Faults:

C/V joint replaced at 175000 km.

Bushings and tie rods.

A/C compressor.

Clutch.

Struts.

General Comments:

I have the non USA version, which is bare bones simple, carburated, no computer, no catalytic converter, no power steering, manual windows, very few emission control sensors and tubing in the motor. The only extras are A/C and tachometer.

Nissan did a great job with this little compact in terms of the quality of the components, simplicity, and very easy and cheap to work on. This has to be one of the most reliable cars I have ever had, and coming from a Mercedes you really appreciate the reliable Japanese electronics and general engineering. All the work that I have done is normal maintenance.

It also makes me realize that modern cars are not made to last and are made as cheap as possible to remain competitive.

I was lucky to find this car from a gentleman who never used it. It was 25 years old with 47,000 km on it. Now it's 30 years old with 184,000 km and I am not considering selling any time soon.

Acceleration is smooth; no stumbling, and ample power to go up Costa Rica's hills and for passing. I get 40 MPG highway and maintenance is dirt cheap with parts available everywhere. You're not going to impress anyone as it's a minimalist car. But it gets the job done with no headaches. Mechanics hate this car because it never breaks down, whereas with my Mercedes my mechanic was my best friend.

Here in Costa Rica, in 2017, you still see many of these 80s Sentras on the road in various conditions, but that is testament to the longevity of these cars. This model and Corollas last the longest in my opinion.

Faults:

Ball joint.

Terminals.

Rusty muffler (free).

Bushings were changed.

Water pump (I got it for $21, made in Japan, damn that was cheap).

Head gasket ($10 Felpro).

Dash cracked (yeah, after 25 yrs under that damn hot Caribbean sun).

Nothing bad really.. just the usual maintenance, and the parts are so damn cheap and very reliable.

General Comments:

It was very comfortable drive, although it made lots of noise, it never left me on the road, engine doesn't smoke, trans shifted beautifully... it was a great first car... yeah it was until I sold it for no reason at all... it hurt me like hell, I miss it... well we gotta keep living.

If you're looking to buy it, watch out for leaks, oh and don't worry, it has great gas mileage, although it doesn't have much power... I've never had problem going up hills with the car loaded...

Faults:

Got the car at 28k miles in 2008, sat in my elderly Grandmother's garage virtually unused for 20 years.

On arrival, CV joint replaced.

On arrival, AC recharged.

On arrival, exhaust replaced (rust) .

32k miles, 3 months later, head gasket replaced.

39k miles, 10 months later, oil sensor replaced.

40k miles, 10 months later, radiator hose replaced.

40k miles, 10 months later, AC drain unclogged.

41k miles, 11 months later, water pump replaced.

General Comments:

The hatchback model is ugly. Very few are still on the road today. Unique.

Huge amount of storage with the hatchback, great for hauling things.

Minimalist, surprisingly roomy, well built interior. Comfortably seats 4 people.

Vinyl seats are durable and comfortable, leg room is acceptable.

3-speed automatic is slow and clunky, especially 30+mph, whines at anything above 55 and tops out at 85 on a flat road.

Good turning radius, good 0-30 acceleration, small, good for city driving.

24mpg city, 24-30mpg on the highway depending on your speed.

Did not come with radio, had to drill in my own speaker mounts in the front doors (although the openings and wires were there), the back speaker mounts were already there and less of a hassle, had to hack away at the slightly too small DIN opening to install a head unit.