SilverSentra99

Im bout to buy a SER and it seems that a lot of you guys are having trouble with the Manual version of this car, so if you are having trouble with the autos id like to know before i get one,

If you have a SER not Spec V and are having troubles please list them. i dont want to make a 18k mistake. not with my credit.

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1999 Nissan Sentra GXE Limited Edition Auto GA16DE
See My Custom RAM/Cold Air Intake ,multicolor LED Undercar Kit Optix,K&N Filter Charger, Stock Gun Metaled Rims @ http://www.cardomain.com/ride/261891

 

FarmboySE-R

Spec V all the way baby. I was having problems with the 6-spd tranny but recently I've harness it and it is kicking some butt. If price is an issue, go with the 2.5 Altima

red SE-R

the only problem i have had with mine is the COMPLEATE AND TOTAL LACK OF CUSTOMER SERVICE FROM THE DEALERSHIPS!!! (due to a minor pothole incident.)

actually i know several people who have spevs and i have raced them and its a dead even race between the two cars. we even switched cars just to see and there was no difference.

really all i can see with the spec v is you have to shift more frequently. and dont mind it crunching from time to time and the dealers saying they cant replicate the problem. i also didnt really notice any substantial difference in the suspensions or the handling ability.

i have had mine for a year now and no problems other than cheep ass no traction getting bald after 9K mile firehawk gta2's
THEY SUCK!!!!!
i would not get the auto unless you go with the limited edtition.

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fatloserboi

hey farmboy are those kills the ppl that u have raced??
do u have any mods on ur car??

FarmboySE-R

Pure stock buddy And yes those are the ppl that I've raced.

The 2 with ?? is because it was a stoplight challenge and they were too pissed off after a spanking. Don't get over your head though... I got creamed by a normal looking Acura TL that ended up being a typeS running NOS after I saw his rear bumper. heh...

 

SE-R420

hell yea, i have a 2002 se-r auto, and the tires are crappy as hell, they dont give good traction what so ever, especially from stop to go. also, since my car has an intake and exhaust, the increased torque makes the tires spin even more. im trying to transfer my lease over to somebody in order to then finance out a 2003 specv. i need the 6 speeed. i got my se-r on leasetrader.com, hoping it will sell soon.

MiKe

dwill9578

Red Se-r from Houston, keep tellin yourself that a almost stock ser can take a spec-v! there is no way that is possibly espically for 2003 with revised tranny. Not even to mention the handling diffrence are huge, you gripe about tire traction with your all seasons but go on to say that the two cars handle the same???Plain and simply the diffrences are huge, the se-r is a limited edition with a couple bolt on's, I mean they even offer a auto!! not a drivers car!!!

SloSpecV

All i know is the SPec V i drove and am purchasing this week has alot of power and feels very strong in all 6 gears!

wizard

With no other mods than a Injen intake and icing the engine between rounds my 2002 SE-R Auto went 15.38@89mph with a 2.21 60'. My 2003 Spec V with stock intake and 6 speed went 15.45. Not bad for a auto....

sr20 805

wack not trying to flame, but if your automatic se-r ran a faster time than your six speed spec with the se-r only having an injen intake seems TOO shady.....kinda questioning your driving skills here....not talking shit in any way, just wondering

 

red SE-R

first off im sorry this is so long but it needs to be said.

well lets take a look at this here for a moment. when you factor in the differences in weight, differences in power loss, rim sizes, (the 16's weigh less than the 17's and lighter rims mean less rotational inertia for the engine to fight) the gear ratios, yes even the 2003 tranny, and do the math . the over all stright line performance is almost identical stock. its only a couple tenths difference at most. then when you bolt on a free flowing exhaust to the base se-r it sees a larger hp gain over all than the spec does with the same exhaust mod. (contrary to popular belief this is why the base se-r has 10 hp and 5 ft/ lbs less than the spec. its the restrictive exhaust, dyno results have proven this.) add to that a lower power loss through the drive train means this. more power to the wheels is available for the base se-r than the spec. then when you look at the suspensions everything is the same exact same, except the springs. the spec v's springs, that are only 15% stiffer than the Base SE-R, this is not really much of a difference. if you read up on them, the differences in the maximum lateral G's and slalom the two cars can pull. they are negligible in difference, the numbers don't lie. So it comes down to driver skill.
now yes the spec will out pull the base se-r at speed in 5th and 6th only becuse of the gear ratios, but they both have the same top speed so whats the difference. (you have to shift more often in a spec thats what)

And no auto cannot come close to either the 5 speed or 6 speed SE-R's due to its large ammount of power loss through its tranny.

now lets look at the tires for a moment, first and formost understand this. both the contisport and firehawk gta 02 tires are oem(cheap). what this means is that nissan put the best all around tire they could get for the cheapest cost. so neither are going to be overly impressive tires to begin with.

now the firehawk tire is not listed or considered a standard all season tire as you put it. it actually falls under the performance tire catagory with its specs and H speed rating (the actual max needed for our cars due to top speed availability.

