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Ulysses Ang Photos By Ulysses Ang |
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The last time a Nissan Sentra set foot on the Subic International Raceway was when the dollar exchanged for 26 pesos and the president still totted a cigar. During this time, I was literally wearing shorts and learning about girls for the first time. This clean-slate attitude probably makes me the most qualified in writing about the 2004 Nissan Sentra. Tossing all the heritage stuff out the window, what mattered to me was what the nameplate stood for. I’ve had the privilege of sampling each front-driving Sentra since 1988. I’ve concluded that the car stood for was unparalleled real-world performance wrapped around in a convincingly thought-of engineering package. Think about it: each Sentra model had something new than all the previous generation Honda Civic had. They offered diesel engines for a time; they were the first to offer power amenities, anti-lock brakes and a rear beam suspension than road better than most independent ones. Of course, let’s not forget it was the first to offer leather seats, a sun roof and even back-up sensors. So, it’s easy to see why I think the new Sentra has a tough act to follow. Nissan’s not just resurrecting a name here; they’re bringing a heritage back from the dead. Have they done it? Well, yes—sort of. |
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