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Reader Reviews are submitted by our readers of vehicles they test drive or rent. If you would like to submit a Reader Review, e-mail [email protected] I recently had a current-gen Nissan Sentra as a weekly rental. I had driven one before, but it was the last-gen model, and I’ve reviewed it on this forum. This rental unit had slightly over 30,000 miles on it. I gave the last-gen model a mostly positive review for its “can do” aspects and excellent fuel mileage. Now, looking at this new one, it almost makes the last-gen model look a little dowdy. You’ll notice a couple of things with the new model rather quickly in addition to its more aesthetically pleasing exterior. First, as you drive off, this Sentra handles more nimbly and corners more flatly. The ride is also controlled, and, for the price point, road and tire noise isn’t too intrusive. The interior is nicer in a lot of small ways. My rental had the leather option in the SR trim with contrast stitching in the seats. However, the seat shape is very comfortable, and so are the adjustments, which are electric for the driver. That said, the fit and finish throughout are nicely done for the price point. The Sentra’s dashboard is also an exercise in logic and simplicity. It is very symmetrical. The toggles for instrument panel functions take some exploration, but the settings are easy to work with once you figure it out. Settings on the steering wheel-mounted controls are also easy to decipher but could be inverted from the car you may be used to driving. The connection of a phone is much easier than on many other vehicles and having the Bluetooth eagerly reconnect upon returning to the car seems better than in other cars of different sizes I’ve driven. My only complaint would be the climate control panel. It may look simple, but I could never quite get the air conditioning right. Again, this new Sentra’s hallmark features are its connected handling, a decent enough ride, good fuel economy, and generous room for its size, including the trunk’s capacity. I especially liked the excellent visibility all the way around. Gone is the “opera window” in the sail panel of the last model. Rather, the division of the rear door is done with vertical trim, and the views out back are excellent with a pillar that doesn’t intrude much and a backlight that curves subtly rather than too flatly. In the engine bay is a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine that is normally aspirated. In both this Sentra and in the Altima, Nissan is going with familiar normally aspirated 4-cylinder engines and CVTs, the latter of which they’ve commonly offered for at least a decade. Hopefully, their CVTs’ service life and sturdiness have improved. Mostly, the CVT behaved well with some quirky and episodic subtle lags picking up speed from a stop, especially when cold. The engine is up to the task of everyday driving, but it gets rowdy when pushed. For the money, the Sentra offers a lot of features, and that’s a good thing. Safety features such as numerous alerts and emergency braking are included. The rear-view camera goes without saying and it’s a decent one, save some murky views when it’s too moist outside. They also have releases for things grouped on the driver’s side of the dashboard and going toward the floor –trunk release, hood release, and fuel door release. The gap cap was a conventional pressurized one. I really like having a secured fuel filler door. One “neat” feature is the lane departure and traffic sensing side sensors. Rather than being on the exterior mirrors, they are now inside and just inboard from the exterior mirrors, and, if things get too close or you get too close to things, they will chime. That means they are work beautifully with one’s peripheral vision and this was much appreciated. There are more pluses than minuses here. This new Sentra has more “personality” than before. I think that the current Nissan Sentra has improved quite a bit. Its competitors would be the Toyota Corolla, the Hyundai Elantra, the Kia Forte, and the Honda Civic. These would be in the same category if being rented. Since its most lauded competitors would be the Corolla and the Civic, I’ll address those. First, I have not driven a Honda Civic, which has gotten more attractive and more like the Accord over the years. However, compared to the Toyota Corolla, in my opinion, the gap narrows. The interior is more appealing than that of the Corolla. In terms of styling, its exterior side view and rear view are sportier and more attractive, but less so up front, where the overused Nissan design vocabulary is up against the overused Toyota design vocabulary. Where the Toyota might shine brighter is in its legendary reliability and longevity. However, if a person foresees a shorter holding period or plans to keep it no more than 100,000 - or 150,000 - miles, this distinction may become moot. I enjoyed spending a week and several hundred miles in this compact and practical mid-sized sedan. -
From the album: 2023 Nissan Sentra - Reader Review
The trunk room of the 2023 Nissan is generous for a compact -
From the album: 2023 Nissan Sentra - Reader Review
This is what direct injection/ignition looks like and there are the manifolds at the right, the kind (the material!) of which we would not see in yesteryear's muscle cars -
From the album: 2023 Nissan Sentra - Reader Review
It's all here and convenient for the driver: trunk release, fuel door release, and hood latch release -
