Topic: Nissan Sentra S 08 + CVT update

[stodge]

Just thought I'd pop in and write a brief update showing how the car is progressing. I'll post the niggles first:

1) Driver's seat-back wobbles slightly when turning corners or accellerating/braking. This started three days after delivery. First attempt to fix, the dealer's response was "we didn't find anything wrong". Second attempt, the response was "all our Sentra's are the same". *shrug*
2) Left doors wouldn't open on cold days (-10C to -20C). Not the seal, the hinge. In two cases, door still wouldn't open even when temperature rose to +1C.
3) Two annoying rattles on both front doors - one started in first three weeks.
4) Fair amount of wind noise around top of driver's door at 80km/h+
5) Incredibly uncomfortable driver's seat kills my back. I have a bad back anyway but this is just killing me. How I didn't spot this in four test drives, I'll never know. My mistake, I'll suffer.
6) Needs rear disk brakes and rear independant suspension. Brakes adequate but would hate to have to brake hard with several passengers.
7) Only single CD and no MP3
LCD (radio etc) display takes several seconds to update when really cold

Good stuff:

1) Very nippy, excellent accelleration provided you understand how to get the best from the CVT. Rocket ship (ok relatively speaking) from a standing start
2) CVT is smooth and never let me down, never noticed any problems on really cold days here in Ottawa
3) Suspension is decent considering how bad our roads are, though I haven't been over 90km/h
4) Decent stereo sound, good enough for me
5) Fun to drive (relatively speaking again, but I used to have a Taurus, so you'll understand)
6) Reliable - not let me down, which for a new car is good!
7) Handling is decent - no Mazda3 (based on what I read), but more than good enough for me and for city driving
Spacious, lots of head room, easy to get in and out of it
9) Managed to fit a narrow bedroom door from Home Depot with the rear seat down

Am I satisfied? Apart from the lack of comfort, I guess so. If I could go back in time and do it all again, would I buy the same car again? No. If I can cope with the seat (I'll see if I can add some lumbar support with a towel) it'll do the job. Will I keep it at the end of the lease? I doubt it - my wife thinks it's uncomfortable too but there's nothing about it that really makes me want to keep it. I do like the CVT though, especially in slow moving traffic. Would I buy Nissan again? I don't know.

Sorry no pictures - besides, it's just a dull grey Sentra.

[tortoise]

Thanks for the update.  Sorry to hear about poor seat comfort.  I wonder if an Obus Form (or similar) cushion would give you the back support you need.

" Suspension is decent considering how bad our roads are, though I haven't been over 90km/h"

Wow. Don't you ever drive on the 417?

[stodge]

I'm worried an Obus form seat may push me so far forward I'm almost falling off the front of the seat.

No, I rarely drive the 417 - maybe once every few months. I really have no need to use it.

[Cortina]

no pictures - besides, it's just a dull grey Sentra.

Thats not the point we need to see pics.

Wow sounds like a lot of things are really anoying and you also need rear disk brakes and rear independant suspension already and its an O8. 

As for the back issues. What about a set of Recaros. Your back health is important. 

If I had that many issues with a brand spanking new car in a year or so. I would flog the car and move on before anything else might go wrong. This is not a good sign.

Oh well your happy with the car and guess thats what matters. who am I to tell you what to do.

[stodge]

I don't need rear-disc and independant suspension. I think the car should have it, but for my commuting needs I can live without.

Maybe the post came across as more negative than I originally intended. Nothing really major has gone wrong - just a few minor issues. I can't afford to change it so I'll let the lease run its course and then re-assess the car and my situation.

[Cortina]

I don't need rear-disc and independant suspension. I think the car should have it, but for my commuting needs I can live without.

Maybe the post came across as more negative than I originally intended. Nothing really major has gone wrong - just a few minor issues. I can't afford to change it so I'll let the lease run its course and then re-assess the car and my situation.

Oh its a lease car I understand you can't do that. Anyways your know by the end the lease if it is a buy.

I don't need rear-disc and independant suspension.

Gotcha.

Maybe the post came across as more negative

I don't think so. 

I would try to get something done about the seats wobbling. Maybe go to another dealer. I had a seat issue with my car. The dealer kick up a little fuss about fixing the issue.  But I stuck to my guns and insisted that it should be fixed and they did. 

I would also see what they can do about the doors.

