2018 Nissan Sentra

A 6-speed manual is available but it’s unrefined so we recommend sticking to the CVT and enjoying its 32 mpg combined fuel economy. That said, if you can do away with available space and are willing to spend little more, rivals like the Honda Civic offer plenty of features, upscale interiors, more exciting drive and excellent fuel economy as well.

Starting at just $16,990, the Sentra S is one of the cheapest compact cars on the market. It gets the base 1.8L naturally aspirated I4 mated to 6-speed manual. However, we strongly recommended upgrading it with optional CVT that takes the price to $18,275.

Trims	S	SV	SR	SR Turbo	SL	NISMO
MSRP	$16,990	$19,085	$20,500	$22490	$23,440	$25,790
Features	1.8-liter DOHC 16-valve 4-cylinder engine Bluetooth streaming audio Automatic Emergency Braking RearView Monitor Advanced Drive-Assist Display with 5″ color display	Includes S features plus: Xtronic CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) Nissan Intelligent Key with Push Button Ignition Dual Zone Automatic Temperature Control (ATC) with in-cabin microfilter Premium Cloth Seats and Door Trim	Includes SV features plus: 17″ aluminum-alloy wheels LED low-beam projector headlights with LED accents Premium Sport cloth seat trim Heated front seats Intelligent Cruise Control (ICC)	Includes SR features plus: 1.6-liter Direct Injection Gasoline (DIG) Turbocharged Engine Tuned suspension and steering 11.7″ front ventilated disc brakes Power sliding glass moonroof with tilt feature	Includes SV features plus: Leather-appointed seats Intelligent Cruise Control Power sliding glass moonroof with tilt feature Fog lights Bose Premium Audio System with eight speakers	Includes SR Turbo features plus: NISMO-tuned suspension and steering 18″ NISMO wheels NISMO Aerodynamic body kit NISMO interior with signature red trim

The 188 hp 1.6L turbocharged I4 bangs in with SR Turbo priced at $22,490. The Sentra SL retailing at $23,440 is the most well equipped trim. However, the pricing takes away the value proposition of the car. The Sentra Nismo with a price tag of $25,790 brings all the racy elements from the Nismo stable.

We Recommend

Nissan Sentra is a value for money purchase and we recommend sticking with lower trims. Optioning the CVT is a must but a CVT equipped base Sentra S is just marginally cheaper than the Sentra SV equipped with Dual-zone automatic climate control, premium cloth upholstery and push-button start. Hence, all this puzzle solving leads us to the Sentra SV priced at $19,085 – we recommend going for it.

Power is sufficient, but a drive in the mountains with a few on board will make you wish for more. – Kelley Blue Book

Keeping with the Sentra’s mission of providing fuss-free transportation, a smooth but unexciting 1.8L engine does the job of hauling the large cabin. It’s effortless in city and highway but it feels stressed on steep grades or when you ask for more acceleration. Steering and suspension follow the same philosophy – they are perfectly satisfactory for safe comfortable transportation but not exciting.

Engine and Transmission

The Nissan Sentra gets a standard 1.8L naturally aspirated Inline-4 developing 130 hp and 128 lb-ft torque. This engine develops power smoothly but lacks any hint of excitement. It’s mated to a 6-speed manual as standard in base Sentra S. However, the manual transmission is too crude and we recommend upgrading to the CVT. The CVT suits the Sentra’s laid-back character.

Models	Nissan Sentra	Honda Civic	Toyota  Corolla	Chevrolet Cruze
MSRP	$16,990	$18,840	$21,715	$17,850
Engine	1.8-Liter DOHC 16-valve 4-cylinder engine	2.0-Liter 4-cylinder engine	1.8-Liter 4-Cylinder DOHC engine	1.4-Liter ECOTEC DOHC turbocharged 4-cylinder engine
Transmission	6-speed manual	6-speed manual	6-speed manual	6-speed manual
Power	130 hp @ 6000 rpm	158 hp @ 6500 rpm	132 hp @ 6000 rpm	153 hp @ 5600 rpm
Torque	128 lb-ft. @ 3600 rpm	138 lbs-ft. @ 4200 rpm	128 lb.-ft. @ 4400 rpm	177 lbs-ft. @ 2000 rpm

It uses the available power much more efficiently and effortlessly. An added bonus is the excellent fuel economy. The Sentra SR turbo and Sentra Nismo gets the much more powerful turbocharged 1.6L Inline-4 developing 188 hp and 177 lb-ft of torque. However, if you need sportiness at this price range, rivals like the Ford Focus ST are more complete option with more power, better chassis, and livelier steering.

