320k Used Car (Sentra GS vs Lancer GLS)

**peterstarr** · December 29th, 2012 06:20 PM

Am thinking of getting a used car as a secondary car. But the car will primarily be used by my children. I will use this once a week for my coding day. I don't want a sub-compact. Other compacts are too pricey. I am considering just the Sentra GS or the Lancer GLS. My preference is an auto tranny.

Which car do you think is better in terms of:
1. Fuel economy
2. Looks
3. Reliability
4. Value for money

Thanks for those who can contribute real life experiences.

Happy new year!

**dr. d** · December 29th, 2012 07:56 PM

because fuel economy is number one on your list, you'd best veer away from automatics. matakaw sila sa gas, compared to manuals. sticking to the big four is a safe move. toyota, nissan, honda, mits...

**peterstarr** · December 29th, 2012 08:04 PM

Originally Posted by dr. d

because fuel economy is number one on your list, you'd best veer away from automatics. matakaw sila sa gas, compared to manuals. sticking to the big four is a safe move. toyota, nissan, honda, mits...

Thanks dr.d for the reply. Yup. I agree that FC for a manual is better, but i am afraid, i have to stick to an automatic for convenience sake. Although FC is number one on the list, there are three other aspects to consider. Also, the order on the list does not correspond to its priority in making my decision.

Would appreciate feedback from our experienced tsikoteers.

**nujsimon** · December 30th, 2012 09:37 AM

Neither, sorry to say. Since we are talking of cars around 5 years or older, go for Toyotas

**Egan101** · December 30th, 2012 11:35 AM

Previous owner ako ng Sentra Exalta GS AT (Grandeur series, 2001-2003). Wala naman ako big complaints about the car though I wish it had a more powerful engine. The N16 chassis is a bit on the heavy side but it's quite a comfortable ride and stable on the highway. Madali lang naman pormahan yung N16, though its looks are more like of the midsize cars (boring for others). The low resale value of Nissan will allow you to get a younger car for the same budget if getting a Toyota or Honda. Matibay naman yung N16 platform and parts are easily available. Fuel consumption is about 8-9 Km/L on city driving and will be up to 12 Km/L on the highway. I have read that the Lancer Cedia platform in AT tranny has about the same FC as the Sentra N16. The Altis and Civic of the same generation are better in FC compared to the two, but it's a matter of 1-2 Km/L which will not be very big unless you travel more than 50 Km per day.Things to watch out with the N16 are its suspension parts (since heavy nga yung chassis) so I suggest to have the shocks checked properly for the unit you're looking at and test drive it as you can hear noises (audible enough despite the N16's insulation) if suspension parts are wearing out. Also, as the Sentra GS has an automatic climate control airconditioning system, make sure that the controls are working properly and the compressor (Calsonic) is in very good shape. The QG16 engine needs 95RON gas for fuel or you risk knocking if you use lower octane fuel.

**vinj** · December 30th, 2012 01:38 PM

Originally Posted by nujsimon

Neither, sorry to say. Since we are talking of cars around 5 years or older, go for Toyotas

I beg to differ on this pards. Whether it be a Toyota, Nissan or Mitsu, when you talk of cars as they age, a big factor is how the owners have maintained them. We've owned all these major Jap brands and to date we still have two 19 year old cars amongst our newer cars in our garage, a Mitsu Galant and Nissan Sentra, and they're just as reliable (although the Galant is more finicky at this point due to having more electronics). They may not be as comfy or efficient as the newer cars but they still get the job done when needed as they have been maintained properly. When i used to indulge in buying second hand cars, you'll see both lemon and good cars, with no regard to brand. There are times the Toyotas are more ratty as the previous owner banks on them being Toyotas and tend to care less for the maintenance of the car (madali lang naman daw i-repair pag nasira).

Going back to the TS' question, i'd consider a Sentra 1.6L more as my experience in owning one before was good. It's not perfect but if it's maintained properly, it gets the job done. I also prefer the design of this over the previous generation Lancer.

On FC, if it's a 1.6L Sentra, the a/t should get you around 8-9km/L in the city while highway will go between 10-12km/L depending on your load and the conditions. I have not much experience with the Lancer GLS but based on what I've driven before (office issued units), i'd put my money more on the Sentra (better insulation, comfort, and FC seems better).

**GTi** · December 30th, 2012 05:11 PM

Sentra ako bro. The Lancer uses a CVT, which is supposed to give better gas mileage. However, coupled with the old and rather weak engine, its not really a desirable combo. If you plan to keep it for several years, better stick with the traditional matic. CVT's are very sophisticated, less durable, and very costly to replace, when the time comes.

**Egan101** · December 30th, 2012 08:08 PM

By the way, question to the TS, ano bang specific year model nung Sentra GS at Lancer GLS yung tinitingnan mo? If we consider the low resale value of Nissan, you might be looking at 2006-2008 model Sentra GS. There are even a few ads in Sulit for a Sentra GS 2006/2007 for 250k!

**MikkiW** · December 30th, 2012 09:22 PM

I own a lancer 03 before it uses CVT and for me mahina ung hatak nya ako ave ko lang is 6.6-7km/l pero daddy driving pa yun. Mag sentra ka nalang.. Hindi naman ata un CVT tranny:-)
HTH:-)

Sent from my Galaxy S using Tapatalk

**Egan101** · December 30th, 2012 10:09 PM

*MikkiW - did I hear it right? 6-7 Km/L yung FC ng Lancer GLS CVT (1.6L)??? Di kaya may problem yung engine nun or marumi lang air filters or sobrang traffic ng daily route mo? I average about the same FC (city driving) on my 6th gen Accord 2.3L AT. My old Exalta Grandeur did have fits of bad FC but 7 Km/L was what I remembered.