From the album: 2023 Nissan Sentra - Reader Review
A standard Nissan normally aspirated 4-cylinder engine is under the hood and most service points are easy to see and identify -
From the album: 2023 Nissan Sentra - Reader Review
For how much car they have to work with, the rear seat legroom should be acceptable for average sized adults -
From the album: 2023 Nissan Sentra - Reader Review
They come on while starting the car, but these blind spot indicators are great and they readily light up when necessary and are also very easy to pick up with one's peripheral vision -
From the album: 2023 Nissan Sentra - Reader Review
Push button start right above the gear selector and you can see some of the stitching on the trim here -
From the album: 2023 Nissan Sentra - Reader Review
I was very pleased with the visibility and this is a big improvement over the last-gen model -
From the album: 2023 Nissan Sentra - Reader Review
This is how things should be laid out ... except for the message, which I told them about upon returning it, that's where the digital speed readout would be -
From the album: 2023 Nissan Sentra - Reader Review
Pluses: the infotainment screen is easy to work with and the power connections give you all the choices - Minuses: I don't like the cheaper circular vents and I had a hard time calibrating the air conditioning since it was a little humid -
From the album: 2023 Nissan Sentra - Reader Review
Comfortable and supportive bucket seats ... I believe the same seat is used if outfitted in cloth -
From the album: 2023 Nissan Sentra - Reader Review
Actually, it's more fun to use a sunroof, even if not pulled back, when it's scenic and cool outside -
From the album: 2023 Nissan Sentra - Reader Review
An overall view of the interior upon opening the passenger door. -
From the album: 2023 Nissan Sentra - Reader Review
With a few minor exceptions, a symmetrical and appealing dashboard is in front of you -
From the album: 2023 Nissan Sentra - Reader Review
Angled rear view: better than in the last-gen Nissan Sentra -
From the album: 2023 Nissan Sentra - Reader Review
More jellybean-like side view showing sunroof and the stranger applique Nissan is using these days between the C-pillar and the rest of the body; again, visibility was excellent -
From the album: 2023 Nissan Sentra - Reader Review
Side view of the 2023 Nissan Sentra -
From the album: 2023 Nissan Sentra - Reader Review
Angled front view: the conventional Nissan grille lives on -
Reader Reviews are submitted by our readers of vehicles they test drive or rent. If you would like to submit a Reader Review, e-mail [email protected] I recently had a current-gen Nissan Sentra as a weekly rental. I had driven one before, but it was the last-gen model, and I’ve reviewed it on this forum. This rental unit had slightly over 30,000 miles on it. I gave the last-gen model a mostly positive review for its “can do” aspects and excellent fuel mileage. Now, looking at this new one, it almost makes the last-gen model look a little dowdy. You’ll notice a couple of things with the new model rather quickly in addition to its more aesthetically pleasing exterior. First, as you drive off, this Sentra handles more nimbly and corners more flatly. The ride is also controlled, and, for the price point, road and tire noise isn’t too intrusive. The interior is nicer in a lot of small ways. My rental had the leather option in the SR trim with contrast stitching in the seats. However, the seat shape is very comfortable, and so are the adjustments, which are electric for the driver. That said, the fit and finish throughout are nicely done for the price point. The Sentra’s dashboard is also an exercise in logic and simplicity. It is very symmetrical. The toggles for instrument panel functions take some exploration, but the settings are easy to work with once you figure it out. Settings on the steering wheel-mounted controls are also easy to decipher but could be inverted from the car you may be used to driving. The connection of a phone is much easier than on many other vehicles and having the Bluetooth eagerly reconnect upon returning to the car seems better than in other cars of different sizes I’ve driven. My only complaint would be the climate control panel. It may look simple, but I could never quite get the air conditioning right. Again, this new Sentra’s hallmark features are its connected handling, a decent enough ride, good fuel economy, and generous room for its size, including the trunk’s capacity. I especially liked the excellent visibility all the way around. Gone is the “opera window” in the sail panel of the last model. Rather, the division of the rear door is done with vertical trim, and the views out back are excellent with a pillar that doesn’t intrude much and a backlight that curves subtly rather than too flatly. In the engine bay is a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine that is normally aspirated. In both this Sentra and in the Altima, Nissan is going with familiar normally aspirated 4-cylinder engines and CVTs, the latter of which they’ve commonly offered for at least a decade. Hopefully, their CVTs’ service life and sturdiness have improved. Mostly, the CVT behaved well with some quirky and episodic subtle lags picking up speed from a stop, especially when cold. The engine is up to the task of everyday driving, but it gets rowdy when pushed. For the money, the Sentra offers a lot of features, and that’s a good