There are some middle class Malaysian car owners who have done their tour of duty with fancy cars in the younger days and as life gets more predictable and common sense sets in they are now looking for sensible motoring needs. This means having a car with low running costs, space inside and in the rear & good driving comfort. Also included in the list is depreciation at its best which allows them to take ownership with little worry about losing money down the years when they want to change their car. Many ask us if we can find them a single owner car and this is very rare these days when looking for a car in this price range. Well, it is not impossible as we have this 2004 registered Nissan Sentra 1.6 with ONE owner from new selling for a sensible RM14,800 nett. The mileage sits at just 141,000 which can easily verified with its service history.
This used 14-year-old Nissan sedan is possibly the most sensible used car on the road today for your money. It’s not that there aren’t other sensible cars out there. In the same segment and range sits the popular Honda Civic and evergreen Toyota Altis, but the Nissan Sentra is such a well-rounded car (in more ways than one) that it’s hard to find fault with it. For example, it’s roomy and comfortable, yet it is compact enough to drive in downtown traffic with ease; has better-than-average performance; and it offers a level of quality that’s equivalent to cars costing considerably more.
This 2001 model (the first year of this facelift introduction) Sentra is longer, wider and taller than the previous Sentra. With this Sentra, the extra height provides more headroom while clever interior design adds more legroom than in the previous model and the raised front seats provide generous foot room under the front seats. This Sentra will seat five adults comfortably. Tan Chong sold this model with 2 airbags and ABS brakes. Leather interior was an option many 1st owners took and it came with stylish 5-spoke alloy wheels. When you find a unit you are keen to buy, start the engine and the 1.6 litre engine should idle ultra smoothly and must be barely audible from the well-insulated cabin. The Sentra on a test drive was be quick off the line with a linear delivery of power and the engine should reach its 6500 rpm redline with minor noise and vibrations. It will be difficult but try and find a used 1.6 Sentra that has a full service history from Tan Chong service center or a good Nissan mechanic. Tan Chong service centers now offers very competitive servicing rates that would make visiting outside workshops a waste of time in the effort to save money.
When you find a used Sentra that you like, you will need to take it for a test drive.
On the test drive you need to drive on the highway up to 110 km/h to make sure that the 4-speed automatic transmission slides seamlessly from gear to gear with none of the jerkiness found in some badly abused cars. The Sentra’s ride should be comfortable but firm, and handling is nimble and stable with a tight turning circle when getting in and out of the used car lot. Steering effort should be easy and light. The Sentra should be a very easy car to drive, in part because of its short wheelbase, tight turning circle, and good visibility. With this selling price you get a sedan that should see another 3-5 years of minimum maintenance running costs and a decent sized car for the family use.
For more information please contact :
Azmi – 012-2877477
Skantha – 012-3796671
