things to look out for:
gearboxes - the weakest part of the car. 3rd gear especially, can whine or be hard to engage. Mine whines all the time in all gears
drive shafts - they are prone to rusting around the balancing weight and eventually snapping
ABS - the rings are known to crack and cause the ABS to kick in at low speeds. This needs a new driveshaft. Also if the ABS light is on, you might think it is "just a sensor" but these are always rusted onto the hub and are impossible to remove.
- Windscreen wiper spindle on drivers side wears out causing contact with the bonnet. Easy fix 10 minutes £20.
Nissan parts in general are shockingly expensive though - e.g. I had an ABS sensor go and the cheapest pattern part was £130. Even luxury German marques are considerably less than this!
Good points (I have a 1.6 GX so YMMV):
- No cambelt on petrol engines
- Bullet proof engines
- Unbelievable grip and good handling
- Fast steering rack (well under 3 turns lock to lock)
- Good driving position
- Good feedback from brakes
- Massive boot
Bad points:
- Preposterously stiff ride
- Nasty interior, looks very cheap though well laid out
- Gearbox as mentioned above
- 3 point turns become 6 point turns due to limited lock