we had fun in that car.

The newer ones just aren't the same. My friend had a Sentra V-Spec and so does my ex girlfriend. They both had several issues with their cars and spent much time at the dealer for recalls and things like this.

Honestly if you are only going into this car because your ES has a lot of miles, I'd advise you to reconsider. A high mileage ES is still a DAMN good car with nothing to worry about. An 02 Sentra with 73k just might give you more issues. Also, a Sentra is an economy car while your ES is nicely modded and a luxury car. So technically speaking it's a step down. Not worth it in my opinion just for high miles.

NOW, if you are looking at this car because you are tired of the ES, want change, or need a less expensive car for some reason, then yes look into it. Nothing wrong with that.

Just for miles tho, it doesn't seem to make much sense. Especially since yours is modded which will net you very little on the used car market.

Just some thoughts.

 

Im not worried about the ES's reliability, its the $500 for exhuast, the $100 for the radiator, and the $500 for the suspension in repairs that I dont want to have to do. I checked consumer reports but couldnt find anything wrong with the reliabilty of the sentra or altima with the same engine. If you could show me an article that would be great. I also want something with better gas milage.

 

you've got some nice cars in your sig... why not just spend the money to fix the ES, a lot cheaper than a whole new car. and 72k miles isnt that horrible.. figure, its an 02 right? so it was probably sold in 01. so its nearing 3 years old... if its all freeway milage, its alright. hell, my 93 gmc has almost 300k miles on it... still running strong!

 

I'm with Jose (CleanSC) and advise you to keep the ES, even if it means doing one major repair at a time on your current car. The ES has decent gas mileage (18/24), hard to find for a luxury sedan these days. Also, are you planning to sell your ES as-is or part the modifications out? You won't get much net value if you choose the former.

 

As a Sentra owner, I advise you to pass this car up. The current gen. Sentras are assembled in Mexico and the quality, compared to Sentras before this generation, took a nose-dive. As I have a 2001 Sentra SE - I got the 2.0 liter SR20 engine that was built in Japan (the rest of the car in Mexico). I can honestly say that the 2.0 liter in my car is the only truly redeeming thing about it - aside from the decent suspension. I'm not sure where Nissan builds the 2.5 liter which powers the SE-R. My guess is that it's either right there in Mexico or somewhere in the United States (maybe at the Altima factory?) ...

Not to mentioned that moving from an ES to a Sentra would be a tremendous shock.

Of course, if it suits you - then go for it. And if you can pick it up for $5 or 6 thousand - it's worth looking into.

Just thought I'd try and give you fair warning.

M.

 

Yes...this decline in the quality of recent Sentras is suppported by other sources as well.

 

I second that. I, too, say keep the ES. Would you consider a newer ES...not necessarily new, but newer to your '92?