Why did Nissan release the spec V? To compete with the civic SI? The price definitely isnt worth the hp jump and the suspension is WAY too stiff unless you live on the track. Cmon ppl, these things only get 140 to the front wheels. not to mention most of the people i see driving these things drive like maniacs because they think they are in race cars or something...

 

.. I saw a Teenie bopper at the car wash with one of these. He was bragging to anyone that would listen that , they " Would be surprised at what cars I can beat ! ".. a little while after that, my car came out, and they pulled it 2 cars from his... I walked over to him, and said.. Think you can beat that.... he just smurked, pulled his pants lower, and said nothing..

 

 

my bro has one its funt o drive-- hehehe it turns really well too and quick enough

 

there's a few in town. one used to try and race me every time he saw me.. finally I pulled up to him at a light and asked him why he kept trying "I was hoping you'd miss a shift or soemthing! Man I can't believe I keep getting beat by an old *** Maxima!"

it's amazing how many people don't understand that a sedan CAN run 14s..

 

too bad the spec v interiors are so fugly

 

I agree about the interior

GOD:
But the Spec V's imho is one of those best bang for buck kind of cars

Sure the Spec V can't compare to the maxima but it can't compare in price either

You are comparing apples to oranges

Nissan released the car so it would have an entry level car to sell and market....for those people who at the current time can't even come close to purchusing a flagship car

 

I saw a magazine last night forget what it is call, there is a Spec V with force induction (Turbo or supercharge), it looks very nice and claim to be very fast too.

 

Have any of you driven it? I along with several Maxima and SE-R drivers got to take a pre production model for a spin, thanks to Greg at Oceanside Mossy Nissan. I was totally enthralled. For a 4 banger, it's a torque monster. Traction and handling were excellent. It'll outrun my max in the twisties any day. And frankly, I was startled by how quickly I hit redline in the first three gears.

yes it is a Sentra, and it can't really be compared to a Maxima, but for $17k you can't beat it I'd take one in a heartbeat if I was shopping for a car in that range.

 

id take one too. its only a custom leather kit away from being a real nice economical ride.

 

I'm with La Jolla Max on this one. Please fill your brain with some type of knowledge before you knock something. This car is seriously one of the most fun cars I've ever driven. Handling is superb, gobs of torque down low, quick reving engine, and nice driver's oriented interior. It's an autocross beast. Seriously one of the best bang for the buck in the market today. I'd take it over a civic or an RSX any day. 140hp to the wheels? lemme ask you how much does a civic SI make to the wheels? yeah. like 120 if that. Not to mention the 180 lb-ft of torque on the spec-v.

Kloogy: I dislike Maxtor's constant nay-saying and negativism as much as you do, but do you have to have such a superior attitude about your car? Yes the 2002 maxima is fast. But it doesn't mean it's everything to everyone. There are far faster cars out there, and just because someone drives a "honduh" or a "rustang" doesn't mean that you have license to bash every car that may be cheaper or slower than yours. Every post I've seen from you lately has been derogatory towards someone else's car in some way, shape, or form.
Car enthusiasts can appreciate ALL types of cars.

 

Well said, Chinzkilla. Perhaps your 6 speed should pull his auto down a peg or 2.

By the way, I think the Sentra V-Spec is BADASSS, too. Way good looking and lots of gonads. Take it to battle against an RSX-Type S

DW

 

I almost bought a spec v. I have to say for that price there is nothing that compares to it. When i drove the car I just couldnt resist flooring it and when i did i felt that lsd kick in and that car with 3 people in took of like a bat out of ***. There is no way its faster than a ve but it will sure give my vg a run for the money.
Oh and yes the spec v smokes a si in accel 1/4 braking, and top speed.
Isnt that all that matters, smoking any honda product especially a si. Isnt that we all want to do.

 

What else in the 15-18K range can you get that can compete with the Spec V? It's a pretty sweet little car - I'd take that ANY day over a Civic, Corolla, Neon (although they're quick enough too)... I'm glad that I could make the choice I did, but I could have seen myself getting a Spec V. Nothing like starting out with a $17K car and going to town with the modding!!

