1998 HONDA CITY EXI or 2000 NISSAN FE?

[downshift2]

Im planning to buy a car thats fuel efficient,w good airconditioning,and inexpensive.My driver will be using it in driving my kids to school and back home.(he will be making 2 trips as my youngest is in the afternoon session).Overall distance to be covered is about 60Km per day.Im given two choices 1998 Honda City Exi 1.5 liter Manual tranny and a 2000 FE Sentra 1.4twincam manual.I would have loved to use my 2000 Starex club diesel matic but it runs 6.8km per liter!!Which one is the better choice...?thanks guys

[niky]

The Sentra FE is decent on gas... as long as the carburator is in good condition. You have to clean the carburator every 5000 kilometers or so, as fuel efficiency and performance degrade when it gets dirty.

Otherwise, no real complaints with the car. Decent suspension (better than the 98 City), and great aircon. It's just as bare as the City, but it's much bigger.

The City should have much better fuel consumption than the FE, though, if both are manual. More sophisticated EFI engine kasi. Downsides are fender rust issues, "kalampag", and small space.

Both cars have minimal sound insulation. Depending on the trim level, some City sedans had power windows. The FE has manual windows and no radio... but a secondhand unit would probably have one installed already.

[mazdamazda]

I used a borrowed Sentra FE for a few days while both of our cars are out of commission back then. It gulps fuel much to my dismay (maybe it's the dirty carb as niky pointed out) but overall am satisfied with it. The suspension is comfortable enough and interior is roomy.

[niky]

Yun talaga yung sakit ng 2000 FE's... really great engines... DOHC, 16 valve, timing-chain equipped, rev like buzzsaws... great instant response (despite lack of power), but they're equipped with damn carburators... from the stone age!

I've found that taking time to clean and choke your carb (DIY with some carb cleaner at home) in time with every oil change helps keep things economical. Otherwise, you're better off finding a Sentra EX Saloon from around 1999, which has a 1.4 liter engine, but is EFI.

[acenie]

ano ba ang difference ng Nissan FE vs. EX, both 1.4? alin ang mas fuel efficient?

[niky]

The FE is 1.3 carburated. The EX is 1.4 EFI. Mas matipid ng kaunti ang FE sa rektahan kung malinis ang carbs, but the EX should be more economical in all other situations (basta malinis ang MAF)... and it's got more power, too.