1998 Nissan 200SX SE-R Fun to drive, fresh styling, available nationwide. By Mitch McCullough, Editor-in-Chief, New Car Test Drive .com

Numbers don't always tell the whole story. One car can look great on paper, but lack soul on the road.

Another doesn't offer thrilling performance statistics, but can be a lot of fun to drive.

The Nissan 200SX SE-R falls into the latter category. It's a lot of fun to drive. It's so much fun to

drive that it's easy to overlook that it's also roomy, practical, quiet and comfortable. The sportiest model

of Nissan's 200SX coupes, the SE-R competes in a world of cars that need to be sporty yet economical, fun to

drive yet practical. The SE-R walks this tightrope with a balance an enthusiast on a budget can love.

For 1998, Nissan has updated the styling on the 200SX model line, yet the price of the sporty SE-R model has remained the same and it's available in all 50 states.

Nissan's 200SX is essentially the coupe version of its Sentra compact sedan. The base and SE models are nice, affordable, practical, reliable coupes with sporty overtones. The SE-R, however, comes with a bigger, more powerful engine, better brakes and performance upgrades to the suspension and driveline. All three models are fun to drive, but enthusiasts will gravitate to the SE-R.