Finally getting a new car!

Takumi Fujiwara

Takumi Fujiwara

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2,336
United States
Los Angeles, CA
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WRBWRXMAX
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Max Archer
Looks like I'll be getting my new car in the next week or so. I've been researching, test driving, and thinking about it for a while, and I've come up with a decision.

I'm getting a Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V. Of all the cars that fell into my price range, it has the best featureset for the money, and was the best driving. (The Civic Si being the runner up, and getting special honors for totally kickass seats)

But for my $15,885, here's what I'm getting:

-2.5l 16v inline four, 175HP, 180 ft/lbs TQ
-6spd MT
-Sport tuned suspension. Not just hype, either, this car really does feel like it's riding on Nismo, and iscomparable to most shock/spring cars I've been in. It also has polyurethane bushings, fat sways, and a front strut bar. Bar none, the best handling stock FF I've ever driven. I actually got a chance to see what it could do, as it turned out that the salesman was actually a guy I'm acquanted with from the canyons, and he knew a little stretch of road where he takes people who are buying the sporty cars....
-9 speaker (inc subwoofer) Rockford Fosgate premium stereo system. Favorite feature is a minijack plug right on the front of the stereo, making MP3 player hookup a breeze.
-Full automatic glass moonroof with tilt
-Power locks, windows.
-Leather sports steering wheel, GT-R derived sport seats (they say inspired, but I've been in some Skylines, and the only difference I can see is the headrest and the slightly different fabric colors)
-4-wheel disc brakes w/ ABS
-Driver and passenger front and side air bags.
-Keyless entry with immobilizer
-17x7" wheels w/ 215 Z-rated tires.
-Foglights
-Side skirts, smoked tails, black interior headlights

I think that's all the important stuff. I'll probably get a Nismo intake for it in a while, but other than that, it's staying pretty stock, I need a fun daily driver, not another super-stiff racing monster.
 
You forgot to mention the crappy cable shifter :p

I've never driven a SE-R, but I've driven lots of cable shifted cars, and my advice is stay away from them!!

Other than that, the SE-R is a nice car, even though it has a sort of primitive suspension.
 
Hey, for 16k, I can look past the cable shifter, what doesn't have one for that price and can still compete, performance-wise? It had a really good shift feel, IMO, anyway.
 
Congrats on the upcoming purchase, sounds like a pretty good buy.
 
Maybe its just me, But I tend to like to go for cars that are a couple of years old, but still in very good condition, like My mom got a 2004 Volvo S60 (loaded :) )
and she got it for about 35 grand, and when it first came out it was about 45 grand, and its in such good condition most people would think its brand new....so lots of cash saved there 👍

And my car was even more of a bargain, I got a 1999 Volvo S80 for about 17 grand, and it retailed for 50+grand brand new, and it was still in very good condition 👍

So have you considered a used car? That’s what I would go for unless of course you are rolling in dough.
 
powripper
Maybe its just me, But I tend to like to go for cars that are a couple of years old, but still in very good condition, like My mom got a 2004 Volvo S60 (loaded :) )
and she got it for about 35 grand, and when it first came out it was about 45 grand, and its in such good condition most people would think its brand new....so lots of cash saved there 👍

And my car was even more of a bargain, I got a 1999 Volvo S80 for about 17 grand, and it retailed for 50+grand brand new, and it was still in very good condition 👍

So have you considered a used car? That’s what I would go for unless of course you are rolling in dough.
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That's usually what I go for to, I don't really like the prospect of the immediate depreciation once you sign the papers on a new car.
 
WHY!!!!!!?????

Please explain why you passed up the SiR, and it better be good.

Or I'll never forgive you. :indiff:

How can you ignore her sexyness
 
youve seen ricers put a SiR logo on their cars im sure :)

cable shifter...? definition please and why it isnt good?
 
#17
cable shifter...? definition please and why it isnt good?
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In a cable shifter, moving the shifter moves two levers, one to indicate the left-right position of the shifter, and one to indicate the front-to-back position. These levers push/pull cables, which snake their way to the transmission and move a corresponding set of levers on it. The is as opposed to a regular shifter, where there is a solid mechanical linkage.
 
skip0110
The is as opposed to a regular shifter, where there is a solid mechanical linkage.
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Are there any front wheel drive cars that use a solid mechanical linkage? I've only heard of cable or hydraulic shifters on these kinds of cars.

