By Jim Prueter
MotorwayAmerica

(March 4, 2016) To say the compact Sentra is an important vehicle for Nissan would be a huge understatement. Last year, Nissan sold more than 200,000 Sentras — that’s double sales in just three years. Sentra is Nissan’s third-best-selling vehicle, behind the Altima and Rogue.

Now in its seventh generation, Sentra has been in the U.S. market for 34 years, with more than four million units sold. Nissan says 93 percent of all Sentras are still on the road.

Just three years ago, Nissan introduced a completely new Sentra. For 2016, they’ve done what’s known as a heavy, mid-cycle refresh, with more than 550 new parts, improving the Sentra to what you could consider a baby Altima.  But in a very competitive market segment dominated by vehicles like the Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic and Ford Focus, did Nissan do enough updating to keep the Sentra competitive?



Outside, most of the visual changes center on the front of the vehicle where there’s a new hood, new headlamps and the corporate signature “V” motion grille. Wheel choices have also been upgraded for 2016. The overall size of the vehicle remains about the same, which means it’s still among the largest in its class.

Under the hood is the same 1.8-liter 130-horsepower four-cylinder engine carried over from last year. You do get a choice of a six-speed manual transmission or a continuously variable automatic transmission in the base S model. All other trim levels get the automatic transmission only.

Inside, front-seat comfort is excellent, but with models equipped with a sunroof, taller drivers may find their head brushing up against the roof. Rear-seat legroom is ample and as spacious as some mid-sized sedans. Still, the overall look of the interior remains mostly the same.

Nissan did, however, add a number of driver-assist features — intelligent cruise control, cross-traffic alert with emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, and lane-departure warning system — that weren’t previously available.

So in terms of value proposition has Nissan done enough to keep the Sentra competitive? Well, given the upgraded technology, standard equipment — and with a starting price of just $16,780 for the base S Sentra and $22,170 for the top of the line SL — it’s a lot of car for the money. However, when it comes to overall performance and engine options, Sentra trails competitor offerings.

Vital Stats

Price: $16,780 - $22,170
Price as Tested: $25,365
Seating: 5
Engine: 1.8-Liter 4-cylinder
Horsepower: 130
Fuel Economy: 29/38 MPG – City/Highway

Fab Features

Loaded with upscale standard equipment
Excellent build quality
Exceptional bang for the buck value