2002 Nissan SE-R Spec V Question

[DOTC]

Does anyone own one of these? I was wondering how reliable they are, what kind of gas mileage do they get, etc etc.

I don't know why I like these so much. Seem like they would have good bank for the buck.

The car in question has 95k miles and is $6, 995.

Link: http://www.autotrader.com/deal...&max_price=&cardist=25

 

[overst33r]

Well they share the 2.5L with the Altima, which seems to be a pretty solid engine in that form. I got a ride in a SE-R at an AutoX and I was pleasantly surprised with its handling. Check google for some reviews.

 

[chris7b]

They are great cars and are a good bang for the buck! Just make sure it hasn't been abused. The 6 speed tranny is pretty smooth and the 2.5 is a great engine. We have two Sentras (1.8s) and the build quality is pretty good. Minimal squeaks and rattles after almost 3 years. I'm pretty impressed considering the car was assembled in mexico.

 

[DOTC]

Thanks for the input! My civic is getting a little boring.

 

[alphatarget1]

check out b15sentras.net (used to post there)

SE-Rs, spec Vs and some altimas had problems with the exhaust header (or whatever it is) having small particles breaking loose, getting sucked into the engine and causing problems. Some people had trouble with oil consumption...

 

[DOTC]

Yeah I read some of that on Wiki but never sure if they blow things out of proportion sometimes. I would think if the car has 90k that the problems will not happen.. seemed to happen right away from some things I read.

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: mariok2006
Well they share the 2.5L with the Altima, which seems to be a pretty solid engine in that form. I got a ride in a SE-R at an AutoX and I was pleasantly surprised with its handling. Check google for some reviews.

my se-r has been recalled about 6 times due to how poorly engineered that engine is. known issue that nissan won't fix: it doesn't always start on the first crank. always starts with the second. i've had it in several times for them to look at and they always give me the BS excuse of couldn't get it to happen. it did it right in front of them and they just shrugged at me and left.

also, the altima gets better gas mileage than the se-r does. even the v6 version.

also, expect a multitude of squeaks and rattles from it, as the plastic dash likes to vibrate against the plastic door. the stock speakers also suck ass.

 

[DOTC]

Yeah, already started looking at something else. thinking of just keeping the 97 civic and cleaning it up a bit. (new paint, rims.. etc)

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

I had an 02 Spec V. It was a good car. If gas mileage is a concern, don't look at this car as it takes premium. And if you're going to drive it to conserve gas, get a standard Sentra.

I drove mine hard and I did have a problem with it at 68K miles when the crank position sensor and ECM crapped out. Both were covered under a recall. Of all the cars (not including trucks) I've had, it was my favorite. I liked it more than my GTA and my 240SX. I had to get rid of it because of a growing family and needing more backseat room (it sucks balls, but I didn't have to sit back there. lol ).

 

[funks]

just make sure it's pre-cat didn't disentigrate and that the bufferfly valve screws in the intake manifold are still there and it should be good to go.

My wife has a spec-v (2003) and I made use I replaced the exhaust manifold with a header (no pre-cat), and loc-tighted the butterfly valve screws and no problems.

65K.

 

[DOTC]

thats good to know. I read the dealerships just removed the pre-cat all together. I also read they were turning people down for damage done to the motor.. which blows.

 

[DOTC]

thats good to know. I read the dealerships just removed the pre-cat all together. I also read they were turning people down for damage done to the motor.. which blows.

 

[T2urtle]

to an average car guy, all problems are the QR25 can be address rather as upgrades if anything. remove pre-cat for headers, i think there is a intake spacer for the QR similiar to the ones the VQ's are using which can be installed at the same time as you loc-tite those butterfly screws. All in all with decent bolt-ons and a fairly decent driver you should be able to run 15.0 secs with it, i love the spec V front bumper, personally i would consider getting one as a daily driver when they near $5-6k instead of the 8k-10k area they are now.

 

[DOTC]

Unless the engine already has some damage. Thats the one thing that really gets me about those cars. I'm afraid someone is going to dump in every liquid they can to get it to stop smoking.. then 2k miles later I need a new motor.

 

[Connoisseur]

I have an 04 Spec V. Lots of fun to drive. The shocks are very stiff so keep that in mind if the roads aren't that great. Also, the clutch travel is pretty far; I know that's a turnoff for some people. I love hitting twisty country roads in it. It can turn on a dime even at relatively high speed. Not so good for crappy Jersey City roads tho. I also haven't had any engine problems with it. There is a recall in place but I haven't taken it in yet. Never understood why it needs premium. It's the same engine as the Altima. Does the Altima take premium?

 

[DOTC]

Have you tried a lower octane? Some say it doesn't make a diff.. some say it does. isn't this a tuned version of the altima engine though?

 

[Connoisseur]

Originally posted by: DOTC
Have you tried a lower octane? Some say it doesn't make a diff.. some say it does. isn't this a tuned version of the altima engine though?

I think i've tried it once before i realized it required premium. Didn't do anything but for the sake of caution and for keeping the engine cleaner, I've stuck with premium since. Fortunately, I only drive on the weekends so the price doesn't but me too much. Another thing to keep in mind is that this is not a long road trip car. It only fills up about 10 gallons at a time and requires a refill every 220-270 miles (depending on your driving style). I've gone up to 280 on complete highway driving but that's the upper limit. On average, I get about 26-27mpg.