I had an Exalta STA. It was very slow off the line, but at highway speeds, it had similar pull to a Civic VTi AT.
The Sentra/Exalta engine has less top-end power than the Civic engine, but it has a very flat torque curve, which makes it nearly as energetic and flexible as the VTi engine in all situations short of an outright drag race. It's no match in corners, though, because of the super-soft suspension, and the steering is nothing to write home about.
The SLA has a very nice interior, but you have to check out the electronics and trim very carefully for hidden damage. There are lots of toys on the Exalta, which equates to lots of things to fix if it wasn't well cared for.
Possible problems for the SLA are electronic glitches with the alarm, air-conditioner compressors (they're just as sturdy as in other secondhands, but they cost more to fix... ang lakas kasi.

) and MAF issues (rare, fixable with electric contact spray.)
They're very good cars otherwise, nice and relaxing to drive.