1993 Nissan Sentra GXE Test: Nice by Design

Everything you'd buy a big car for except the bulk. David Dewhurst|Car and DriverFrom the February 1993 issue of Car and Driver. This little Nissan four-door is right in the middle of what's always been a tough neighborhood. The streets here are crawling with four-doors that measure within a thumb's width of this Sentra's 170.3-inch length, have comparable room inside, and have the inevitable 1.6-liter four under the hood. But old neighborhoods change. The prices here are probably still higher than you'd like, but the cars have become just like real cars only less big. None is more like a real car than this Sentra GXE. The Sentra line was all-new for 1991 (it was about time), and we continue to let loose billows of euphoria over the sporty Sentra SE-R, which resides on our Ten Best list. The GXE is a different deal. It plays the role of "nice car," the "nicest" thing in Nissan's bargain basement. At $14,495 including destination charges, the price arguably belongs on the main floor. But this is absolutely a main-floor car in its equipment and in its behavior. See all results for used 1993 Nissan Sentra for sale near 0 The list in this GXE covers power everything, including windows, locks, and mirrors; air conditioning; cruise control; tilt steering; a four-speaker AM/FM/cassette; anti-roll bars front and rear; and a driver's-side airbag. Our test car also had optional anti-lock brakes and a CD player. The GXE looks nice. It has alloy wheels, body-colored bumpers, and subtly hued herringbone cloth on the seats and doors—touches that make real cars look so much ritzier than econoboxes. It goes nicely. The 1.6-liter four produces 110 hp from its twin overhead cams, four valves per cylinder, and sequential port fuel injection-equipment that not so long ago was available on only the most advanced models. And it rides nicely. The suspension doesn't beat you up just because you didn't pay large. Certain ride motions—pitch, for example—are inevitable in cars without much distance between their wheels, and the Sentra is by no means exempt. But pound it doesn't. See all results for used 1993 Nissan Sentra for sale near 0 That still doesn't explain this car's friendliness, its amiability, its urbanity. The niceness of the Sentra comes from deep in its pores. About the only way to explain it is to say this car is nice by design. After year of building car with hard corners, Nissan has found a winsome look that's soft on its edges, graceful in its forms. The Maxima led the way in 1989, and now the subsequent models, each in turn, appear as Maximas of lesser stature. It's particularly agreeable inside, where the instrument panels, door panels, and seats have a sculptural flow about them that makes for wonderfully harmonious surroundings. Because good design remembers that cars are made for hauling people and their stuff, the Sentra shows attention to the basics. A six-footer has good headroom in the back seat. Back at the cargo hold, the trunk lid cuts right down to bumper height for easy loading. The trunk itself is large, with no lumps and bulges intruding into the floor or sides. The back seat folds forward—either partly or entirely, your choice—to extend the hauling space into the area behind the front seats. (Although the Sentra is a solid car, free of shivers and shakes, our test example had a few light rattles in attendance.) Other cars in this end of the market are cleaning up their acts, too, but the Sentra has more than its share of winning details. The window controls have a separate express-down button on the driver side. The outside door handles are uncommonly effective. There's a dead pedal for the driver's left foot. The controls are light and accurate, particularly the five-speed shifter. The instruments are classic round dials with white markings on black faces. The front buckets have exceptional lateral support. The GXE is fun to drive at a brisk pace, a pace that will surely tumble the kids across the back seat and splat them against the door panels. Although the 175/70-13 Dunlops are cushy good-ride tires, they warn you when to stop pushing. This is a car of broad capabilities and satisfactions. It's from a tough neighborhood, but you'd never know it now. 1993 Nissan Sentra GXEVehicle Type: front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan ENGINEDOHC 16-valve inline-4, iron block and aluminum head, port fuel injection Displacement: 97 in3, 1592 cm3 Power: 110 hp @ 6000 rpm DIMENSIONS Wheelbase: 95.7 in Length: 170.3 inCurb Weight: 2540 lb C/D TEST RESULTS 60 mph: 9.7 sec 1/4-Mile: 17.4 sec @ 79 mph Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 10.6 sec Top Speed: 109 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 205 ft Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.76 g 1992 Bentley Continental R: Setting a New Course 1992 Cadillac STS Tested: Import Fighter At Last 1998 Audi A4 Avant Quattro vs. Volvo V70 AWD 1993 Saab 9000CS Turbo: More Bargain Than Basement Tested: Jackson Racing Supercharged Focus ZX3 2003 Ferrari Enzo T

1993 Nissan Sentra GXE Test: Nice by Design

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