Acceleration

Acceleration figures are the last thing Nissan engineers will like to talk about Sentra equipped with the base 1.8L engine. It’s among slowest compact cars with 0-60 mph time of 9.5 seconds. The Sentra equipped with 188 hp 1.6L turbo 4 is much quicker with 0-60 time of 7.0 seconds.

Models	Nissan Sentra	Honda Civic	Toyota Corolla	Chevrolet Cruze
0-60 MPH	9.5 sec	8.6 sec	9.5 sec	8.1 sec
Quarter mile	17.4 sec @ 81 mph	16.7 @ 86.1 mph	17.4 sec @ 83 mph	16.2 @ 86 mph
Engine	1.8L	2.0L	1.8L	1.4L
Emission (Tons/yr of CO2 Emissions @ 15K mi/year)	5.9	5.5	5.9	5.5

Ride and Handling

The Sentra is not a car that will intoxicate you barreling down a twisty mountain road. Rather, it offers a safe, confident steering that provides excellent highway stability and still manages to be light in the city. Nissan stiffened the spring rates in 2016 to keep body rolls in check but while the competitors sport fully-independent rear suspension, Sentra has old-school torsion beam rear suspension.

Braking

The Sentra gets 11.0-inch brake rotors in front wheels and 9.0-inch brake rotors at the back. The sedan has a bit too sensitive brake pedal that can be particularly annoying in stop and go traffic. However, Sentra posts one of the best panic braking performance among competitors and it can stop from 70 mph in 122 feet.

Model	Nissan Sentra	Honda Civic	Toyota Corolla	Chevrolet Cruze
Brake Front (in)	11.0	11.1	10.8	10.8
Brake Rear (in)	9.0	10.2	10.2	10.5
Curb Weight (lbs)	2866	2790	2860	2932
60-0 MPH (ft.)	122	127	130	121

The sedan's base equipped with the 1.8L I4 and 6-speed manual delivers 27 mpg in the city and 30 mpg on the highway. However, equipping the must-have CVT ups the MPG ratings. The CVT equipped Sentra with 1.8L engine delivers 29 mpg in city and 37 mpg on the highway. The powerful 1.6L Turbo-I4 equipped Sentra produces an acceptable 27 mpg in the city and 33 mpg on the highway.

Model	Nissan Sentra	Honda Civic	Toyota Corolla	Chevrolet Cruze
MPG (city)	27	28	27	28
MPG (highway)	35	40	35	39
MPG (combined)	30	32	30	32

The Sentra is straightforward and user-friendly, with controls that don’t require navigating any high-tech interface. Visibility is also quite good, and the trunk is large. It’s one of the more sensible compact cars. – Edmunds

The Sentra offers one of the most spacious interiors among compact cars and the trunk is equally generous. The 60/40 split seat provides added flexibility. High driving position offers excellent visibility and the acoustic glass keeps outside noise outside. However, competitors have more upscale interior quality.

Seating and Comfort

If spaciousness means comfort to you, the sedan's interior will impress you. The front seats offer good legroom and shoulder room and even with the moon-roof, the tall boxy design offers excellent headroom. The tall design and the high driver’s seat also combine to offer an excellent driving position with effortless outward visibility.

Model	Nissan Sentra	Honda Civic	Toyota Corolla	Chevrolet Cruze
Passenger capacity	5	5	5	5
Passenger Volume(ft cube)	95.9	97.8	97.5	93.5
Front (Head/Shoulder/Leg) (In.)	39.4/54.7/42.5	39.3/57/42.3	38.0/54.8/42.3	38.9/54.9/42.0
Second (Head/Shoulder/Leg) (In.)	36.7/53.9/37.4	37.1/55/37.4	37.1/54.8/41.4	37.3/53.2/36.1

The rear seats are equally expansive and even an adult passenger will find it easy to get comfortable in the rear middle seat. However, the cabin quality leaves you asking for more if you drive a competitor like the Honda Civic back to back.

Cargo Capacity

At 15.1 cubic feet, the sedan offers one of the most cavernous trunks in the compact car class. The 60/40 split rear seat and wide pass-through ensures added flexibility when carrying longer items and three passengers.

Model	Nissan Sentra	Honda Civic	Toyota Corolla	Chevrolet Cruze
Trunk volume (ft.cube)	15.1	15.1	13.0	14.8

Infotainment System

The base Sentra S gets a 5.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system while you can opt for a larger 5.8-inch touchscreen infotainment on higher trims. The Sentra SL gets the 5.8-inch touchscreen as standard. Audiophiles are catered to with the available eight-speaker Bose audio system. However, Nissan does not offer Android Auto and Apple CarPlay in Sentra.

