Nissan boys - help me convince my parents

[Braves]

I'm looking at the Sentra SE-R Spec V's right now and trying to convince my parents. Being a teen, they obviously are more concerned with my safety then speed or things like that. My mom recalls the time when a late 90's Nissan rear-ended her mazda MPV, causing almost nothing but a dent in the mazda and totalling the entire front end of the Nissan. Are Nissan bodies that poorly built, specifically the Sentra, or is that a thing of the past?

 

[N8Magic]

As quick and as well as they handle, it's still a souped up economy car that will never handle a crash like a Volvo or a more expensive car.

That being said, they did reasonably well in crash testing.

 

[Viper GTS]

Let her know about a little thing called crumple zones - If you rear end someone, the front end is supposed to collapse to absorb the impact, it's what keeps you alive.

Viper GTS

 

[Braves]

can always depend on atot Thanks again

 

[mchammer187]

how much are you paying for that?

Nissans are nice and all but I would go with another carmaker unless u are going altima or maxima

IMO a 2002 honda accord SE cant be beat for its price, features/performance

 

[Braves]

Well i have a couple friends whose parents manage a Nissan and Infiniti dealership so I can get invoice or below for those respective cars, and my dad knows the manager of a Honda dealership and claims he can get invoice or under, so I have quite a number of choices. From talking to my friend's dad I can get a loaded Spec V for about 15.5-18, depending on whether or not I choose to equip it with leather, as I'm not a fan of the lava colored bucket seats of the spec v. I've read in many auto forums that the SE-R is an amazing car for the price it demands, and really can't be beat by anything under 20k, including the civi si, etc. etc. I'm sure the Nissan boys can fill you in on the rest. If I were to go up to the Accord SE level, I'd prefer a loaded altima or basic maxima. Plus I'd really prefer the car to be a stick, and only accord 4 bangers come with sticks until the 2003 model comes out

 

[PowerMac4Ever]

If it were my $18,000, I'd go for a used 1996 or 1997 'Benz E320. Mercedes has been using the 320 engine for, what, 15 years now? I'm sure it has the quality and reliability some people are looking for. The Benz will last you 6 or so years while still looking relatively modern. I'm sure 6 years for a car is all you need because it appears your parents are loaded or are very generous auto-wise. Stuff you can do to the Benz:

Purchase latest tail lights from the dealer so it looks like a 2002.
Acquire some nice fake Brabus or AMG wheels/rims.

Come on, you know you want it. Just go for it!

 

[Braves]

My parnets are against used cars ever since they bought my oldest sister a used LS400. There are just so many problems and I know that's not how all used cars are, that we probalby just ran into bad luck, but my parents are quick minded and judgemental based on first experiences... otherwise i wouldn't of had to wait so long to get a car, iwould've just picked up a 95 integra GS-R and modded it like hell

 

[yllus]

Hmm...the problem is there's no reason you should get a Sentra SE-R Spec V over a regular Sentra XE or GXE, unless you're trying to get a fast subcompact car - which they don't want you to do! I'm an owner of an '02 Sentra GXE and know for a fact that the '02 Honda Civic has a slightly better crash rating.

I don't know how you and mchammer187 went from talking about the class of cars the Sentra is in to an Altima or Accord - they're totally not in the same segment. Your choices are the Nissan Sentra, Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Chrysler Neon, Chevrolet Cavalier, Hyundai Elantra or Ford Focus. I highly recommend reading the 2002 Econosport Sedans Comparison Test at edmunds.com for information on subcompact-turned-sporty car. You'll be happy to see the Sentra SE-R Spec V does take top place in their comparison.

 

[Kelvrick]

what about a hyundai tiburon? Granted, I wouldn't get it, but then its pretty quick and it has a great warranty. Something parents like.

Have you considered waiting for the new mazda 626? drool....

 

[Rallispec]

Originally posted by: Braves
Well i have a couple friends whose parents manage a Nissan and Infiniti dealership so I can get invoice or below for those respective cars, and my dad knows the manager of a Honda dealership and claims he can get invoice or under, so I have quite a number of choices. From talking to my friend's dad I can get a loaded Spec V for about 15.5-18, depending on whether or not I choose to equip it with leather, as I'm not a fan of the lava colored bucket seats of the spec v. I've read in many auto forums that the SE-R is an amazing car for the price it demands, and really can't be beat by anything under 20k, including the civi si, etc. etc. I'm sure the Nissan boys can fill you in on the rest. If I were to go up to the Accord SE level, I'd prefer a loaded altima or basic maxima. Plus I'd really prefer the car to be a stick, and only accord 4 bangers come with sticks until the 2003 model comes out

the spec V is NOT available in leather. THe spec v ONLY comes with the lava seats unless you are willing to pay for somebody to install aftermarket leather seats. It does however, come with a leather wrapped stearing wheel and shift knob.

i bought my specV fully loaded for 17,900. So you should be able to do pretty good if you know the manager of the dealership.

as far as performance goes-- its the top of its price range. for a car that can be had under 18k-- there is absolutely nothing else ou there with more bang for the buck.

gas mileage is good, i average about 30 miles to the gallon.. which is decent.

depending on what you are looking for in a car-- the spec v is definetly a great car. Another great thing about it is the fact that insurance for it is really reasonable-- assuming you are a good driver.

