I'm biased, having had an old 96 or 98 Super Saloon, but I'd reckon it's a better handler than the GLi, body seems a bit stiffer and the engine has great torque and good pick-up... but either car will be lots of fun with the proper preparation, and both are mainstays of local trackdays.

The later Sentras, though, were on the soft side, already... the Exalta line-up the worst of all, despite having the (supposedly) more powerful VTC engine. But for a project car where you're going to swap out engines, the last Sentra FE (our last Sentra) should give you the stiffest Sentra chassis with the lightest curb weight that you can find locally... (no insulation, pawis windows... real boy-racer stuff... ) perfect for an SR20 swap (as long as you include new brakes with the engine).

I suppose you could do the same with a Corolla "Lovelife" 1.3... also an engaging little car to drive. The Lovelife gives you a handsome and easy-to-dress up platform for your 4AGE swap... I love the euro-conversion look. ;)