The T11-generation Stanza pulled off something no other Nissan managed in the US: Consumer Reports rated it more reliable than the Toyota Camry, from 1983 through 1986, before Nissan fell back behind Toyota and Honda for good.
Lead trim: Stanza 2.0 CA20S carburetted (US) · up to 105 hp
Nissan Violet1981–1986
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FactThe T11-generation Stanza pulled off something no other Nissan managed in the US: Consumer Reports rated it more reliable than the Toyota Camry, from 1983 through 1986, before Nissan fell back behind Toyota and Honda for good.
A front-wheel-drive Stanza arrived in 1981 as the first middle-class Datsun of that configuration and the first Japanese car in its category built to the principles Europe had established a few years earlier, as a three-door hatchback (the Auster), four-door saloon or five-door hatchback. In the United States the T11 Stanza with the CA20S engine replaced the 510 for the 1982 model year and switched to the fuel-injected CA20E in 1984; the Stanza Wagon was the Nissan Prairie. The Japanese and some export models were the "Stanza FX" with 1.6 and 1.8 L engines, the Violet Liberta five-door hatchback was sold from 1981 to 1982 (then replaced by the Liberta Villa), and the Auster was a higher-specification, sportier version for younger buyers, with a five-speed three-door hatchback GT-ES at the top. In the United Kingdom and Europe it was the Nissan Stanza in "L" 1.6, "GL" 1.6, "SGL" 1.6 and "SGL" 1.8 forms, on sale in Britain from January 1982 and with very long gearing that made it one of the most fuel-economic in its class; some markets such as Belgium also received a 1.7-litre turbodiesel with 73 PS from the 1984 model year. It was the 1981 Semperit Irish Car of the Year, and according to Consumer Reports it was rated more reliable than the Toyota Camry from 1983 to 1986, the only time a Nissan was in the US market. In Taiwan a car closely based on it became the Yue Loong Feeling 101/102, among the first indigenously developed Taiwanese cars.
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Trims & Figures
5 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stanza 1.6 (UK/Europe) | 1981–1986 | 1.6 L Inline-4 | — | — | — | FWD | — | — |
| Stanza 1.7 turbodiesel CD17T (73 PS, Belgium) | 1984–1986 | 1.7 L Inline-4 | 72 hp | 107 lb-ft | — | FWD | — | — |
| Stanza 2.0 CA20E fuel-injected (US) | 1984–1986 | 2.0 L Inline-4 | 105 hp | 118 lb-ft | — | FWD | — | — |
| Stanza 2.0 CA20S carburetted (US) | 1982–1983 | 2.0 L Inline-4 | 101 hp | 118 lb-ft | — | FWD | — | — |
| Stanza SGL 1.8 (UK/Europe) | 1981–1986 | 1.8 L Inline-4 | — | — | — | FWD | — | — |
Owning one
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Owners’ builds
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Photographs
This compact Nissan felt oddly sluggish for its size — it was built on the platform of the much bigger Maxima, making it unusually heavy to haul around with its small engine.
The T11-generation Stanza pulled off something no other Nissan managed in the US: Consumer Reports rated it more reliable than the Toyota Camry, from 1983 through 1986, before Nissan fell back behind Toyota and Honda for good.
A kit-ordering mix-up left Nissan Australia with 120 two-door Stanza coupes nobody planned to build in 1979 — they sold them anyway, with zero promotion, and every one sold out.
Complaints about the fastback's dark cabin and poor rear visibility were so loud that Nissan rebuilt the entire back half of the car mid-run in 1976 — roof panel, doors and all — into a conventional notchback.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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