 

[Braves]

yeah i had a huge debate th people whether the spec v came in leather or not. my local nissan dealership had never even heard of a spec v with leather and they flatly denied it. nissan's own website lists leather as an accessory, and according to caranddrveri's community forums there are some dealerships around the nation that showcase spec v's wrapped in leather interiors. I understand that most people looking for a budget new car aren't looking to spend an extra G or two on leather so it woudl be pretty stupid to list leather as an option. after clarifying from nissan's own customer suppport team that they are available in leather direct from the factory if requested, i went back to my local dealer and asked, and he said oh yeah you can get classic soft trim (which I understand is very nice leather) to do your leather for you, and if you would like you can get it done in the factory... etc. etc...

As for the original question, i'm looking for a performance car for people woh like to drive. i'm afraid to get a ticket and afraid of dying so i'm not the racing type, however I would like a car that when requested can show some power and speed and that's why i'm interested in the spec v, for it's handling/performance abilities, plus I think it looks the best out of the available choices.

 

[RossMAN]

Originally posted by: mchammer187
how much are you paying for that?

Nissans are nice and all but I would go with another carmaker unless u are going altima or maxima

IMO a 2002 honda accord SE cant be beat for its price, features/performance

Or you could get a 2002 Honda Accord LX for $15,444 and use the other $2,500 to rice it up!!!.

 

[mchammer187]

Originally posted by: yllus
Hmm...the problem is there's no reason you should get a Sentra SE-R Spec V over a regular Sentra XE or GXE, unless you're trying to get a fast subcompact car - which they don't want you to do! I'm an owner of an '02 Sentra GXE and know for a fact that the '02 Honda Civic has a slightly better crash rating.

I don't know how you and mchammer187 went from talking about the class of cars the Sentra is in to an Altima or Accord - they're totally not in the same segment. Your choices are the Nissan Sentra, Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Chrysler Neon, Chevrolet Cavalier, Hyundai Elantra or Ford Focus. I highly recommend reading the 2002 Econosport Sedans Comparison Test at edmunds.com for information on subcompact-turned-sporty car. You'll be happy to see the Sentra SE-R Spec V does take top place in their comparison.

he mentioned a 15.5K -18K price and that is well within the price of a fully loaded Accord SE

i would never pay that much for a Spec V but i would for an accord

 

[Balthazar]

Originally posted by: Viper GTS
Let her know about a little thing called crumple zones - If you rear end someone, the front end is supposed to collapse to absorb the impact, it's what keeps you alive.

Viper GTS

Isn't it shocking you actually have to tell people that still?

Love the post one up "they won't handle crashes like more expensive cars, oh but they did real good in crash testing".....deeeeeeeeer, say what?

 

[Braves]

although i barely qualify for AAA's 10% discount to students thing whatever, I have great motivation to be a good driver as I work for Infiniti and can't have any traffic violation of any kind or else i get fired 30 miles to the gallon is amazing compared to my parent's lexus's, i think they get less then 20 or so, it costs 30$ to fill up their tanks each time and it goes for about 250 miles before it needs to be refilled again. So please don't take me as another crazed teenager who wants a fast car, i'm a responsible driver who isn't looking for speed, i'm looking for perforamnce, much like you 30 year olds driving your BMW's I've heard the Spec V described as the poor man's M#, and that's fine with me

Now to convince my parents...

 

[Rallispec]

Originally posted by: RossMAN

Originally posted by: mchammer187
how much are you paying for that?

Nissans are nice and all but I would go with another carmaker unless u are going altima or maxima

IMO a 2002 honda accord SE cant be beat for its price, features/performance

Or you could get a 2002 Honda Accord LX for $15,444 and use the other $2,500 to rice it up!!!.

my favorite choice so far.

i'm not really for teenagers or younger drivers having performance oriented cars. While the specV isnt exactly the worlds fastest car-- there is enough speed there to let it get to your head. And if you dont have some expereince behind the wheel- it wont be a good thing.

the accord is cheap, great quality, great safety, the performance is there, and in a few years when youve got some more money, go out and buy the car you really want.