 

The Spec-V really doesn't steal my heart as far as performance and looks go, but for the price, it's an unbeatable deal. Sure, it only makes 140-150fwhp which isn't that much more than a Civic Si (99-00), but the difference in torque is massive. The Spec-V is putting down 150fwtq vs the Si's 100fwtq. That's huge, especially in any race from a stop. The Spec-V is quite the handler even though it still runs the beam axle. I believe it's handling numbers rival or beat the Integra Type R in every contest. The Spec-V is good for lower 15s around 90-91mph which is exactly what the 92-99 Maximas are good for. What about the fact that it has HLSD and a 6 speed? Massive brakes and nice looking 17s are also included. I'm just waiting for someone to ditch those heavy-a$$ stock 17s and go with some light 16s to see what that thing could really do in the 1/4. I'd say 14s in bonestock form are very possible.

The biggest problems with the Spec-V? A rather ugly shape and a low-rev valve train. Lower the car a little and put on a rear valence and the car will look far better. Once a cam, spring, and rev kit come out for this motor, it's gonna be a pretty wicked little ride.



Dave

 

spec V'sll run you 20k decently loaded, and honestly, the people who end up buying them buy them because they want to race. I was lookin into getting one, but the interior was way too ugly and small, and seriously, the suspension is so freaking stiff u can feel every freaking little stone on the road. It is a good bang for your buck, but at its heart is a sentra, i think id prefer a regular sentra any day when you think of honestly how few upgrades you get for the increased price when going for the spec V. Oh yea, the bumper fit in the front is real funny, it looks like the car has an aftermarket bumper because of the little gap between it and the front lights . Seriously though, just tried to see people's opinions... In the end though, it feels like they slapped it together. I'm just saying, nissan touted this as some amazing performance vehicle at a low price, but I'd prolly go subaru or american and pay a little more than get the spec V. And all the people who have these little things seem to want to race all the time...

 

Just wait until you get either American iron or a WRX.

 

plz tell me what car u think is better than the spev V at under
20k??? with the spev V u get a kickass stereo system and some good
looking 17" rims...not only that..the spec V has more power than most cars around its price range
if u think this about the specV what do u think abuot the celica,
rsx, and the civic si??

 

Did they? I haven't seen one advertisement for the SE-R. Actually it's been a while since I've seen any kind of PR short of pamphlets at the dealership for the Sentra line, much less the SE-R.

Right now (I still have to test drive one, which is IMPOSSIBLE here in Omaha...the only ones the dealerships get are ordered) I'm a Spec-V fan, but I hear where you're coming from. You can't take away from the point that everyone is making in this thread (and elsewhere) though....for $19-20k, what else can you get that's as performance-oriented, and reliable (at least I hope)? Sure, you can say "spend a little more", but really, when you edge it up to even $22k+, that's a big difference to someone with a tight budget. There's obvious issues with buying something slightly used as compared to a new Spec-V too.

To me, I love cars, but my love-hate balance is such that I don't think, in this city at least and with my budget, that I could spend a large chunk of money on any automobile, no matter what it may be.
However, I don't want to ride in something that's not fun (automatic, sloshy suspension), and at the same time, I don't want something devoid of low-end, which narrows it down. The spec-V seems like a perfect answer.

I do see how it can be a kid-racer type car though....but kids will want to race in a 1985 Buick if that's what they got to drive. Let 'em get it out of their system. Me? I'd just be cruisin and takin hard corners, maybe run it through a gear or two every now and then.

edit: I think Motor Trend had a 4-car comparison with the Si, Neon, Spec V, and 1.8GTI that you can look into for comparison info. They all agreed the Spec V was the best performer (acceleration/lateral/etc) out of the pack, and it might have been the cheapest.

 

With some minor modifications, I think it would be a really sweet track car right out of the box. For 17K it's got a lot of bang for the buck. I'm glad that Nissan held more true to the original SE-R than they have been in the past few years.

 

Yea, except that there's no coupe like there used to be...and the shots I've seen of the rear interior show there's NO leg room at all in the back.

I guess that'd help keep it cheap, but...

 

Well, at least the thing was biased towards going fast rather than just looking fast.