2007 Nissan Sentra SE-R
Pocket Rocket With a Gee Factor.
Type: Compact front-drive performance sedan.
MSRP: $20,525 - $22,880 (tested).
Engine: A 2.5-liter in-line 4-cylinder (200 horsepower, 180 pound-feet of torque); six-speed manual transmission.
Consumption: E.P.A. mileage estimate is 24 m.p.g. in town, 31 on the highway.
Alternatives: Honda Civic Si sedan ($21,685), Chevrolet Cobalt SS ($19,515), Hyundai Tiburon GT ($19,995), Mini Cooper S ($21,850).
Here is a car-marketing rule of thumb: the more letters and suffixes tacked onto a car name, the more gaudy accouterments — inside and out — the car will possess. So naturally you’d expect something called the 2007 Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V to be pretty well endowed.
But the Spec V — let’s simply call it that — is surprisingly subdued in its excesses. Although it’s decked out with the requisite rear spoiler, bright red seat belts, and 17-inch aluminum alloy wheels, which have an awkward spoke pattern and look like stove-top gas burners, I felt relieved that things weren’t bigger, shinier and worse — with one exception.
A G meter sits front and center on the gray dashboard. It measures the G forces — how many times the force of gravity is pulling on your body. It also measures the extent to which Nissan has gone too far.
Not only is the Spec V a performance version of the Sentra, it is the performance version of the performance trim version — the SE-R — and sort of a pocket rocket squared.
The SE-R made its debut in 1991 as the Sentra’s top trim level. It came with a more powerful engine and was an instant underground hit with enthusiasts. For most of the decade, the SE-R was one of just a few performance-oriented compacts sequestered below the lackluster mainstream.
But then came the movie “The Fast and the Furious,” and automakers were suddenly made aware of a whole new market to exploit. In 2002, it was no longer enough to have just an SE-R. Nissan added a Spec V. In 2007, you needed a G meter.
I kept my eye on that G meter for the better part of five days of driving. Most of the time, the needle sat right on zero, but it wasn’t for the lack of trying. Oh, I tried. I pegged the car on on-ramps and off-ramps. I stopped short and started hard. The most I coaxed out of the Spec V was 0.1 g. Maybe it was broken. Maybe it is unnecessary.
Based on the sixth-generation Sentra, the Spec V is more powerful than the previous version. The 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine returns 200 horsepower, which is 23 more than the SE-R and 60 more than the 2-liter 4 found in the regular Sentra. And the sound is beautiful, a smooth, graceful hum all the way up to the redline of 6,800 r.p.m.
The Spec V is available only with a close-ratio six-speed manual gearbox, which does the job without quirks or wobbles between gears. The electronic power steering feels direct, with a good amount of weight on surface streets, but on freeways the power assist seemed overdone.
You get the sense that all of the mechanical bits have been tweaked according to focus groups and research data to walk the delicate line between performance and comfort. The Spec V is definitely bigger and more spacious than ever. But it is also roughly 400 pounds heavier than the 2006 model. To stiffen the chassis, there is a larger front stabilizer bar and a V-brace behind the rear seats. A sport-tuned suspension and four-wheel disc brakes (including 12.6-inch rotors up front) also help the Spec V tuck in its weight. But all of that equipment fails to hide the bulk altogether.
The Spec V feels athletic but not chiseled. Road & Track clocked it at 6.6 seconds from a stop to 60 m.p.h., so its acceleration is better than ever. But the weight is the biggest factor in the overall feel of the car, which pales in comparison with the more enthusiastic pocket rockets of its ilk, like the Honda Civic Si and the Mini Cooper S.
And for a car with a name as long as the Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V, it is more of an everyday driver than you’d expect. It’s still sporty and fun, but it is likely to disappoint extremists, especially those in search of higher Gs.
(C)NYT
Type: Compact front-drive performance sedan.
MSRP: $20,525 - $22,880 (tested).
Engine: A 2.5-liter in-line 4-cylinder (200 horsepower, 180 pound-feet of torque); six-speed manual transmission.
Consumption: E.P.A. mileage estimate is 24 m.p.g. in town, 31 on the highway.
Alternatives: Honda Civic Si sedan ($21,685), Chevrolet Cobalt SS ($19,515), Hyundai Tiburon GT ($19,995), Mini Cooper S ($21,850).
Here is a car-marketing rule of thumb: the more letters and suffixes tacked onto a car name, the more gaudy accouterments — inside and out — the car will possess. So naturally you’d expect something called the 2007 Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V to be pretty well endowed.But the Spec V — let’s simply call it that — is surprisingly subdued in its excesses. Although it’s decked out with the requisite rear spoiler, bright red seat belts, and 17-inch aluminum alloy wheels, which have an awkward spoke pattern and look like stove-top gas burners, I felt relieved that things weren’t bigger, shinier and worse — with one exception.
A G meter sits front and center on the gray dashboard. It measures the G forces — how many times the force of gravity is pulling on your body. It also measures the extent to which Nissan has gone too far.
Not only is the Spec V a performance version of the Sentra, it is the performance version of the performance trim version — the SE-R — and sort of a pocket rocket squared.
The SE-R made its debut in 1991 as the Sentra’s top trim level. It came with a more powerful engine and was an instant underground hit with enthusiasts. For most of the decade, the SE-R was one of just a few performance-oriented compacts sequestered below the lackluster mainstream.
But then came the movie “The Fast and the Furious,” and automakers were suddenly made aware of a whole new market to exploit. In 2002, it was no longer enough to have just an SE-R. Nissan added a Spec V. In 2007, you needed a G meter.
I kept my eye on that G meter for the better part of five days of driving. Most of the time, the needle sat right on zero, but it wasn’t for the lack of trying. Oh, I tried. I pegged the car on on-ramps and off-ramps. I stopped short and started hard. The most I coaxed out of the Spec V was 0.1 g. Maybe it was broken. Maybe it is unnecessary.
Based on the sixth-generation Sentra, the Spec V is more powerful than the previous version. The 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine returns 200 horsepower, which is 23 more than the SE-R and 60 more than the 2-liter 4 found in the regular Sentra. And the sound is beautiful, a smooth, graceful hum all the way up to the redline of 6,800 r.p.m.
The Spec V is available only with a close-ratio six-speed manual gearbox, which does the job without quirks or wobbles between gears. The electronic power steering feels direct, with a good amount of weight on surface streets, but on freeways the power assist seemed overdone.
You get the sense that all of the mechanical bits have been tweaked according to focus groups and research data to walk the delicate line between performance and comfort. The Spec V is definitely bigger and more spacious than ever. But it is also roughly 400 pounds heavier than the 2006 model. To stiffen the chassis, there is a larger front stabilizer bar and a V-brace behind the rear seats. A sport-tuned suspension and four-wheel disc brakes (including 12.6-inch rotors up front) also help the Spec V tuck in its weight. But all of that equipment fails to hide the bulk altogether.
The Spec V feels athletic but not chiseled. Road & Track clocked it at 6.6 seconds from a stop to 60 m.p.h., so its acceleration is better than ever. But the weight is the biggest factor in the overall feel of the car, which pales in comparison with the more enthusiastic pocket rockets of its ilk, like the Honda Civic Si and the Mini Cooper S.
And for a car with a name as long as the Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V, it is more of an everyday driver than you’d expect. It’s still sporty and fun, but it is likely to disappoint extremists, especially those in search of higher Gs.
(C)NYT
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