The Freshman 15 Didn’t Do Any Good To The Nissan Sentra SE-R
Ok, ok, ok. I have a slight obsession with the Nissan Sentra SE-R produced from 1991-1994. It’s not my fault though. Nissan did a horrible job trying to replace it. Nissan tried with the 1995 200SX SE-R, but it couldn’t even be loved by it’s own mother. Two generations span the worst Nissan Sentra SE-R of all time. They are know as the B15 (2001-2006) and the B16 ( 2007- 2012). And any enthusiast with a brain wouldn’t touch the Nissan Sentra SE-R of today.
I hate the Nissan Sentra SE-R produced from 2001-2012. HATE. Not one time did it take home a Car and Driver 10 Best Award. Not only that but it couldn’t take home a comparison test trophy. It gives the Nissan Sentra SE-R a bad name. By comparison the first generation SE-R was on the Car and Driver’s 10 Best list ever year it was produced!
Here’s Why The 2001-2012 Nissan Sentra SE-R Is Bad
The original SE-R weighed in at 2,200 lbs. Had a 2.0-liter engine with 140 hp. And was perfectly balanced. Nissan was never able to find the balance of the original Sentra SE-R. Like Mazda was able to with their newest Miata.
The B15 and B16 SE-R came from the factory with the base Nissan Altima engine. A 2.5-liter DOHC engine that made 180 hp and 180 lb-ft of torque in “Spec V” trim. Ten years later it couldn’t even beat the original SE-R’s 0-60 time of 7.5 seconds. They are heavier than the golden child B13 (1991-1994) Sentra SE-R. And the shifter might be made of J-E-L-L-O.
More Always Isn’t Better
I think this is a perfect example of the fact that more always isn’t better. It’s a humans natural instinct to always want more. More power, More money, More space. But when does “more” stop and lose it’s value? The Nissan Sentra is a perfect example of how adding more ended up in a loss.
The B13 SE-R is a gem. Mine was the best FWD car I’ve ever owned. It’s really too bad Nissan couldn’t carry that winning formula forward instead of just the name.
#dreamcar
So much bad information. A B16 SpecV has better power to weight ratio, runs a faster 0 to 60 (6.7 to 7.5) and a faster 1/4 mile (15.1 to 15.8).
Stock for stock, a B16 is just a better car all around.
Having owned both B14 and B15 SE-R’s, as well as a non-SER B13, I have to concur. The B14 was fun but bloated-looking, the B15 was a good car except for the shifter but didn’t come close to the balance of the B13 platform or the spirit of the SR20. The ’92 B13 XE was the best-handling front-driver I’ve ever driven, and was a blast even with the 1.6.
Thanks for reading and the comment Christopher. Sounds like you are a Sentra enthusiasts! Glad that you agree and it’s a shame most B13s are destroyed today.
More of a Nissan enthusiast in general, at least the older models. I have an S12 200SX in my garage undergoing a mild restoration.