Used 2003 Nissan Sentra SE-R Consumer Reviews
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2 years down the road
Daytona, 07/22/2005
2003 Nissan Sentra SE-R 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 5M)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Well, I've had this car now for 2.5 years now so I think I know it pretty well. First, second and third gear rubber, not bad. Torque steer can get very bad and out of control. Looks are excellent. Reverse lockout is very poor. Hitting reverse while shifting to 6th gear is possible with little effort (I've done it several times). Front seats are poor design. Put something flat on it and it ends up in the back on the floor. Turning radius is also poor, Fuel average for city is 20 mpg. I have the black one, paint quality is poor but looks great. Nicks or scratches with little effort. Still, I like this car. Sound system is fine, for me anyway. This car will hold a tight turn like no other.
FAST LITTLE CAR
ROYAL, 03/04/2003
2003 Nissan Sentra SE-R 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 4A)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
i owned a ford escort before my se-r, so i am really happy. the power is amazing for a 4 cylinder, the stereo sounds great and the front end looks so cool. nissan has really done a great job putting some sports into there little sedan. also the brakes are very smooth and the leather heated seats are a great option for such a low priced car.
Reliving My Childhood
Nemo, 02/07/2003
2003 Nissan Sentra SE-R 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 4A)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
I am re-living my childhood driving this car! It combines the raw power of my 1965 GTO with the reliability of my 1994 Camry. It goes like a bat of hell when you want it and still gets great gas mileage. It impressed my daughter when she drove it the first time and that says alot for the car. It gets a steady diet of compliments from the 'tuners' around my neighborhood. Definitely worth the money
nissan
master_trunt, 09/14/2002
2003 Nissan Sentra SE-R 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
it's the best ever
Leoivench
Leoivench, 09/18/2002
2003 Nissan Sentra SE-R 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
The best small car on a market
One Bad Box
SERookie, 11/12/2002
2003 Nissan Sentra SE-R 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
The first time my friend showed me a photo of the SE-R I was so turned off by the fact that it looked like every other Sentra. Then I drove one. This car is absolutely the best thing out there for under $18k. The ride is silky smooth once you get past 2nd (a little bit of torque steer in 1st and 2nd due to power). I feel in love once the dealer told me the monthly payment, and the driving just gets better and better.0
Move over ION
Paul42, 12/09/2002
2003 Nissan Sentra SE-R 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I only have 100 miles but I LOVE this car. Quick off the line and very peppy. Smooth but tight suspension with very little body roll. I would have purchased another Saturn SL but the ION just totally missed the mark.
03 SE-R, M3 for everyone
Henryg, 01/04/2003
2003 Nissan Sentra SE-R 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 4A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I traded my 96 Caprice LT1 for the SE- R about four months ago. The complaints I have is poor gas milage on the hwy, it's very close to the 96 Caprice with a V8 in it! The suspension keeps the car glued to the road and is smooth as long as the road is smooth. Driving over cracks and bumps in the road that's a completely different story. Lastly, the engine lacks power at higher (over 90mph) speeds. Overall the car is a blast to drive, comes fully loaded and the floor mats with the SE-R logo, 7 speaker sound system, rear heat and heated mirrors are included in the base price. This car would be sweet with rear wheel drive.
Fun to Ride
Bnslee, 01/10/2003
2003 Nissan Sentra SE-R 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 4A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
This car have amazing performance and stability. The power is great cruise right through the freeway at will. The stability is so great that you will barely feel any unlevel grounds on the road.
Fun to Ride
Bnslee, 01/10/2003
2003 Nissan Sentra SE-R 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Stability and Performance is too amazing. I wouldn't ever thought of buying a sentra until after shopping around for cheap affordable car. I went to check out the civic and corolla, both extremely expensive both insurance and sticker price, and powerless. I purchase my car at 15600 before tax, for that price you can't get anything better. So before checking out a civic and corolla or any other car go test drive a SER sentra.
SE--R
WilliamB, 01/30/2003
2003 Nissan Sentra SE-R 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 4A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Well, I have to tell you, this SE-R is extremely fun to drive! But, please, if you are looking at the SE-R, get maual transmission. Plus, the higher end SE-R Spec V is not too much more and comes with 175 horsepower, 6 speed manual, and other features. The SE-R is very fun to drive, but can swerve a little when accelerating. That isn't too abvious, and isn't that big of a deal. Very good job on the car.
Nissan Sentra
Bob418, 02/21/2003
2003 Nissan Sentra SE-R 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Great Car...interior needs an overhaul though...exterior is great smooth acceleration great car!!!
2003 Sentra S-ER
jay-c, 09/27/2003
2003 Nissan Sentra SE-R 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I really like this car. Other than the less than perfect transmission shift quality and bumpy ride mentioned below, there has not been much to complain about. Interior trim details, such as the HVAC controls seem a little cheap, but they work fine. Plus this car will smoke Civics at a stoplight.
Approaching One Year
DND, 10/06/2003
2003 Nissan Sentra SE-R 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 4A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I did a lot of research before buying. Decided on the 165hp automatic SE-R with the Sunroof and the 16in wheels. Purchased my SE-R in Dec'02 for a little under the 12/02 TMV price. This is one solid car. It has a lot of pickup and handles very well. The ride is smooth and relatively quiet. The red light indicator panel and the fog lights make it fun to drive at night. It's great to have a sporty looking 4dr sedan.
#1 sports car under $20,000
Royal Mist, 10/06/2003
2003 Nissan Sentra SE-R 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
One word to discribe this car: awesome! I was looking to buy a new car, and was considering the following: RSX, Celica, SE-R, Eclipse. SE-R has the best Aggressive exterior looks, BEST performance of 165hp/175lb torque ! 4 dr acaully saved about $500 on insurance. I'm glad I brought the LAST new 03 SE-R model in all the dealers of my area, beause the 04 model is just BUTT UGLY. took me a few days to find this one (black) I wanted to get a Spec- V but it was $5000 more and the car was missing parts, it was also the last brand new one in the all of the dealers in my area.
