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The 2023 Nissan Sentra is an enticing choice among small and affordable sedans. Like many cars in its class, the Sentra is loaded with modern safety technologies and provides a ton of features for the money. Sadly, it’s constrained by a somewhat underpowered engine, an outdated infotainment system, and longer stopping distances than usual.
It would be nice to think that these issues would be resolved for the 2023 model year, but it’s more probable that the Sentra will return mostly unaltered. The Honda Civic, Kia Forte, or Hyundai Elantra—all of which are rated higher than the Sentra—would, therefore, be more equipped to satisfy your demands, in our opinion. Despite the fact that each of these choices has its own shortcomings, they are all far more forgiving, as can be seen in the professional evaluation of the Sentra that is given below.
Although acceleration is not poor at first, the Sentra loses power as you accelerate more quickly. The time it took to get from 0 to 60 miles per hour was 8.8 seconds. It is comparable to other sluggish vehicles like the Kia Forte and Toyota Corolla, however it falls within the compact sedan category’s average range. The Sentra’s continuously variable automatic gearbox is smooth and quiet while idling. You might need to use the brakes more often while slowing down than you might anticipate because lifting off the throttle doesn’t have much of an impact on engine braking.
The brake pedal is simple to operate and enjoyable to use frequently. However, the emergency brakes don’t work well. From 60 mph, our test Sentra required 131 feet to stop. The sector average is around 123 feet, for reference. The typical owner should be able to get by with the poor steering and handling in daily driving.
One of the nicest aspects about the Sentra is its comfort. Any flaws in the road are quickly smoothed out by the ride’s superb calmness. At higher speeds, the Sentra could appear floaty because to its softness. The constant but never annoying noise of the road may be easily drowned out by the music.
There is a lot of padding and support in the front seats. Unexpectedly, the rear rows are where you’ll find the greatest seats in the house. They are fluffy and comfortable, and they fit two people of ordinary size. The air flow coverage from the vents is decent despite the subpar temperature control system. Despite being standard for this class, our test vehicle lacked rear air vents.
Whether it’s to tune the radio or change the temperature, the controls are straightforward to use and convenient for both the driver and the passenger. It’s simple to read and navigate the 8-inch touchscreen.
The front passengers will have plenty of internal space. The most back legroom is available at this location. Because the seat and steering wheel both offer a respectable range of adjustability, the majority of drivers will find it simple to achieve a comfortable driving posture. Although vision is rather decent in the front and sides, it is challenging to see in the back due to the large rear roof pillars and the slanted back window.
Numerous standard safety features and driving aids are included with the Sentra. Even if extras like adaptive cruise control and a 360-degree parking camera system are still available, Nissan’s baseline safety package is still rather extensive. In our test vehicle, the front collision warning system occasionally generated a false alert, while the backup camera occasionally had issues.
Although typical smartphone hookups for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are included, the infotainment system is a little slow to react and the visuals look a little stale. Nissan does not provide a navigation system for its vehicles.
The 14.3 cubic feet of trunk space in the Sentra is larger than normal for a compact car. Rear 60/40 split seats may be lowered to provide room for longer cargo items. However, there are no additional releases; the backseat is the only place from which the trunk may be opened. Additionally, because the chairs don’t fold entirely flat, moving bigger goods like a flat-screen TV could be more difficult.
Despite the fact that the Honda Civic and Volkswagen Jetta accomplish this better, there is enough of inside storage for glasses, bottles, and small objects. Although there is ample room for kid seats as well, the cushions may make it difficult to attach the car seat anchors.
The Sentra’s combined fuel economy rating from the EPA is 33 mpg (29 city/39 highway), which is among the best in its class for a vehicle with the basic engine. In our test car, which had a best fill of 32 mpg, we averaged 28.7 mpg across three tank fills. Given the EPA figures, that is a little less than we had anticipated.
The Sentra is a desirable vehicle. It is initially less expensive than many vehicles in the class and comes well-equipped with a ton of standard innovations and safety features. The inside materials give a luxurious appearance and feel. But the building of our test car could have been a little better. The main issue was several obvious holes in the interior trim.
Nissan offers a basic warranty of three years and 36,000 miles, a powertrain warranty of five years and 60,000 miles, and three years and 36,000 miles of roadside assistance. Each of them is indicative of a non-luxury car manufacturer.