[gotak]

I never had issues with the comfort of my seat. Actually it's pretty comfortable for me but they aren't exactly the same as your seats but I don't know how much differences. My seats also does the slight movement thing which seems very common. It's not on every sentra but a lot of them have that issue. It might just be the seat back some have been able to fix it by moving the seat back to a different position and then back to original and making sure the lever locks.

I have disk brakes in the back which was one of the reasons for me to get the SE R vs a S or SL. That and the 2.5 liter.

My suspension is a lot stiffer. Feels really bad when you didn't see that pot hole coming.

Never had the frozen door issue even though I was out in every major storm we had in Toronto this year.

I do have squeeks that comes only when car's cold and then it starts warming up from the heater. Strange eh?

I just an ipod and the aux in to get past the single CD and no MP3 issue.

Wind noise? The car's quite quiet compared to my sister's 05 camry at any speed.

No issues with radio LCD at all but I think i have a different radio?

The torsion beam rear suspension is one of those things that people love to complain about on the Sentra especially on the spec v. It's a bit disconcerting when you go over some bumps and it hip wiggles. However, it actually, on the spec v, gives better skid pad numbers than the fully independent suspension on the Civic Si. So it's not actually that bad, just feels bad. If they tuned it at the "Green Hell" it shouldn't be such a horrible thing right?

I like my CVT but don't have much use for the paddle shifters. Since it's pretty responsive as to when you want it to down shift.

[stodge]

I may be able to improve the seat situation a bit. The worst of it may be the lack of lumbar support, which I think (lack of knowledge of the human body here!) is near the part of my back that causes me grief. I put a rolled up towel (for starters) at the back of the seat base, so we'll see if that improves things. If it does, I might try to source a piece of foam.

[safristi]

Did U try the Versa on for size before buying (and IF SO) why did U pick the Sentra?...are the seats the same in both.?...seems like buyers remorse has set IN with good reason....perhaps a Volvo "like" seat from a scrap yard would give your back a REST and transform your Ride into one of JOY   JOY instead of Oy OY......not a nice option to have to "fix" an uncomfortable seat BUTT!!!   the alternative is not very Chiro PRACTICAL................

[vdk]

How's the fuel consumption on the 2.0?

[stodge]

I haven't monitored the economy during winter, but it was always in the low 10L/100km range when commuting the odd times I did look at the display. I'll post later once I've driven it in spring. From memory I think it was high 8s or low 9s before winter hit. Not great, but better than my old car.

[vdk]

I haven't monitored the economy during winter, but it was always in the low 10L/100km range when commuting the odd times I did look at the display. I'll post later once I've driven it in spring. From memory I think it was high 8s or low 9s before winter hit. Not great, but better than my old car.

And I thought the CVT does miracles in terms of fuel economy... 

[safristi]

   CVT does miracles for fuel economy...............Courtesy Vatican Transpo........ ...

[gotak]

I haven't monitored the economy during winter, but it was always in the low 10L/100km range when commuting the odd times I did look at the display. I'll post later once I've driven it in spring. From memory I think it was high 8s or low 9s before winter hit. Not great, but better than my old car.

Wow lead footed! I get those numbers with my 2.5 liter....

[stodge]

It averages around 8.5L/100km at the moment with the milder weather. It obviously goes higher the more I sit in traffic and lower when I'm cruising. That's with reasonable driving; not a lead foot but not slow either.

I sat in another Sentra at the dealership today and it too had a wobbly driver's seat back. Odd....

[stodge]

I forgot I'm still at around 3700km, so the engine is still breaking in.

Another update.

I put the rear seats down to load the summer tyres. When I got back from the dealership, one of the rear seats wouldn't click back into place and stay up. Not sure if something was blocking it but I couldn't see anything. Oh and the driver's seat back wobble is getting worse. The ride with the summer tyres doesn't feel as good as with the winter boots. Not sure how to explain it, but it seems slightly less assured?

[Cortina]

I would rase this concern with Nissan about the wobble seat. Surly that would affect the crash performance. See what they say. 

[stodge]

I asked the dealer to fix it twice. First time their respone was "nothing wrong with it". Second time, all our Sentras do it too. It's a shame as it's a great little car to drive - great drivetrain (if you like CVT!) and the steering weighting works for me.

[mrthompson]

Take it to another stealership for the wobbly seat.  Seriously. 

[UmroAyyar]

Here's what I would do. Meet the service manager instead, try to get an explanation or admission that they don't have a fix. The fault is there for sure.

If that doesn't work, approach the dealership's management (easier by email). That has always worked for me, explain the situation in a decent manner with the timeline of events, discussions.