CAR GAZING
Two sides to Sentra SE-R
Nissan's sporty compact car both dull and fun
By Derek Price
The first time I drove a Nissan Sentra SE-R – a 2002 model, if I remember right – it left me terribly disappointed.
I was expecting a screamer akin to the Honda Civic Si, or maybe even a scaled-back Subaru WRX or Mitsubishi Evolution, all ferocious cars that test how healthy your heart is.
Instead, I thought the SE-R was just an economy car that was too loud, both in terms of its Maxwell House exhaust tip and middle-school styling. I didn't like it one bit.
Fast forward to 2008 and I find another Sentra SE-R sitting in my driveway, only this time I don't hate it. Perhaps it's because I've had a couple of kids or the fact that the new Sentra is a much better car, but I thoroughly enjoyed spending a week driving this one-time object of scorn.
And that's because it has split personalities.
On one side, it's a Sentra, which is a Japanese word that translates to mean, "Boring as the Fred Thompson campaign." Drive it on the Interstate and it settles in for a smooth, quiet lull that feels surprisingly refined for an economy car.
On the flip side, the SE-R acronym stands for Japanese words that, when carefully translated into English, mean "goes like stink."
So there you have it: Sentra SE-R means, "Boring as the Fred Thompson Campaign, but it goes like stink."
It's an interesting combination in a car, and I actually like it. It's docile and easy-going when you want it to be, but it becomes playful whenever you choose – just like the perfect Labrador.
The SE-R's fun side is enabled by a decent engine and a great suspension.
The 2.5-liter, four-cylinder powerplant makes 177 horsepower, which is enough to have fun but not enough to tempt the Grim Reaper.
A remarkable suspension, though, makes good use of the available power with its Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde response. It actually feels quite normal – even dull – when you're driving the Sentra like a normal car, but when you start to push it, the car pushes back with the sensation of a true sports sedan. The dramatic difference between normal driving and spirited driving is what gives it that split personality.
And – no surprise in a Sentra – the SE-R is actually quite affordable. It starts at $19,680, which is impressive considering its performance and level of standard equipment, including things like keyless entry, a trip computer, leather-wrapped steering wheel with shift paddles, and a nice stereo.
Just don't expect it to come with lithium pills. It's a bipolar car, and it's perfectly fine the way it is.
(Derek Price is a newspaper editor and freelance writer living in Texas.)
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