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Wednesday, April 7, 1999 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER D6 WHY ARE 37 MILLION CARS INSURED WITH STATE FARM? JUST ASX A GOOD NEIGHIOR. D on't tru st ju s t anyone to insure your car, see me: An Oakville Beaver Advertising Feature To advertise in this section call 845-3824 John Bauman 627 Lyons Lane #308, Oakville | 842-2225 Nissan packs lots o f fun in sporty SE m odel It won't be news to read­ers that Nissan is going through a catharsis as it tries to shed a perception of being a maker of highly effi­ cient, contemporary but bland vehicles. It was at the Detroit Auto Show that Nissan showed a concept version of what a new Z-car could look like. It was the original 240Z that really put the Datsun (now Nissan) name on the map. As the concept Z was being JIM ROBINSON unveiled, I leaned RoadWorthy over to a Nissan _______________ Canada's PR man, Max Wickens, and said, "too bad you can't bring back the Datsun 510 while you're at it." He looked rather sur­ prised and said, "well you'd better try out the new SE version of the Sentra." For those of you who may not remember the Datsun 510, it was a BMW 2002 in oriental clothing. It was light, fast, had mar­ velous independent suspen­ sion plus generous room for four, five in a pinch. "SE" has always meant the "sporting" version in Nissan nomenclature and the Sentra SE is no exception. Like the XE and GXE ver­ sions of the Sentra sedan, the SE has MacPherson struts at the front but the SE adds a stabilizer bar and the struts are sports tuned. The rear is Nissan's own multi-link design again and with sports tuning. At the heart of the SE is the same 2.0-litre inline twin-cam engine that powers the Infiniti G20 sports sedan. With 140 hp and a five- speed manual transmission, the driver who wants more performance can extract it with ease. It produces 132 ft/lb of torque. The SE produces a significant increase in power compared to the standard 1.6-litre, 115 hp four-cylin­ der found in the Sentra EX or GXE. The SE comes with your choice of a five-speed manu­ al or electronic four-speed manual. I highly advise the five-speed as it comes with a 4.1:1 final drive nestled in a limited slip differential. This gives you zip and the ability to plant it on the pavement. While the XE and GXE models comes with 14-inch wheels, the SE is the only Sentra available with 15- inch alloy wheels and all-season p e r f o r m a n c e tires. Other goodies include anti-lock brakes, foglights, rear spoiler and f o u r - s p e a k e r AM/FM with CD player. The interior boasts special bucket seats with leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob. A white-face tachometer is added to the instrument cluster. The SE also comes with a host of extras like CFC-air conditioning, power locks, tilt steering wheel, cruise control and power windows with driver's side express down. The extra 25 horses and the almost ideally matched (for the weight of the car) five-speed result in a won­ derful little Q-ship that nips and zips though congested traffic or lolls along in over­ drive (fifth gear is 0.733:1). The SE is fitted as stan­ dard with four-wheel disc brakes with ABS. The fin­ ishing touch is a nice wide- mouth exhaust tip and a front air dam with integrate fog lamps. With generous sports bucket seats and a steering wheel with a nice, thick rim, the SE is set up for fun. On a mix of mountain roads and in-town driving, running the car up and down through the gears encouraged spirited driving. While the shifter is cable-operated, it obliged me by being positive in engagement. And in terms of value, all of the above comes with a MSRP of $21,998, The only SE option is $1,050 for the automatic transmission. Getting from here to there should be enjoyable especially when utility and economy are major factors in buying a vehicle. When it comes to the 1999 Sentra SE, getting there is definitely more than half the fun. Don't be shocked by faulty suspension It's late at night and you've been driving so long you're get­ ting a little drowsy. Blinding oncoming headlights cause you to drift far to the right, until your wheels are on the rough shoulder. But you never lose control. You may have avoided an accident because you wisely had taken care of your car's tires, steering, suspension and shock absorbers. Many accidents attributable to driver error might