thing. Safety features such as numerous alerts and emergency braking are included. The rear-view camera goes without saying and it’s a decent one, save some murky views when it’s too moist outside. They also have releases for things grouped on the driver’s side of the dashboard and going toward the floor –trunk release, hood release, and fuel door release. The gap cap was a conventional pressurized one. I really like having a secured fuel filler door. One “neat” feature is the lane departure and traffic sensing side sensors. Rather than being on the exterior mirrors, they are now inside and just inboard from the exterior mirrors, and, if things get too close or you get too close to things, they will chime. That means they are work beautifully with one’s peripheral vision and this was much appreciated. There are more pluses than minuses here. This new Sentra has more “personality” than before. I think that the current Nissan Sentra has improved quite a bit. Its competitors would be the Toyota Corolla, the Hyundai Elantra, the Kia Forte, and the Honda Civic. These would be in the same category if being rented. Since its most lauded competitors would be the Corolla and the Civic, I’ll address those. First, I have not driven a Honda Civic, which has gotten more attractive and more like the Accord over the years. However, compared to the Toyota Corolla, in my opinion, the gap narrows. The interior is more appealing than that of the Corolla. In terms of styling, its exterior side view and rear view are sportier and more attractive, but less so up front, where the overused Nissan design vocabulary is up against the overused Toyota design vocabulary. Where the Toyota might shine brighter is in its legendary reliability and longevity. However, if a person foresees a shorter holding period or plans to keep it no more than 100,000 - or 150,000 - miles, this distinction may become moot. I enjoyed spending a week and several hundred miles in this compact and practical mid-sized sedan. View full article
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While this year at Nissan is all about the pickup truck, last year it was the ‘Year of the Sedan’. We saw the introduction of the redesigned Maxima, along with refreshes of the Altima and Sentra. There was one slight problem. Compared to the Maxima which stood out with a sharp design, the Altima and Sentra just existed with no real item of note. But maybe there is something to either model that is hidden away. I decided to find out as a 2016 Nissan Sentra SR came in for a week-long evaluation. Nissan isn’t going to take home any awards for the design of the 2016 Sentra. Designers took the 2013 model and made some small changes such as adding a new front clip to help bring the Sentra in line with the current design language, and a more distinctive character line. One change that is worth mentioning about the Sentra’s design is the new SR trim. This trim adds some sporty touches such as a mesh grille insert, sill extensions for the lower body, seventeen-inch aluminum-alloy wheels with a dark finish, rear spoiler, and a chrome exhaust tip. These touches help the Sentra stand out in a crowded field. Like the Sentra’s exterior, the interior hasn’t seen any major changes. The design is very conservative with some flowing lines and contrasting trim pieces (silver and piano black). There is a mix of hard and soft touch materials used throughout the interior. Our Sentra tester featured a set optional leather seats that we found to provide decent support for short trips. We did wish the front seats did offer more thigh support on longer trips. The Sentra does have an ace up its sleeve when it comes to the back seat. In most compact cars, the back seat is something you would use sparingly due to the small amount of head and legroom. In the Sentra, the amount of head and legroom can give some midsize sedans a run for their money. I happen to be 5’8” and I had more than enough space to feel very comfortable. The trunk is also large for the class with 15.1 cubic feet of space. Most Sentra models will come equipped a five-inch touchscreen with NissanConnect. This system isn’t one of our favorites for a number of reasons. The interface looks dated when compared to other systems. Not helping matters are some odd omissions from it. For example, if you want to pause an iPod or whatever you have plugged into the USB input, you’ll need to turn down the volume all the way to zero. Why not a pause button?! We also had issues with the system crashing our iPod. The only upsides are the interface being easy to use and providing snappy performance. Power comes from a 1.8L four-cylinder with 130 horsepower and 128 pound-feet of torque. This is paired with either a six-speed manual (only available on the S and FE+ S) or Nissan’s Xtronic CVT (standard on SV and above, optional on S and FE+ S). Performance is lethargic as the Sentra’s engine takes its sweet time to get up to speed. You can put your foot to the floor and there isn’t any difference in how fast the vehicle climbs up in speed. On the positive side, the engine is fairly muted when accelerating around town. Nissan’s Xtronic CVT is one of the better offerings on sale as it doesn’t have the ‘rubber-band’ effect (engine rpm climbs up before dropping back down). The upside to the low power numbers is fuel economy. The Sentra SR is rated by the EPA at 29 City/38 Highway/32 Combined. Our average for the week was 32.4 mpg. If you’re looking for a compact