The 2018 Sentra is well proportioned and attractive. Its design closely mimics the shape of Nissan’s larger Altima sedan with athletic curves and a subtle flare of its wheel wells. – Kelley Blue Book

The Nissan Sentra received a major facelift in 2016 to bring it in-line with the new Nissan V motion design language. The design is not overly busy but does give this compact sedan some road presence. It does feel noticeably taller than the competitors because it is.

You can equip even the base Sentra S with a Deck-lid spoiler but if you are looking for racy highlights, why not go completely bonkers and get the Midnight trims. These dark Sentras possess black wheels, black spoiler, black mirrors and plenty of other mean highlights and they cost just over a thousand dollar over the comparable trim.

Dimension and Weight

The Nissan Sentra weighs average among the competition and its overall length, width and wheelbase is nothing different compared to other compact cars implying it’s as suited to tight parking spaces as other compact cars. However, its tallest compact car and its higher driving position afford you better outside visibility – a boon in city traffic.

Model	Nissan Sentra	Honda Civic	Toyota Corolla	Chevrolet Cruze
curb weight(lbs)	2866	2790	2860	2932
Length(in)	182.1	182.3	183.1	183.7
Width(in)	69.3	70.8	69.9	70.5
Height(in)	58.9	55.7	57.3	57.4
Ground clearance(in)	6.4	5.9	6.7	6.4
Wheel base(in)	106.3	106.3	106.3	106.3
Track width(in) F/R	60.2/60.2	60.9/61.5	59.8/59.9	60.7/61.3

Impressively, all the CVT equipped the Nissan now gets automatic emergency braking as standard. A rearview camera is standard as well as it’s now a regulatory requirement. Along with these, the optional Blind-spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, and adaptive cruise control complete the available active safety features and driver assistance systems list.

Safety features

• VSA Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
• ABS And Driveline Traction Control
• Dual Stage Driver And Passenger Seat-Mounted Side Airbags
• Side Impact Beams
• Dual Stage Driver And Passenger Front Airbags
• Outboard Front Lap And Shoulder Safety Belts -inc: Rear Center 3 Point, Height Adjusters and Pretensioners
• Airbag Occupancy Sensor
• Curtain 1st And 2nd Row Airbags
• Low Tire Pressure Warning
• Rear Child Safety Locks

The 2018 Nissan Sentra has performed well in IIHS crash test.

Small overlap front driver side	Good
Small overlap front passenger side	N/A
Moderate overlap front	Good
Side	Good
Roof strength	Good
Head restraints & seats	Good

However, IIHS has rated the Nissan Sentra headlights as “poor”.

Crashworthiness
Front crash prevention	Superior
Headlights	Poor

Nissan Sentra vs Honda Civic

The Honda Civic is frequently called the best available compact car and for good reasons. It magically blends terrific fuel economy with an enthusiastic engine. It rides comfortably and offers corner craving dynamics as well. Its interior is attractive and features loaded and it’s priced competently too. However, the Sentra is more spacious and is priced more competently as well.

Nissan Sentra vs Toyota Corolla

The Corolla is the car that defines the compact-car segment and has the distinction of best-selling car in the world. The reason is simple – immense practicality, bulletproof reliability, sofa-like rear seats with unbelievable legroom for a compact car and excellent value for money. It’s a perfect point A to B tool. But so is the Sentra at a lower price. However, the Sentra lacks the Corolla’s upscale interior.

Nissan Sentra vs Chevy Cruze

The Chevy Cruze is one of the cushiest and most refined compact car available. It also gets plenty of upscale features as standard and there is even a turbodiesel engine on offer – at a cost. However, the Sentra is considerably roomier inside and is priced much more competently. Still, if you need a comfortable and feature loaded compact car, the Cruze is an excellent choice.

If you are looking for a decently comfortable and spacious urban runabout at a budget, the 2018 Nissan Sentra should rank high on your lists. It’s one of few compact cars that can carry five passengers in comfort.

The smooth ride and excellent high-speed stability combine with quiet interiors and spacious boot to make this compact car viable for long road trips with family. Plus, the Sentras are known to be reliable and fetch good value in used car market. However, the interior feels it’s built at a cost and the powertrain is not remotely exciting. Fuel efficiency could be better as well.

There is nothing wrong with the Sentra but if you can spend a little more, you can bring such complete cars as the applauded Honda Civic and Mazda 3 in your garage. That said, the Sentra makes a decent case for itself if you find cabin quality and trendy features to be capitalism focused and simply desire a spacious daily driver at a budget.