Technical
Two engines made the grade for this particular generation. The basic engine for both the 2 and 4-door was a 115 hp 1.6L 4-cylinder. Those that we luckier or had more coin could opt for the 140 hp 2.0L 4-pot when selecting the 200SX SE-R. Transmission options were between a 5-speed manual and a 4-speed automatic. Front discs and rear drums were standard fare. The SE-R sported 4-wheel discs. The suspension was independent up-front and semi-independent in the rear. Standard wheels were 14" whereas the SE-R rode around on 15" alloys.
On the road
The 1.6L engine was a working mill in the crudest sense. It was noisy, raspy and not much of a performer. In essence, nor should it have been. The motor delivers honest levels of acceleration all the while consuming as little fuel as possible. The manual transmission equipped tester's shifter easily found each cog without any effort and the clutch action was springy although fairly light.
On the road, the steering proved to be light in every circumstance; whether in the city or on the high road. At 110 km/h, the lightness increased exponentially. The brake pedal was firm enough to believe that the car would come to a full and it would however, repeated hard braking would rapidly reduce their efficacy.
The drive of the Sentra is smooth in general terms. When leisurely driving on an even surface, its behaviour is civilised even comfortable. As the driving intensified, the Sentra preferred not to pretend that it could keep up the pace. Body roll is present and highway-speed stability is only sufficient.
Safety
Safety features were very basic on this car as only dual front air bags were standard. The NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) awarded the car 4 out of 5 stars (a good result) in a frontal impact for both front occupants up until 1997. For 1998 and 1999, the driver side rating dropped to 3 out of 5 stars (an average result). The IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) rated the 1998-99 "Average" in its category.
Two engines made the grade for this particular generation. The basic engine for both the 2 and 4-door was a 115 hp 1.6L 4-cylinder. Those that we luckier or had more coin could opt for the 140 hp 2.0L 4-pot when selecting the 200SX SE-R. Transmission options were between a 5-speed manual and a 4-speed automatic. Front discs and rear drums were standard fare. The SE-R sported 4-wheel discs. The suspension was independent up-front and semi-independent in the rear. Standard wheels were 14" whereas the SE-R rode around on 15" alloys.
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On the road
The 1.6L engine was a working mill in the crudest sense. It was noisy, raspy and not much of a performer. In essence, nor should it have been. The motor delivers honest levels of acceleration all the while consuming as little fuel as possible. The manual transmission equipped tester's shifter easily found each cog without any effort and the clutch action was springy although fairly light.
On the road, the steering proved to be light in every circumstance; whether in the city or on the high road. At 110 km/h, the lightness increased exponentially. The brake pedal was firm enough to believe that the car would come to a full and it would however, repeated hard braking would rapidly reduce their efficacy.
The drive of the Sentra is smooth in general terms. When leisurely driving on an even surface, its behaviour is civilised even comfortable. As the driving intensified, the Sentra preferred not to pretend that it could keep up the pace. Body roll is present and highway-speed stability is only sufficient.
Safety
Safety features were very basic on this car as only dual front air bags were standard. The NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) awarded the car 4 out of 5 stars (a good result) in a frontal impact for both front occupants up until 1997. For 1998 and 1999, the driver side rating dropped to 3 out of 5 stars (an average result). The IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) rated the 1998-99 "Average" in its category.
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