that feels like a bigger vehicle in terms of ride, the Sentra is the ticket. No matter the type of road you find yourself driving on, the Sentra’s suspension provides a smooth and relaxed ride. We do wish Nissan had added some more sound deadening around the vehicle as you can hear road and tire noise on the highway. Around corners, the Sentra shows little roll and seems to change direction quickly. The steering feels very light which is ok around town, not so much when driving on a curvy road. The 2016 Nissan Sentra doesn’t really stand out in a highly competitive compact car marketplace. Compared with competitors in a number of key areas, the Sentra either finishes in the middle or bottom. The only real plus points are a large back seat and trunk, along with a price tag that won’t break the bank. The Sentra begins at $16,780 for the base S and climbs to $22,170 for the SL. Our SR came equipped with a couple of option packages that added adaptive cruise control, a forward collision mitigation system, leather seats, Bose sound system, and a few other features brings the as-tested price to $25,245. Considering a number of these features are only available on higher trim models of competitors, the Sentra becomes quite the value. Is there anything special to the 2016 Nissan Sentra SR? After spending a week in it, I have to say no. This is a model that is aimed at those who just need a vehicle that can get them from point a to b without any fuss. If you’re looking for something more, there are a lot of options in the compact segment that are worthy of a closer look. Disclaimer: Nissan Provided the Sentra, Insurance, and One Tank of Gas Year: 2016 Make: Nissan Model: Sentra Trim: SR Engine: 1.8L DOHC Four-Cylinder Driveline: CVT, Front-Wheel Drive Horsepower @ RPM: 130 @ 6,000 Torque @ RPM: 128 @ 3,600 Fuel Economy: City/Highway/Combined - 29/38/32 Curb Weight: 2,920 lbs Location of Manufacture: Aguascalientes, Mexico Base Price: $20,410 As Tested Price: $25,245 (Includes $835.00 Destination Charge) Options: Premium Package - $2,590 Technology Package - $1,230 Carpeted Floor Mats and Trunk Mat - $180.00 View full article
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While this year at Nissan is all about the pickup truck, last year it was the ‘Year of the Sedan’. We saw the introduction of the redesigned Maxima, along with refreshes of the Altima and Sentra. There was one slight problem. Compared to the Maxima which stood out with a sharp design, the Altima and Sentra just existed with no real item of note. But maybe there is something to either model that is hidden away. I decided to find out as a 2016 Nissan Sentra SR came in for a week-long evaluation. Nissan isn’t going to take home any awards for the design of the 2016 Sentra. Designers took the 2013 model and made some small changes such as adding a new front clip to help bring the Sentra in line with the current design language, and a more distinctive character line. One change that is worth mentioning about the Sentra’s design is the new SR trim. This trim adds some sporty touches such as a mesh grille insert, sill extensions for the lower body, seventeen-inch aluminum-alloy wheels with a dark finish, rear spoiler, and a chrome exhaust tip. These touches help the Sentra stand out in a crowded field. Like the Sentra’s exterior, the interior hasn’t seen any major changes. The design is very conservative with some flowing lines and contrasting trim pieces (silver and piano black). There is a mix of hard and soft touch materials used throughout the interior. Our Sentra tester featured a set optional leather seats that we found to provide decent support for short trips. We did wish the front seats did offer more thigh support on longer trips. The Sentra does have an ace up its sleeve when it comes to the back seat. In most compact cars, the back seat is something you would use sparingly due to the small amount of head and legroom. In the Sentra, the amount of head and legroom can give some midsize sedans a run for their money. I happen to be 5’8” and I had more than enough space to feel very comfortable. The trunk is also large for the class with 15.1 cubic feet of space. Most Sentra models will come equipped a five-inch touchscreen with NissanConnect. This system isn’t one of our favorites for a number of reasons. The interface looks dated when compared to other systems. Not helping matters are some odd omissions from it. For example, if you want to pause an iPod or whatever you have plugged into the USB input, you’ll need to turn down the volume all the way to zero. Why not a pause button?! We also had issues with the system crashing our iPod. The only upsides are the interface being easy to use and providing snappy performance. Power comes from a 1.8L four-cylinder with 130 horsepower and 128 pound-feet of torque. This is paired with either a six-speed manual (only available on the S and FE+ S) or Nissan’s Xtronic CVT (standard on SV and above, optional on S and FE+ S). Performance is lethargic as the Sentra’s engine takes its sweet time to get up to speed. You can put your foot to the floor and there isn’t any difference in how fast the vehicle climbs up in speed. On the positive side, the engine is fairly muted when accelerating around town. Nissan’s Xtronic CVT is one of the better offerings on sale as it doesn’t have the ‘rubber-band’ effect (engine rpm climbs up before dropping back down). The upside to the low power numbers is fuel economy. The Sentra SR