Need help making choice

[Mr Baytchos]

So ya'all should know my situation if not see here: http://www.thechicagogarage.org/viewtopic.php?t=2327
Anywho I have been looking for a 4 door car since the kids coming and I have to keep it under 20k. So I've been looking at the new sentras and they are pretty nice cars for the money. my dilema is should I go with a 2.0SL or the SE-R? the price fully loaded between the 2 is about the same. I've driven the SL and the power is pretty good for what it is. Nothing like my GTI but neither will the SE-R. So here are the differences between the 2:

2.0SL

2.0 liter 140HP/147lb-ft

CVT Transmission
16” Alloys
front disc/rear drum
Steering wheel controls
Bluetooth phone system
Divide-n-hide trunk system
Trunk pass through

leather seats
rear seat armrest
60/40 folding rear seats

Pictures
2.0SL

SE-R

SE-R
2.5 liter 177HP/172lb-ft
High Flow Intake
Sport Tuned CVT/paddle shift
17” Alloys
4 wheel disc
Sport springs
Smoked tails
Body kit
Rear spoiler
Chrome exhaust tips
2 pod meters(oil & G meter)
sport cloth seats
metallic interior accents


What's everyones thoughts?

Click to read more...

 

[Lord Tin Foilhat]

price

 

[Mr Baytchos]

I can get either 1 for around 18k

 

[Bru]

I had a base Sentra for a rental once for an 1100-mile road trip. That CVT is one of the best in the business for sure. It wasn't as fun to drive as I thought it would, for a little car, and I'm sure the SE-R is better.

 

[Mr Baytchos]

Yeah my biggest thing is you get some nicer comforts with the SL but the SE-R is prolly more fun to drive.

Oh and 1 more thing it is not the spec V im talking about. that only comes with stick and the wife is gonna need to drive this car. Andwith either one of these i will prolly get a summer fun car when me and the wife get settled in with jobs and what not.

 

[IDAFC21]

the ser comes w/ a g-meter? like as in g-force? :nuts:

 

[Mr Baytchos]

the ser comes w/ a g-meter? like as in g-force? :nuts:

Yep

 

[IDAFC21]

i'll be damned.

 

[Fish]

My friend has an older SE-R spec V. Its pretty quick. My old GPGT and the Spec V were neck and neck when it came to speed.

 

[Ron Vogel]

Uhh, after the first year a slap of reality is going to hit you.

Don't bother buying a new car with kids, buy a decent used one. With $18K you can get a lot of used car.

Cars depreciate too fast to bother with buying new, you will have many unexpected expenses with a child. Getting stuck with a quickly depreciating car if you need to sell it will just stick you farther in the hole.

Kids don't keep things nice. The nice, new car you buy will look beat in a very short amount of time with a kid. Eating in the car, accidents...just going out runing errands around places you will have to go for with the kid will have other kids around...so expect door dings, etc.

When we had our first child, I wanted to get all new stuff...including furniture, toys, etc. It's really a bad idea. Trust me, keep your old crap...the kids will beat on it, save your money for when they get older and get nice stuff then.

All our crap is old, we get a lot of furniture secondhand even. Sounds ghetto, but you'll know what I'm talking about in 2-3 years.

 

[Mr Baytchos]

Thanks for the input Ron. I need to get rid of my car still. So I'll keep my eye open for used stuff as well

 

[Fish]

Uhh, after the first year a slap of reality is going to hit you.

Don't bother buying a new car with kids, buy a decent used one. With $18K you can get a lot of used car.

Cars depreciate too fast to bother with buying new, you will have many unexpected expenses with a child. Getting stuck with a quickly depreciating car if you need to sell it will just stick you farther in the hole.

Kids don't keep things nice. The nice, new car you buy will look beat in a very short amount of time with a kid. Eating in the car, accidents...just going out runing errands around places you will have to go for with the kid will have other kids around...so expect door dings, etc.

When we had our first child, I wanted to get all new stuff...including furniture, toys, etc. It's really a bad idea. Trust me, keep your old crap...the kids will beat on it, save your money for when they get older and get nice stuff then.

All our crap is old, we get a lot of furniture secondhand even. Sounds ghetto, but you'll know what I'm talking about in 2-3 years.

QFT. My new couch that I bought in February barely resembles a couch that is less then a year old thanks to a year and a half year old.

 

[PANDA]

That new Sentra is ugly as fuck. But if you want one why not get the better one if its the same price? If you want to go with Nissan look into a used V6 Altima, they are pretty quick stock and look alot better. But for $18K there are TONS of other 4-door cars out there.

 

[SRT41320]

i agree with vogel and fish 100% - i know people with kids and they arnt allowed to own any nice shit anymore cause they got kids

 

[Mirz]

rager you fucking billy, heard your doing *** mo's turbo

 

[bluzohh6]

Pino you should look into a used tsx for 18, you can find them no problem. And the nice thing about honda is it doesn't matter how many miles it has on it, because they run forever, and if you are concerned about it then get an extended warranty up to 100k miles. Those cars are alot nicer than a sentra, and they come with leather which is a lot easier to clean than cloth

 

[madscientist]

brand new 07 suby legacy 19K nice car
AWD

 

[bluzohh6]

The scientist does have a point those are nice cars. And you may be able to find a used legacy turbo, which are pretty sweet, turbo, awd, auto for the wife, really safe and rated more reliable than toyota. Honda, then Subaru, the Toyota, is how the reliability ratings go.

 

[IDAFC21]

i third the suby

 

[Mr Baytchos]

cool thanks guys.....ill keep looking

 

[madscientist]

my boss just bought one, i drive it everyday. you can get the price down but you have to work at it, i had to do most the dealing on the phone cuz his English isnt that good.

 

[Mr Baytchos]

What you guys think about a saab 9-2x aero or 9-3 aero?

 

[bluzohh6]

Just another Saab story, they suck, and saab owners are really strange people too

 

[Mr Baytchos]

well the 9-2x is just a wrx wagon but its not so boy racer looking

 

[PANDA]

How bout you just buy a 4-door Turbo V-Dub?