Hey guys. I've got a 94 toyota tercel, about 140K on it, 4 spd manual, 1.5L, 82hp. I've had it for 3.5 years, done some minor mods to it, and its been pretty reliable and fuel efficient, about 29/34 mpg winter/summer. But its showing its age and engine wear.
Ive been looking at some other cars, mainly like 2000-2001 Nissan Sentra GXE's and Corolla LE's. Theyve both got very similar specs, 1.8L 125 hp, almost exact same size. Being a college student, reliability, insurance costs, and fuel economy are important. I realize this is a sentra forum, but does anyone have any info as to how these 2 compare, like with handling, ease of working on them, or anything else? thanks a lot guys.
Oh, and i dont really wanna drive a honda civic around like everyone else.
Later guys, thanks.
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-MATT
94 Toyota Tercel
Last edited by MattR : Apr 16th, 2004 at 01:17 AM.
I did the exact same upgrade you're thinking of doing. I had a 94 tercel 4sp manual, 2 door. I was tired of driving a death trap around. In 2001 I went and bought a brand new GXE.
believe me when I tell you the difference is huge.
hey. the gxe's are cheaper, better gas mileage, cheaper insurance. and 125 hp is already 40hp more than my current car, i really dont need more than that in a daily driver that i want to last a while. I'm really liking the 2000 sentra body style more than the 2000 corolla body, i guess to me it looks kinda newer and more badass, i dunno. but after reading reviews on msn carpoint, a lot of people seem to be unhappy with the sentra, a lot of recalls on it and engine problems reported.
and did the gxe have an optional sunroof/moonroof? i havent found any so far?
you can also try b15sentra.net forums. That forum is dedicated to the b15 (2000-present) model. They can probably give you more info on problems, i remember it was a certain engine but i can't recall if it was the spec-v engine or not.
The only bad thing about owning a Sentra is finding a good dealership. Around here, Nissan dealers have a reputation for giving poor customer service... I changed dealerships twice!
But the car is worth it, even with minor or no mods.
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2002 Black Sentra GXE - debadged - 15" Konig Holes graphite - Hotshot CAI - Megan Racing Strut tower brace -
My Uncle who has worked as a Toyota mechanic for a number of years now is always mentioning how the newwer Toyotas are not as reliable as older ones. Specifically, when he mentions the Corolla, he says reliability and quality dropped after '97, although they still are good cars. Just not /as/ good.
[opinion]I'd say they're both (sentra/corolla) probably going to be equally reliable and cost the same for repairs, so just drive both and see which one you like better, and go with it.[/opinion]
dont expect the gas mileage in either a sentra or carolla that you get with your current car (though they both get decent mileage). price wise, the sentra is a better bang for the buck. yay tercell!
did I mention gas is expensive?
2000-2001 Sentra vs Corolla
believe me when I tell you the difference is huge.
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