Faults:
Stereo was dead when I first bought the car, so a £40 replacement from Argos was installed.
Car cuts out sometimes in very hot weather, especially in traffic jams, although I'm told this is normal for this sort of engine.
Starter-motor is sometimes a bit reluctant to do its job quickly without making a horrible noise.
A rust patch needed a sand-back and a bit of paint - purely cosmetic.
General Comments:
Very reliable car, which I would take anywhere.
Only money I've spent on it is the Stereo, and some bits for DIY servicing. (Who'd take a 13 year-old car to a Nissan dealer?!)
The engine is incredibly simple, so DIY maintenance is simple enough. Won't have any cambelt problems, because it's got a chain instead!
The steering is sometimes heavy (mainly when parking), but I got used to it fairly quickly. Other than that, it handles well.
Performance is excellent for a 1.4 litre car. It moves away swiftly, and would probably hit 100mph.
It's comfortable in the driver's seat, but people traveling in the back complain!
Overall, a good, cheap, reliable car.
10th Dec 2003, 09:45
I've now had the car for 3 more months, and taken the mileage up to 88,000. It's not skipped a beat, always starts first time, even in sub-zero Middlesbrough!
The engine runs better on LRP in the cold, rather than unleaded - don't know why! (higher octane rating?!) Perhaps the 12-hour return journey home for Christmas will do it some good...