Yes the contisport is technically a high performance tire, only because of its z speed rating and required construction fot this rating. the softer tire compound does give it better handling than the firehawk yes but at a price.

both tires have their good points (few) and bad points (many). you ask most people who have driven on either tire and they will tell you the same thing. that both of these tires suck. why? because they are cheap tires, plain and simple. if you look at the reviews of both tires you will see that it is the same, 4 out of 5 owners did not like the conti's or the firehawks for the very same reasons. a very poor wet/snow traction rating, short tire life, harsh ride quality, excessive road noise.
yes the contis do grip better than the firehawks but when in the hands of an inexperienced driver this wont lend much of an advantage. the inexperienced driver will tend to repeatedly push the tires past their capeable limits, creating an unsafe driving condition.
now take a slightly lower rated tire in the hands of a driver ho is experienced and he/she will know where the limits are and push them to that level and seldom past.

over all like i said the performance differences between the Spec V and Base SE-R is as i stated before, are negligible. its the goodies the spec v gets that attracts most buyers to it (sales tactic) and make people think its a far superior car, when its really not much better over all when you look at the numbers.
im not at all saying the spec v isnt worth buying, but if you do the research as i have you will find that the base se-r is offered for people like myself who didnt want a flashy interior, higher insurance, and a higher theft risk car. but do want very similar overall performance abilities for less money.

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SloSpecV

ya but your just an se-r
we are a spec-v
its like buying an rsx and not gettig an rsx-s
because the only diffrence in the rsx' i believe is diffrent intake and exhaust... oh and 6 speed

dwill9578

Your point of view is the reason why nissan offers that car. I wanted the sliver inserts, the big fat rims limited slip etc......oh and the 6 speed. The RSX is a great example for the two cars, the SE-R is more tame,rides on higher profile tires:motor more choked. For people that want to customize there Spec's it's easier than Se-R. Limtied slip already there, cool seats etc. Now the tire issue, went to Tire Rack conti sports $132, Dunlope same same size SP9000 $143. This tells me that the tire is not a "Cheap"tire. Yes it does ride harsh and life won't be long but not too shabby for OEM. Considering that it was OEM on Boxsters and 911's in 97-99 model years. Insurance is the same at least for me on both models. With the 6 speed I find it easier to extract more from the Torquey 2.5. It's a much more enjoyable car to drive than SE-R 5 speed, nevermind an auto

red SE-R

i was going to get the Spec v but after test driving 6 at different times and dealerships every one i drove the tranny crunched, and i asked them this is a brand new car with 6 miles on it, why does the tranny grind? the sales geeks just said that it was because the transmission was new and all new transmisions did that. or because i wasnt shifting it right. or some weak ass excuse like this. new transmisions grind??? I am not shifting it right???WTF??? i even had the sales guy drive it and wouldn't you know it the tranny did the same thing. at that point i looked at him and said dont know how to drive a stick? and told him to take me back to the dealership.
i learned to drive a standard 13 years ago in a 1990 Porsche 911 turbo by my cousin who is a professional race car driver. so i think he knows how to train someone to trive a stick. i also have gone to the bondurant school of precision driving. and the sales guy tried to tell me I wasnt shifting right??
so i got in the base se-r and shifted it the exact same way, and guess what no grind. this was the main factor keeping me from getting the spec. i didnt want hassels later on with a problematic tranny. and I also knew about nissans popular or less than popular reputation for side skirting problems with a car because they dont have a tsb on it. giving excuses that they dont know what the fix is for this or that.. so when i looked at all this i decided to pass on the crunch box and go with the 5 speed. Also i didn't care fpr the lave seats much, and they were rather uncomfortable to me or i would have them recovered. yes sacrificing a little, but over all the differences are few. the power difference, fixed with the exhaust upgrade.

im about to get a set of spec rims, tires, and springs from a friend for $350 (he is going aftermarket). and the 03 tranny and ecu im getting from a friend at a body shop for $500. I only paid 14.7 for the base se-r, and for $850 bucks it will have the same equpment as the spec. I can get a nice set of racing seats for about $300, and ill still be under 16K for it. the dealer wanted (would not budge) 19,7 for the spec. and ill have basically the same car for 15,850. so thplplplpl j/k

i knew if i waited long enough i could get these parts cheap. there were multiple factors that turned my away from the spec at the time. im not downing the car at all. but when i compared pros to cons for me personally, the base se-r was a better choice to buy. and now ill have one for less than most people paid.

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dwill9578

All very well and good, but like I said I am talking about 2003's which I feel have a much more positive shift feel. I think it's a good idea to stay away from a first year model run of ANY car.Silver seats, revised tranny and tougher guts in the 2.5 made the wait for a 03 worth while for me. But someone telling you that your not shifting the car right is pretty funny, salesman will tell you anything.