My car has a cable operated shifter that's almost 20 years old and it still works just fine. I don't think I would pass over an otherwise good car because it uses cables for shifting.

There are SiRs in Canada, but if I'm not mistaken the Canadian SiR is equivilent to the US Si... or at least that's the way it was with the last generation of Civic, and the Canadian Civic Si was our Civic EX. There definitley aren't any SiRs in the US, although as others mentioned we do have a lot of SiR badges and stickers floating around :)
 
Good buy. I've always been a fan of the SE-R Spec V, for it's combination of excellent handling, a 6 speed transmission, small car reliability, and big value. Did you get the brembo package? I'm curious as to how the car brakes, since I've seen it perform poorly in some mags braking tests.
 
retsmah
There are SiRs in Canada, but if I'm not mistaken the Canadian SiR is equivilent to the US Si... or at least that's the way it was with the last generation of Civic, and the Canadian Civic Si was our Civic EX.
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Yup.

The car you know as "Civic Si" was sold here as "Civic SiR". Here "Civic Si" was the Civic coupe with VTEC (recently Honda added a Civic Si sedan to the lineup. Previously, the only way to get a Civic sedan with VTEC was to spring the extra couple thousand for an Acura 1.7EL).
 
Yah, now I know they are essentially the same thing. I was a bit confused because JP version of the SiR is different that North American version. Body and rims are different stock.
 
retsmah
Are there any front wheel drive cars that use a solid mechanical linkage? I've only heard of cable or hydraulic shifters on these kinds of cars.
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The 1990 Honda Civic is FF and has a mechanical linkage. Two metal pieces I belive. Not every cable shifted car is horrid, you are right. But I have heard that the Sentra is one of the worse setups out there.
 
skip0110
The 1990 Honda Civic is FF and has a mechanical linkage.
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Heh, I had a 91 Civic Si for about a year, and didn't know that :)

Saying the sentra's shifter is bad is a much better complaint than saying its cable operated.
 
I'm not getting the Brembo package, as getting it means special ordering the car, in which case a good price goes out the window.

I know you can go faster for the 15 grand, but I need to get a NEW car, not a used one.

As for the Civic, as I said, it was an Si, not SiR. The Spec puts down close to 20 more HP, and a much more torque, than the Si, and handles better to boot. 6 speed is nice, too. Plus, the cheapest you'll find the Si is about 18k, (that's below invoice), more than I can spend.
 
Oh! I totally forgot it was still in my sig.

No, sadly, the 240 was totalled on the freeway just over a month ago. So this car's a replacement.
 
Do you know how cheap '80s Corvettes are? Man.

I like the SE-R Spec V if you "need" a new car, but I've yet to see someone demonstrate a need for an all-new car. What happened to the Passat?!
 
Those are nice, drove one two years ago, handling was indeed handsome, especially at that price but I effectively didn't like the shifter, it felt rubbery and unprecise. I don't know if they improved on this, but interior materials and finish wasn't on the same level as an Honda or Mazda. Still doesn't feel underpowered as the mazda MP3 did, and isn't equipped with small and crappy standard tires like the SiR is. A good buy at that price, for something new.
 
Takumi Fujiwara
Hey, for 16k, I can look past the cable shifter, what doesn't have one for that price and can still compete, performance-wise? It had a really good shift feel, IMO, anyway.
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An '02 or '03 WRX? 👍
 
M5Power
Do you know how cheap '80s Corvettes are? Man.

I like the SE-R Spec V if you "need" a new car, but I've yet to see someone demonstrate a need for an all-new car. What happened to the Passat?!
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What's happenning is that I'm getting help from my parents on the financing and down payment. Terms of that are that it needs to be a new car, reliable, and with a warranty in case anything does go wrong. Additionally, I can't afford to insure a WRX or, worse, a Sports Car like a Corvette. For insurance purposes, a Spec V is still a Sentra, even if it's a sporty model, and that keeps the price down.

The other thing about it being a new car is that it allows me to get the exact options I want, and I won't have to worry about previous owner abuse, a common problem with any performance car. Plus, there's just something about a new car. I'm also sick of driving older, beat up cars, where I find out a year later that the previous owner screwed it up and I'm stuck buying a new motor or susupension.
 
Tell your parents about the coolness of an '01 Audi A4 1.8T. Skip the fact that the '01 4-cylinder had as much power as the '96-'97 V6's did...
 
Enjoy your Sentra Spec V, atleast YOU can screw it up and hand it off to someone else in the future :p
 

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