AutoTrader SCORE
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STYLING8/10
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Safety8/10
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PRACTICALITY9/10
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USER-FRIENDLINESS8/10
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FEATURES6/10
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POWER7/10
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COMFORT8/10
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DRIVING FEEL8/10
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FUEL ECONOMY8/10
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VALUE6/10
The 2024 Nissan Sentra is part of a shrinking segment.
Compact sedans are on their way out as SUVs of all shapes and sizes become more popular. That’s left only a handful of players to pick from, and the most popular ones have stepped up their games considerably, leaving the recently updated Sentra in a bit of an awkward position.
Styling: 8/10
The refreshed Nissan Sentra does a great job of looking like a more expensive car. Especially with the new SR trim tested here, it gives off sporty vibes with a contrast-coloured roof, well-placed chrome trim, attractive wheels, and smart proportions. Inside, contrast red stitching gives the rather dark cabin a pop of colour, but the hard plastics used throughout bring down the quality considerably.
Power: 7/10
The front-wheel drive (FWD) Sentra is powered by a 2.0L naturally-aspirated four-cylinder engine that outputs 149 hp and 146 lb-ft of torque. Where other competitors like the Subaru Impreza – that’s only available as a hatchback – and Toyota Corolla offer all-wheel drive or hybrid powertrains (or both), the Sentra continues with a more traditional setup. An automatic continuously-variable transmission (CVT) is standard here, but a six-speed manual is available lower in the lineup. The SR trim also comes with front and rear disc brakes, whereas the base model makes do with budget-focused rear drum brakes.
Driving Feel: 8/10
The Sentra feels livelier than it did before, jumping off the line with convincing energy. Getting up to speed is also manageable, although passing a slower vehicle on the highway requires extra planning. It sounds a bit rough under heavy acceleration, and it’s quite noisy on the highway.
The driving manners aren’t as refined as some of its competitors, as the ride quality can feel a bit harsh over rough or broken roads. The upside to the harsher suspension is that the Sentra is surprisingly fun to drive, picking up where the cheap and cheerful (but now discontinued) Nissan Micra left off.
Features: 6/10
Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are both standard but require wired connections, and the SR trim has more USB ports for charging than the base model, which makes do with only one place to plug in. One of my favourite Nissan features is its tire fill alert, which sounds the horn when the ideal tire pressure has been reached.
The upgraded eight-inch touchscreen perched on the dashboard feels tiny compared to the ones in some of the Sentra’s competitors, and there’s no wireless phone charging. However, a sunroof, heated steering wheel, and heated front seats are all included in the SR trim.
User-Friendliness: 8/10
The benefit of being so light on features is that the Sentra’s cabin is straightforward and easy to use. There are physical controls for many features, a lot of shortcuts, a home button for the infotainment screen, and more. The somewhat dated look and feel of the infotainment design and menu structure make it a bit less intuitive to navigate, but having so many physical controls helps matters a lot.
Safety: 8/10
The SR trim comes standard with a decent amount of safety features including adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, front and rear automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, rear parking sensors, automatic high-beam control, and more.
Practicality: 9/10
The Sentra’s practicality is probably one of its strengths. The trunk is huge and can hold 405 L of cargo, the door pockets are big enough for water bottles, the centre console bin is quite big, and there are decent cubbies for small-item storage.
Comfort: 8/10
The Sentra has wildly comfortable seats for an economy car, but rear headroom is a bit tight. The suspension rides a bit harshly over rough roads and isn’t the smoothest compared to some of its competitors, but the comfortable seats help bolster its use case for long trips.
Fuel Economy: 8/10
The Sentra with the CVT is officially rated at 7.4 L/100 km in the city, 6.1 on the highway, and 6.8 combined. After 510 km of mixed driving, it returned 7.4 L/100 km. I expected a little bit better, but considering it was a particularly cold week and the sedan was on winter tires, this was a decent result.
Value: 6/10
The base 2024 Nissan Sentra with a manual transmission starts at $22,548 plus the $1,850 destination fee. The top SR trim starts at $28,548, and the car tested here had a $2,100 Premium package, and two-tone metallic paint for an additional $630, bringing the total to $33,128. For that price, it’s a bit of a hard sell over a similarly priced Toyota Corolla sedan that feels more refined, comes with all-wheel drive, has more features, and is more fuel efficient because of its available hybrid powertrain.
The Verdict
The 2024 Nissan Sentra benefits greatly from its most recent updates, but it’s playing a game of catch-up with its competitors, which have raised the bar high for this segment, making it difficult for Nissan to keep up. Still, the Sentra is a stylish and practical sedan that has surprisingly fun driving dynamics and super comfortable seats.
| Engine Displacement | 2.0L |
|---|---|
| Engine Cylinders | I4 |
| Peak Horsepower | 149 hp |
| Peak Torque | 146 lb-ft |
| Fuel Economy | 7.4 / 6.1 / 6.8 L/100 km cty/hwy/cmb |
| Cargo Space | 405 L |
| Model Tested | 2024 Nissan Sentra SR |
| Base Price | $28,548 |
| A/C Tax | $100 |
| Destination Fee | $1,850 |
| Price as Tested | $33,128 |
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Optional Equipment
$2,730 – Premium package, $2,100; Two-Tone Metallic Paint, $630
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