Spec V
KDAL523, 10/15/2003
2003 Nissan Sentra SE-R 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
great car for the money, torque is the best part of the car
Fix the AC system!
Henrygrc, 11/18/2003
2003 Nissan Sentra SE-R 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
My complaint is the A/C system. When "defrost" is selcted the A/C compressor starts working as it should with the A/C switch off. However when I switch the Mode Control Knob back to the dash wents, the A/C ramains on(with the A/C switch off),the compressor keeps cycling and it is impossible to turn it off unless the vehicle is restarted. Nissan issued a service bulletin HA03-002 NTSB03-065 advising that this is a "normal" condition. How is it normal when you have to stop and restart you car in order to turn your A/C off? Looks like not too many people noticed this and Nissan wont issue a recall unless there is more complaints
SE-Rprised!!
Wetzel's Pretzels, 12/29/2003
2003 Nissan Sentra SE-R 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
This car is a Torque monster! It blows away my turbo VW. The suspension is very tight with minimal body roll. Initial quality was great. I was very surprised how much power the car had after I broke it in. The gear ratios are perfect for the elastic 2.5l and the brakes are superb. Keep an eye on the TACH because 6,000 comes up quick!!!
SE-REVS
Eightyateseven, 06/08/2004
2003 Nissan Sentra SE-R 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I bought this car used at 19000 miles and its at 24,000. I love the car, its fun to drive and it sets you apart from the civic crowd.
my first car...and i'm glad i bought it!
jar29, 06/22/2004
2003 Nissan Sentra SE-R 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
one car mag review described the se-r as "you never forget it's a little car with a big engine", and i have to agree. i've gotten some positive comments on it's appearance (i purchased mine in black). fuel economy isn't as good as the models with the smaller engine (i'd say it gets about the same MPG as the base model altima). no problems so far(except two factory recalls). the back seat could be a little roomier, but aside from that, it does perform well for it's size and class.
Well Satisfied
Grumpyman, 12/08/2004
2003 Nissan Sentra SE-R 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
This is a great little car! I did a lot of research when looking for a new car and the SE-R seemed to be the best value. I haven't been disappointed! This is a great car for the price range and a lot of fun to drive.
alot of bang 4 the buck
tissda1, 03/14/2003
2003 Nissan Sentra SE-R 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I must tell you i love nissans and even though this car is the bottom line of nissan's vehicles you get a lot for under 19k. Rides good sporty lookin and fun to drive. Reliability should not be a problem at all and there are so many extras you can purchase for this car.ie: cold air intakes,exhaust systems,pullys. You can make this car a little more fun to drive with a couple of xtra $$'s.
Why Pay More?
NissanGuy, 02/09/2007
2003 Nissan Sentra SE-R 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Bought this car as a daily driver after wrecking my first 300ZX (I have another one now in the garage). Was very pleasantly surprised by the strong performance, and good interior room. I love Nissans - I think you consistently get more for your money than with Toyota or Honda. I wanted an auto for DC area driving conditions, so a Spec-V was out of the question, but the SE-R has performed just fine. I think the car is nimble and generally handles well in all weather conditions, but I agree that the OEM Firehawk tires need help. My main complaint is the same as most others - the interior is cheap looking and feeling. In sum, you get a lot more go for your $ with the SE-R vs the others.
Fun, Fun
Nissan Convert, 04/03/2003
2003 Nissan Sentra SE-R 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 4A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I've got 3,000 miles on the car so far and it is been perfect so far. The acceleration and handling are great. The upgraded Fosgate stereo sounds great too!
econmy car that doesnt act economy
actionjackson, 04/06/2003
2003 Nissan Sentra SE-R 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Bought the SE-R this weekend, fun car, excellent price at 15,700 with .9% apr
Fast and Fun
BCutler, 04/15/2003
2003 Nissan Sentra SE-R 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Fast and fun are the keys to this car. Quick off the line with the 5 spd. Accelerates nicely over 70, but seems to drink gas. Getting only 23-25 mpg. I have still less than 5000 miles on the car.
back to a nissan
whiteSER, 04/20/2003
2003 Nissan Sentra SE-R 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I bought my SER about two months ago and love it. I owned a Nissan 240 before and wanted to go back to another Nissan. I paid $14,100 after freight and got 1.9%. I drove the SER and the Spec V, but they wanted $2,500 more for the Spec V. For the money I think the SER is the better deal. I like the interior in the SER better too. Also get the 5-speed it's much more fun to drive.
More car then you pay for!
LI SilverSE-R, 01/16/2003
2003 Nissan Sentra SE-R 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 4A)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
This car has more torque then any other NA 4 cyl new car. If you are looking for great gas milage I suggest a civic or a corolla, they are far superior to the GXE and XE. However if you want a quick car for very little money this is a very good choice. Especially if you are lazy like me and like automatic because no other auto in the price range offers this much power. This car just moves effortlessly. It handles great, its very fun to drive and its not bad looking. The engine sounds great too!! The 180 watt 7 speaker stereo is pretty decent too.
Not Too Bad!!
ne14wood, 06/27/2003
2003 Nissan Sentra SE-R 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Now that I have 6000 miles on my vehicle, I've decided to write a review. The build quality & reliability is great, so far. The steering is crisp, and the brakes are excellent. The gas mileage was bad at first, but now that the car is broken in the mileage is as advertised. Great value for a compact car. Overall I am pleased!