The Nissan Sentra, now in its second year of its sixth generation, has evolved from a rather plain-looking compact car into a stylish and comfortable midsize family sedan - albeit at the entry-level.
First-time car buyers and young families on tight budgets will be happy to know that the Sentra offers a confident ride, spacious interior, roomy trunk, excellent fuel economy, plenty of safety and convenience features, and an attractive exterior, sporting styling cues from other Nissan siblings like the Altima and Maxima.
Offered in sedan form only, the Sentra is a crowd pleaser when it comes to seating comfort. There was plenty of room for my 6-foot, 3-inch frame up front and adequate legroom in back, even with the front seats all the way rearward.
Sentra's large trunk (13.1 cubic-feet) is able to handle large packages and gear for active individuals. Surprisingly, you can fit a full-size bicycle in the Sentra with the standard 60/40 fold-down rear seats folded down. Also, Sentra offers an available Divide-N-Hide trunk divider that provides grocery bag hooks and a hidden storage compartment.
Other nifty storage solutions include a large glove box, standard center console with lid and available removable compact disc holder above the driver's sun visor.
For 2008, Sentra is available in one of five trim levels: 2.0, 2.0S, 2.0SL, SE-R, and SE-R Spec V. The later two are sporty models and feature a 2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine with either 177 or 200 horsepower. The 2.0, 2.0S, and 2.0SL are all powered by a 140-horsepower 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine.
Sentra pricing starts at around $16,000 for a base model and jumps up to just over $20,000 for the SE-R Spec V.
The base 2.0 model features 15-inch wheels, air conditioning, power windows and locks, and a 4-speaker AM/FM/CD audio system with auxiliary input.
The Sentra 2.0S, which is expected to be the volume model, adds 16-inch wheels, six-speaker AM/FM/CD RDS audio system, vehicle security system, in-dash display monitor, cruise control, remote keyless entry, and anti-lock brakes.
The Sentra 2.0SL adds leather-appointed seats, alloy wheels, Intelligent Key, Bluetooth Hands-free phone system, XM Satellite radio, and integrated overhead CD storage.
If you do get the base model, I recommend you add the optional remote keyless entry. My Sentra tester was a base model and it did not come with remote keyless entry.
Here's the problem - opening the passenger side doors when the vehicle is locked. Since there's no key cylinder in the front passenger side outside door, you'll first have to use the key to unlock the driver's door. Then you can walk around to the passenger side and open those doors. This is very inconvenient when trying to load items or help passengers into the right side when returning to a locked vehicle.
For those that don't like fumbling for keys, Sentra can be had with an Intelligent Key (optional in 2.0S and standard in 2.0SL) that provides keyless entry and operation. With Intelligent Key, you don't even need to reach for the remote to gain entry to a locked vehicle.
Nissan's base model Sentra now comes standard with a CVT transmission. If you want a manual gearbox, you'll need to step up to the 2.0S or SE-R Spec V. All other Sentra models can only be had with the CVT.
The 2.0-liter engine, mated to the CVT, delivers adequate acceleration. The engine obviously works harder when the vehicle is loaded down with passengers and cargo. But, once up to speed, my Sentra tester was comfortable and fairly quiet while cruising at highway speeds.
Rated at 25/33 mpg City/Highway (CVT), and featuring a 14.5-gallon fuel tank, the Sentra 2.0 will take you almost 480 miles on a tank of fuel.
I found Sentra to be a likable cruiser. The ride is tuned for comfort, not agility. The Sentra is not nimble, but it provides a calm and confident ride.
The front-engine, front-wheel drive Sentra comes standard with six airbags and has a 5-star front-impact crash rating.
2008 Nissan Sentra 2.0 Engine: 2.0-liter (140 hp) I4
Transmission: CVT
Drive type: FWD
Fuel economy: 25 city/33 highway
Base price: $15,830
As tested: Not available
Web site: www.nissanusa.com