is rated by the EPA at 29 City/38 Highway/32 Combined. Our average for the week was 32.4 mpg. If you’re looking for a compact that feels like a bigger vehicle in terms of ride, the Sentra is the ticket. No matter the type of road you find yourself driving on, the Sentra’s suspension provides a smooth and relaxed ride. We do wish Nissan had added some more sound deadening around the vehicle as you can hear road and tire noise on the highway. Around corners, the Sentra shows little roll and seems to change direction quickly. The steering feels very light which is ok around town, not so much when driving on a curvy road. The 2016 Nissan Sentra doesn’t really stand out in a highly competitive compact car marketplace. Compared with competitors in a number of key areas, the Sentra either finishes in the middle or bottom. The only real plus points are a large back seat and trunk, along with a price tag that won’t break the bank. The Sentra begins at $16,780 for the base S and climbs to $22,170 for the SL. Our SR came equipped with a couple of option packages that added adaptive cruise control, a forward collision mitigation system, leather seats, Bose sound system, and a few other features brings the as-tested price to $25,245. Considering a number of these features are only available on higher trim models of competitors, the Sentra becomes quite the value. Is there anything special to the 2016 Nissan Sentra SR? After spending a week in it, I have to say no. This is a model that is aimed at those who just need a vehicle that can get them from point a to b without any fuss. If you’re looking for something more, there are a lot of options in the compact segment that are worthy of a closer look. Disclaimer: Nissan Provided the Sentra, Insurance, and One Tank of Gas Year: 2016 Make: Nissan Model: Sentra Trim: SR Engine: 1.8L DOHC Four-Cylinder Driveline: CVT, Front-Wheel Drive Horsepower @ RPM: 130 @ 6,000 Torque @ RPM: 128 @ 3,600 Fuel Economy: City/Highway/Combined - 29/38/32 Curb Weight: 2,920 lbs Location of Manufacture: Aguascalientes, Mexico Base Price: $20,410 As Tested Price: $25,245 (Includes $835.00 Destination Charge) Options: Premium Package - $2,590 Technology Package - $1,230 Carpeted Floor Mats and Trunk Mat - $180.00 -
Even though Nissan has only just launched the Sentra, the company already has some changes in store. Wards Auto reports that Nissan is planning to launch more engine options in the near future. “From a product standpoint, in the future you’ll see more engine offerings, and it’s full steam ahead. We’re fully focused on the segment,” said Michael Bunce, director of product planning for Nissan North America. It's unclear as to what other engine options Nissan has in store. We wouldn't be surprised if a turbocharged four-cylinder is one of those options. Nissan is also considering adding another body style to the Sentra lineup, a hatchback. Tony Baehner, senior manager of product planning for Nissan says adding a hatchback allows consumers another choice in a growing market. The downsides are compact crossovers are very popular and the hatchback marketplace being dominated by two models; the Ford Focus and Mazda3. Baehner says with the Chevrolet Cruze Hatchback going on sale later this year, they'll be watching how it does in terms of sales before making a decision on doing a Sentra hatchback. Source: Wards Auto View full article -
Nissan Plans More Engines, A Possible Hatchback for Sentra
William Maley posted an article in Nissan
Even though Nissan has only just launched the Sentra, the company already has some changes in store. Wards Auto reports that Nissan is planning to launch more engine options in the near future. “From a product standpoint, in the future you’ll see more engine offerings, and it’s full steam ahead. We’re fully focused on the segment,” said Michael Bunce, director of product planning for Nissan North America. It's unclear as to what other engine options Nissan has in store. We wouldn't be surprised if a turbocharged four-cylinder is one of those options. Nissan is also considering adding another body style to the Sentra lineup, a hatchback. Tony Baehner, senior manager of product planning for Nissan says adding a hatchback allows consumers another choice in a growing market. The downsides are compact crossovers are very popular and the hatchback marketplace being dominated by two models; the Ford Focus and Mazda3. Baehner says with the Chevrolet Cruze Hatchback going on sale later this year, they'll be watching how it does in terms of sales before making a decision on doing a Sentra hatchback. Source: Wards Auto -
The current Nissan Sentra will be undergoing a midcycle refresh in the next few months and the senior vice president of sales, marketing, and operations, Fred Diaz says the refresh makes it "almost all new. "It will be an incredibly freshened Sentra," said Diaz. The refresh will include number changes to the styling - most likely bringing it in line with the V-Motion language - and enhancements to the technology. Now this an interesting thing to say since the current Sentra is doing quite well. Automotive News reports that Nissan moved 183,268 Sentras last year, up 42 percent when compared to 2013 and marked the best sales for the model in 25 years. Diaz said that the company doesn't have any concern about the current model in terms of sales. But he does say automakers have to stay fresh. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required) View full article