have been prevented if the vehicle had been more 'forgiving' if every safe­ ty and performance function had been effective. Ride control, essentially the ability of the wheels to remain in contact with the road surface, helps the driver steer and brake safely out of a predicament. This is a function of each component connected to the wheels, from steering and suspension parts to the tires. Among these inter-related parts are the shock absorbers or stmts. Their role in this drama is to keep the wheels from bouncing or the body from bobbing on irregular road surfaces. Once a wheel loses contact with the road, steering and braking action disappear. You've lost control! Most people driving cars with worn shocks are unaware the condition exists. Symptoms of ride control problems are excessive roll or sway on turns, excessive front-end drive in braking, bobbing or bounc­ ing of wheels on rough road surfaces and bottoming out of the rear end on bumps. To be sure your vehicle's ride control system is sound, peri­ odically check the tire pressure and the ride height, to be sure springs and suspension pars support the vehicle properly. You should also check the shock absorber mounting hard­ ware for damaged or missing parts, especially the rubber bush­ ings and check for shock or stmt leakage or dents in the exterior. In addition to the safety considerations,, strong shock absorbers and stmts help extend tire life and reduce the wear of other components. And they make driving more enjoyable. 1999 Nissan Sentra SE N E W M O N T H L Y L E A S E | f t P /month* lease for 48 months Down payment only $800 Or $ 14,750 purchase price Nissan Sentra XE A Consumer's Digest Best Buy for 1998 • 115-HP, 1.6L, 16-valve engine • 5-speed manual transmission • XE Value Option Package: - Air conditioning - 4-speaker AM/FM/cassette - Digital clock N E W M O N T H L Y L E A S E | f t O 7 0 /month* lease for 48 months T f c i Down payment only $800 Or $ 20,900 purchase price Nissan Altima GXE A four-time Consumer's Digest Best Buy • 150-HP, 2.4L, D0HC 16-valve engine • 4-speed automatic (overdrive) transmission • Air conditioning • Cruise control • Power windows, antenna, mirrors, and Smart Doors'" locks AM/FM/cassette with four speakers The Nissan Enjoy the Savings Event I Feel good One of the world's ten best engines - Ward's Magazine • 190-HP, 3.0L, D0HC V6 engine • 4-speed automatic transmission • Automatic climate-control air conditioning • Sport-tuned suspension • Cruise control • Traction Control System • Power antenna, mirrors, windows and door locks • Heated sport seats • Anti-lock Braking System • Premium AM/FM/CD with cassette and much more Nissan Maxima ES Limited Edition The # lse llin g import V6 compact sport utility vehicle* • 170-HP, 3.3L, S0HC V6 engine • 5-speed manual overdrive transmission • 4-wheel All-Terrain ABS • Limited-slip differential • Air conditioning • Cruise control • Dual airbags • Remote keyless entry • Anti-theft system • Roof rack • Dark titanium-coloured bumpers • Power windows, door locks and heated mirrors • • 100-watt AM/FM/CD with cassette stereo with 6 speakers • Nissan Vehicle Immobilizer Security System The New Nissan Pathfinder XE f ^ P P O /month* lease for 48 months dm■ Down payment only $3,400 Or $ 28,900 purchase price N E W M O N T H L Y Life is a journey. $ ^ Q Q /month* *ease ,or 36 months Down payment only $4,075 Or $32,900 purchase price Enjoy the ride. Ask about Nissan's No-Nonsense Leasing. Smart people always read the fine print. And they always wear their seatbelts. Limitedtime offer. See Oakville Nissan for details. *48m onth lease on 1999 Sentra XE. down payment or equivalent trade o f S800; 1999 Altima GXE. down payment or equivalent trade o f $800; 1999 Maxima ES. down payment or equivalent trade o f $3.400. 3&month lease on 1999.5 Pathfinder XE. down payment or equivalent trade o f $4,075. 1st payment 4 security deposit due at lease signing. Sentra. Altima and Maxima leases based on maximum o f 96,000 km. Pathfinder lease based on maximum o f 72,000 km. All offers are O.A.C.. include acquisition fees, and exclude destination and delivery, licence, insurance and taxes, f Based on Compusearch data. January - November 1998. OAKVILLE NISSAN Celebrating 25 Yeats of Excellent Sen ice. mon . -thurs . * SALES • ACCESSORIES • LEASING * * FACTORY PARTS • SERVICE -TIRES \ t 6 1450 SPEERS RD., OAKVILLE 827H77 * * t I i