THE ULTIMATE CAR GUIDE

THE ULTIMATE CAR GUIDE

If you mention the word "luxury", lavishness and tons of money come to mind. Not all people can afford a BMW, Benz, or a Bentley (drool more) - especially in the financial and maintenance sense. Other manufacturers such as Toyota, Ford, and Volkswagen (sister brands of Lexus, Lincoln, and Audi respectively) lend their mass market vehicles and put glamorous features (such as excessive chrome, leather all around, and tons of gadgets). Yulon Motor of Taiwan purchased 75% ownership of Nissan's newly-built assembly plant located in Santa Rosa, Laguna. Did you know that Yulon had a relationship with Nissan since 1967? Yes, they produce Nissan vehicles under license and also assembles Chrysler, Geely, GM, Mercedes Benz and Mitsubishi. Apart from vehicle assembly, the company engages in vehicle importation. They bring in Infiniti, Nissan, and Renault vehicles to Taiwan. The price of luxury can be had for less than a million bucks when brand new.

10 years later or so, affordable luxury can be attained for P210,000-P260,000. Nissans (in general) do have poor resale values, so these are bargains for used car buyers. You'll also encounter N13 Sentras of later age in that price range, so have a keen eye if its an original Sentra Exalta B14 you'd seek. Electronic gadgets are a dream for one's car, but their breakdowns can cause headaches. If you're inspecting a unit, pay particular attention to these gadgets (especially in the STA variant) if they function well. The idle air control valve, mass airflow sensor, the alternator, and battery should be checked thoroughly since the gadgets put extra load for the MAF sensor and the air control valve. The rear suspension is soft due to the comfort biased nature and must be checked for weird noises that warrants a replacement. Leather is nice until they have scratches and stains. Spare some money for repairs and you'll be rewarded with a worry free journey.

On the flipside, mechanical parts (most of them) are similar to other Sentra B14's. Not much is to be said with the exterior, since it uses the body of the B14 Sentra where it was based on. Color coded handles are standard - as opposed to the blacked ones in the lowly trim lines. The STA does have the sunroof as standard equipment. You may dismiss this variant as luxurious or tacky looking. If there's one thing to discuss about the Sentra Exalta B14, it would the interior. Occupants receive a roomy interior but the rear is tight for six footers. Both variants receive wood accents, rear backup sensors, and sapphire starlight gauges. If Sentra Super Saloons use a GA16DNE engine mentioned on my Sentra B14 article, the Exalta utilizes a GA16DE 1,596cc for both SLA and STA variants. The carry 110hp at 6,000rpm and 140Nm @ 4,000rpm, almost similar to the other GA engine found on local Sentras. If the SS has the potential to speed up, the Exalta can be described as slower once you get behind the wheel. This is because of the added heft caused by the electronic gadgets and the comfort bias rear suspension. If you're the type who longs for the freeway or long drives, the Exalta is the perfect match. Your passengers would feel in comfort since the suspension is tuned for them, and the combo for the leather is nice. But, handling is not as agile as the EK Civic and due to the comfort priority, expect numb handling. Better avoid zigzag roads and tight curves if you want to fully utilize this car's potential as an alternative to expensive luxo sedans. Different people have different definitions of the word luxury. The Sentra Exalta (in B14 platform) is one wonder during its time for offering luxury features at mass market prices. Just remember that luxury items (such as gadgets) are nice to have, but break them and it would mean catastrophe. If you're not a badge snob and adventurous at a same time, why not consider the Sentra Exalta B14?

First, the 328i gets a nice head start in terms of pricing, as it is less expensive than the standard C300. Additionally, the BMW gets standard wood-trim accents, standard rear air conditioning, and a nine-speaker audio system. The 328i also gets a slight jump on the C300 in terms of roominess. There's a bit more space in the front and back seats, and also in the trunk. BMW buyers can have a six-speed manual transmission in place of the standard eight-speed automatic at no extra charge. What鈥檚 more, despite being slightly down on power, the 328i is actually 0.4 seconds quicker to 60 mph than the C300 with the automatic transmission, or 0.5 seconds with the manual. Why Opt for the 328i? It was a close battle, but the 328i just couldn鈥檛 convince us that it is a better luxury sedan than the C300. However, for buyers who want better straight-line performance than the C300 without sacrificing too many features or paying more money, the 328i is a great option. This was a tough decision to make, as the BMW 328i and the C300 were so closely matched in just about every metric. However, the deciding factor was that the C300 simply has a more up-to-date look. The C300 is just better looking.

One of the most intriguing parts of the 2019 Mercedes-Benz C300 4MATIC Coupe, is its ability to remind you why coupes are so cool. Journalists had the opportunity to drive all-wheel drive (AWD) vehicles in Winter Park, Colorado and on an iced-over lake in Georgetown, CO. The Rocky Mountain Redline Ice Encounter was a two-day event featuring several AWD and 4WD vehicles. Experts set up courses to allow journalists to test these cars in various winter conditions. The 2019 Mercedes-Benz C300 4MATIC Coupe comes with a 255 horsepower, turbocharged 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine that makes 273 lb-ft of torque from 1,800 to 4,000 rpm. You can feel that torque almost immediately, even on the most slippery surfaces, with a rush of motion from a standstill. The only transmission available is a nine-speed automatic. The electronically-controlled 4MATIC AWD system has a bent on safety over too much fun. Very German. Honestly, it was difficult to tell if the setup was front or rear-drive bias when flying through snow or sliding on the ice.