1997 Nissan Pulsar Reviews, Pricing & Specs

I like my wee bomb. Economical, nothing major (touch wood) has ever happened and I go everywhere in it. crap brake system on it, crap tyres (came with wafers) and interesting interior pattern but lots of fun. Easy to drive for learners not bad looking for a hatchback and easy to find parts for. Although Nissan Lower Hutt charge like a wounded bull for parts I would say go to the nissan spare parts in gracefield/seaview those guys rock!Feb 23, 2010

From what I can tell (by deciphering Japanese model information) my SR-V GTi was the mid-range model- sadly it didn't get the SR20DE engine found in other GTi or the 1.6 litre engine from the hot-hatch VZR. Still, the SR18DE was reliable and it produced enough power for this car to be competent at overtaking and fun on mountain roads. The fun factor was complemented by the amount of grip available from the all-wheel-drive. Nice handling. Driving up to the ski lodge was a really good time in this. Supportive seats make the Pulsar comfortable for long trips or hard driving. The interior was generally good. This car was ten years old when I bought it, and rock-solid inside and out. When you factor in that this car had been owned by a series of foreigners who didn't expect to keep the car longer than a year or two, this car has stood up to abuse really well. I had to replace the starter and the brakes, and that was about it. My only criticism is that this is not a very good-looking car. The bland styling was made worse by a stupid bull-bar and the big rain-guards on the windows. I don't know if it was the rough environment or bad paint, but the car collected scratches easily. Definitely recommended. It's no hot hatch- maybe a "warm hatch" at best- but for the $1200 I paid for it this was a very fun, reliable car. Feb 14, 2009