Help me assess my current situation: I want a P71, but do I NEED one?

Well, the obvious answer is no I don't actually need one, but let's analyze my current automotive situation.

With my new job in Lexington, I'm fortunate enough that the guy I carpool with, has a company vehicle, which they put the gas in. Lexington is about a 100 mile drive one way, and I've been fortunate enough that I've only had to drive my car to work maybe twice.

The car: 2001 Nissan Sentra SE I've had it for about six years now, and I've put nearly 100,000 miles on it myself. It's still a great car, but I'm getting that seven year itch and am wanting something new, however...

I have Jay Leno Syndrome. No, not the big chin and corporate sense of humor, but the fact that I have a very hard time selling anything. I still have my Camaro, my first car, it's the long term project that mostly sits.

It doesn't make a whole lot of sense for me to buy another car with me not driving it much, but lately my wife has been working second shift at her job, which makes our shifts overlap. She has to take the little one to the babysitters, and I have to go get her after I get home, so my little car has seen a lot more use lately.

The kid is three, and getting her in and out of a car seat in the Sentra has become a bit of a pain, I've got her ducking her head when she enters or exits. I say "What do we do when we get in daddy's car?" she'll say "Duck!" and then duck her head. It's rather cute, but I digress...

Most people when they need more room for growing kids will go out and get an SUV, I'm not into that. I can have just as much leg room with an old cop car, cheaper too. Now although the Sentra is a four cylinder, it hasn't given me the best fuel mileage. I haven't updated it in forever, but here's the fully page I have for it. Granted I can't help but beat on it, combined MPG is not that far off what I would get in a Panther chassis car.

Now, I wanna know your opinions on this: Paying cash or course, does it make sense for me to buy another car, while keeping the one I have? No, I don't really have the room, but I'm a pack rat and am rather attached to this thing.

Former and current P71 owners chime in. I drool every time I see one, I need an intervention!

They didn't make them in wagon form and they are really bad to rust the frames in half where the straight section meets the front, in the firewall area.

Every time I think I want one, I remember that no wagon = no sale, and Caprices were made as wagons. LT1 problems can be fixed, lack of wagon-ness cannot.

I don't understand the love for these big heavy slow reliable cheap hulks. They suck in almost every way imaginable except for trunk space. They have the sporting feel of a pontoon boat. They look like what I imagine when someone says "What does boring look like and don't say Camry".

I'd rather have the Sentra.

P71s with the correct shocks and correct (hideously expensive) tires drive rather well. Drift well, too. So I've heard (glances around furtively)

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: I don't understand the love for these big heavy slow reliable cheap hulks. They suck in almost every way imaginable except for trunk space. They have the sporting feel of a pontoon boat. They look like what I imagine when someone says "What does boring look like and don't say Camry".

It's like settling on a fat chick: the buy-in is low, it probably won't break on you, if you really wring it out the handling is decent when you consider the mass, and putting it on a diet will see some minor improvements.

In reply to Osterkraut:

If that doesn't make it into the magazine I will be sorely disappointed.

In all fairness, its a great appliance car if that's how you choose to see it... Better than a berkeleying Camry.

Civilian model with 2.73 gears will be slower but likely will be found with more comfortable interiors, and get better gas mileage, we were seeing 21/27. See also grand marquis and town car.

You all are forgetting the part about all the people being happy shiny people around you as they think you are an LEO. I know that when I have driven P71's it is like the parting of the red sea as I drive down the left lane on the Mass pike (I90 here in MA) at rush hour. So ya for that reason alone they are a great car.

Get a dark grey one. Smoke the rear windows tint the front widows and people tend to get out of your way and let you pull in and don't cut you off and.. . .. . . . Yes I really want to get another one some day. For these very reasons I have been looking at the Charger's with the "black top" option package. They are the new P71. As are the new Taurus's

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: I don't understand the love for these big heavy slow reliable cheap hulks. They suck in almost every way imaginable except for trunk space. They have the sporting feel of a pontoon boat. They look like what I imagine when someone says "What does boring look like and don't say Camry". I'd rather have the Sentra.

they rule in almost every way, especially if you are into those strange things known as "room", "comfort", and "easy serviceability".

novaderrik wrote: they rule in almost every way, especially if you are into those strange things known as "room", "comfort", and "easy serviceability".

I dunno about "easy servicability". Any internal engine problems usually have to be solved by replacing as assembly. Replacing the fuel lines is also quite the bitch because of where the fuel tank is and how the lines (should be) routed.

But: They can tow a car trailer. I'd put up with a lot of shortcomings if it meant I could tow a trailer, without having to have a truck. Words cannot adequately describe how much I hate driving trucks.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: They have the sporting feel of a pontoon boat.

I loved my P71. Or pontoon boat. Whatever you want to call it. Too much personal preference to put into it for a real push one way or the other. Those of us who love them, just do. Those who don't.... Don't. If you prefer a wagon get a wagon. I almost decided to get another P71, but have leaned towards Volvo wagon for their spacious interior and spacious under-the-hood-terior.

honestly the rear door opening size and shape isn't all that great for putting a kid into a car seat. she'll still be ducking or hitting her head. B body rear doors are not much better if any.

suburban doors on the other hand are awesome. in a way i'm glad my p71 frame rotted in half because otherwise i'd be living with the pain of putting kid through door without hitting his head right now.

now if you can find an extended wheelbase one it has the same rear door size as a towncar. that might be a ton better.

My car is a base CV but I can say my experience with it has been positive. I have no illusions of it being a sports car but as a DD on rough roads or highway commuting, it's quite nice. Quiet, not bone jarring, good A/C, gas mileage isn't bad for it's size. As long as you don't try to force it to be something it's not (a sports car), you should be happy with it.

I bought it with some issues and it's rusting away before me but for the miles I've racked up on it (just under 170,000km when bought and just over 300,000km now) and what I paid for it, it was a helluva good deal.

This guy constantly gets these cars for nothing, this is why I want them so bad.

CHEAP

The bad: cop seats SUCK. No lateral support at all, adjustable lumbar support will most likely not be where your lumbar is. Flat out terrible mileage. I'm talking full-size truck kind of real gas mileage. Individual coil packs= expensive. Handles like a truck. Oh and driving a car that looks like a cop car does NOT open up traffic in front of you. In fact quite the opposite. Everyone slows down and drives the speed limit or less. The good: cheap buys, durable as hell, drove a cab recently that had over 320k miles on it (10 mpg on that one though), can take a very violent hit without killing the occupants. With the current cost of gas it is a terrible choice for a commuter or DD IMO.