 

[Rallispec]

if your set on the spec v though.. its a great car. you really get a lot for the money.

when are you going to get it? if you can-- hold out for a few more months and wait for the 03's to come out.

 

[Balthazar]

Originally posted by: PowerMac4Ever
If it were my $18,000, I'd go for a used 1996 or 1997 'Benz E320. Mercedes has been using the 320 engine for, what, 15 years now? I'm sure it has the quality and reliability some people are looking for. The Benz will last you 6 or so years while still looking relatively modern. I'm sure 6 years for a car is all you need because it appears your parents are loaded or are very generous auto-wise. Stuff you can do to the Benz:

Purchase latest tail lights from the dealer so it looks like a 2002.
Acquire some nice fake Brabus or AMG wheels/rims.

Come on, you know you want it. Just go for it!

Um, yeah, insurance on that for a tean would be a riot to be certain....

 

[RossMAN]

Originally posted by: Rallispec

Originally posted by: RossMAN

Originally posted by: mchammer187
how much are you paying for that?

Nissans are nice and all but I would go with another carmaker unless u are going altima or maxima

IMO a 2002 honda accord SE cant be beat for its price, features/performance

Or you could get a 2002 Honda Accord LX for $15,444 and use the other $2,500 to rice it up!!!.

my favorite choice so far.

i'm not really for teenagers or younger drivers having performance oriented cars. While the specV isnt exactly the worlds fastest car-- there is enough speed there to let it get to your head. And if you dont have some expereince behind the wheel- it wont be a good thing.

the accord is cheap, great quality, great safety, the performance is there, and in a few years when youve got some more money, go out and buy the car you really want.

I'm not as much of a Nissan affiacando (sp) as you are but I think he'll get a lot more bang for his buck with a 2002 Nissan Sentra GXE for $12k.

 

[Rallispec]

Originally posted by: RossMAN

Originally posted by: Rallispec

Originally posted by: RossMAN

Originally posted by: mchammer187
how much are you paying for that?

Nissans are nice and all but I would go with another carmaker unless u are going altima or maxima

IMO a 2002 honda accord SE cant be beat for its price, features/performance

Or you could get a 2002 Honda Accord LX for $15,444 and use the other $2,500 to rice it up!!!.

my favorite choice so far.

i'm not really for teenagers or younger drivers having performance oriented cars. While the specV isnt exactly the worlds fastest car-- there is enough speed there to let it get to your head. And if you dont have some expereince behind the wheel- it wont be a good thing.

the accord is cheap, great quality, great safety, the performance is there, and in a few years when youve got some more money, go out and buy the car you really want.

I'm not as much of a Nissan affiacando (sp) as you are but I think he'll get a lot more bang for his buck with a 2002 Nissan Sentra GXE for $12k.

12k?!! sweet damn rossman! Thats a helluva deal.

ding ding ding we have a winner. I used to have the GXE too.. nice car, way more pickup than the civic or focus.

 

[RGN]

I've had a 93 Maxima - that car rocked, my 92 rocks harder. Anyway, I rear-ended a Civic last year (with the 93) and it caused a hell of a lot more damage to the Civic than my car. Civic, $1200 My Maxima $340. The guy at the body shop said that the Civics just explode on impact. Its the crumple zones working I guess. No one was hurt, this was a 10 mile an hour bump.

Id take that SE-R over everything else in that price range.

 

[RossMAN]

Originally posted by: Rallispec

Originally posted by: RossMAN

Originally posted by: Rallispec

Originally posted by: RossMAN

Originally posted by: mchammer187
how much are you paying for that?

Nissans are nice and all but I would go with another carmaker unless u are going altima or maxima

IMO a 2002 honda accord SE cant be beat for its price, features/performance

Or you could get a 2002 Honda Accord LX for $15,444 and use the other $2,500 to rice it up!!!.

my favorite choice so far.

i'm not really for teenagers or younger drivers having performance oriented cars. While the specV isnt exactly the worlds fastest car-- there is enough speed there to let it get to your head. And if you dont have some expereince behind the wheel- it wont be a good thing.

the accord is cheap, great quality, great safety, the performance is there, and in a few years when youve got some more money, go out and buy the car you really want.

I'm not as much of a Nissan affiacando (sp) as you are but I think he'll get a lot more bang for his buck with a 2002 Nissan Sentra GXE for $12k.

12k?!! sweet damn rossman! Thats a helluva deal.

ding ding ding we have a winner. I used to have the GXE too.. nice car, way more pickup than the civic or focus.

Well $12,888 for an auto and $12k for a manual, the Sentra is a nice car. If I wanted something under $15k I'd seriously consider it BUT for $444 more I could get a 2002 Honda Accord LX automatic

 

[RGN]

There is no way in hell I'd drive a honda...

 

[RossMAN]

Why is that?