daveydw

iam trying to decide which one to buy i test drove both today and for luxury the 200 was the clear winner and in performance they both felt equal both were standard cars whats your verdict

MattN

200sx

dr_ming

200sx much better built that's for sure. My old nissan Sunny GTI was much, much better built than my MY03 WRX.

M3 Evo

WHich model 200? The import one, or the one which looked like a junior skyline (well, tried to)

daveydw

s14a uk model

dr_ming

My ex-boss has one of these with the touring pack (leather, A/C etc.). Very nice car with entertaing RWD and all the toys. IMHO, handling not quite as sharp as the Impreza though. Upside is, I think 200sx can be picked up pretty cheaply at the moment, build quality is good and they are exceptionally reliable in standard tune (my ex-boss used to drive his like a complete tit, and it never broke). Downside is, not very practical if you have a family (need to cut off your legs at the knee to sit in the back 'seats').

Flat 4x4

Also ask yourself if you also have enough common-sense to drive the Nissan sensibly in wet and icy conditions. ie Don't drive one like you would a 4WD Impreza.

I've seen several spin on winter roads and thought it was just down to bad drivers. Then I went to the (wet) Autocar sideways challenge this year and they looked very difficult to control once they started to move.

GCollier

The 200SX is one of the easiest cars to slide around and control over the limit.

I would buy one over an impreza, unless I needed the added practically (and yes I have owned both).

fatherpierre

200.

Better built and like you said, nicer with more comfort.

But I don't like scoobies so a bit bias!

Tiggs

i went from 200sx to scoob wagon.

if you dont need the space get the nissan.

better built, more comfy, looks like a sports car, cheaper.

it is EASY to drive in the wet and more fun. i used to get out of it smiling whatever speed i had traveled at...in contrast i test drove an FQ300 recently and was bored by it.

T

richs2891

I went the other way from a MY02 scoob to a 200sx (after Scooby got killed)
Did not regret it at all, Nissan much better build quality, leather and air nice on the touring model, absolutely ate motorway miles !I found it a more involving car to drive on A / B roads as rear wheel drive, handled a little sloppier than the scoob but a change of dampers / antiroll bars would have cured it. I found it better on petrol as well.
Was not so bother where I parked it either.
Downside was it was not as pratical as the scoob

Richard

Flat 4x4

Fair comments from people who have had both 200's and Imprezas.

All I can say is that the ones I have seen spin on the road, and at the Silverstone sideways challenge (some of) must have been really badly driven then...!

def

The drift championship were domanated by 200sx and most finished in the top 5-10 1st 3rd and 4th i think

Tiggs

if anyone knows Lower Earley Way in Reading....my wife closed it from the cinema to the moathouse while rescue crews removed my 200 from the bullbars of the 4X4 she ploughed into (having first mounted the path then swung back across the road into oncoming traffic)

so watch it in the wet if you cant drive!

Flat 4x4

Which proves both our points really !

If you know what you are doing, buy a 200. If you don't then don't go as fast as you did on slippy roundabouts in the Impreza.

Actually the last one I saw crash was 2 winters ago (it was icy):-

I was in my last A4 Quattro doing 50 and it was a frosty dual carriageway. He went past at 60/65 and the two cars in front of me. When he turned to pull back into the nearside lane, I presume he did it slightly too quickly or with power on as it went sideways and then spun a full 360, hitting the kerb then clipping the tail then nosing into the other barrier.

'Too fast for the conditions as plod would say' ?

mn_angrybeats

Bugger the 4WD, RWD is far more fun...

Obviously RWD demands more respect but hey thats your right foot...

Squizz

I now have a 200sx (s13) and an MY99 Impreza saloon.

(Owns cake, and eats it. )

wilf

I went from 200sx to Scoob Wagon.

200 was a nice motor comfy cruiser and better for long distance. Scoob felt a bit quicker in a straight line and was more raw.

Scoob was much more reassuring and hence easier to hoon about in - you had to be careful in the Nissan and treat with a bit of respect.

I did have several "wanted" sideways moments and one or two "unwanted" ones esp when the tyres started to wear down.

Now scoob prices are rock bottom I think I would opt for the wagon. I got a real bargain on my 200sx and paid 10k for it 1.5 years old I then traded it and paid full price for a new Wagon (it was 1997). In retrospect the wagon probably wasnt worth all the extra.

A little voice keeps telling me think of all the money you'd have saved if you'd kept the Nissan.