Her + His Car Reviews
2015 Nissan Sentra SR
There are always two sides to everything, right? Well, the truth is there are many more than that!
To keep our car reviews innovative and well-rounded, we are providing you with not just one, but two points of view on the same exact vehicle –
Her and His perspectives.
Her: Anne Fleming, Car Buying Advocate, women-drivers.com
His: Don Hammonds, Writer, AutomobileJournal.com
| HER | HIS |
|---|---|
| Price | |
| $23,865 | $19,910 base price, $23,865 as tested |
| Performance | |
| Eh, fair to middling. As long as you don't demand instant power or want to take it to the racetrack. Nissan Sentra's 1.8 liter, four cylinder, 130 horsepower engine can do the job. But if you are climbing hills or trying to pass on the highway, things slow up considerably. The Sentra could use a power update. The ride is pretty good for a compact car, but we found that things can be a bit unsettled of you drive over bad streets with potholes, ruts and other issues. | Sentra is powered by a 130 horsepower 1.8 Liter 4-cylinder engine with continuously variable transmission for a smooth shift and ride, and also optimized gas efficiency. But acceleration is problematic and drivers don't have the confidence to pass with its slow punch. Vehicle-speed-sensitive electric power steering provides smoother assistance when maneuvering. Set on ECO, SPORT or NORMAL options to get the best responsiveness to your driving conditions. |
| Fuel Economy | |
| Excellent gas mileage for this sized vehicle at 29 city and 39 highway miles. An estimated overall at 33 mpg. | 33 miles per gallon overall, 29 city and 39 highway. Annual fuel cost is $1,600 based on $15,000 miles of driving annually for five years with gasoline costing $3.50 a gallon. You can save $3,000 a year in fuel costs over five years by buying Sentra rather than other new cars and trucks. The car uses 3. 0 gallons of gas per 100 miles. |
| The Car | |
| The Nissan Sentra was my very first new car; and is a good choice for those getting started, on a tighter budget, or both. Throughout the years it remains a good choice in the affordable compact car classification; although its closer to a "midsized". The overall design is all Nissan and it takes its queues from the Altima and looks good with the chrome. While its roomy and has competitive amenities, the car is slower on the highway and lacks real punch for confident acceleration. Excellent trunk space. Leather, heated seats in our upgraded model. Dual power heated outside mirrors - great for the inclement, cold mornings. Spoiler on the back gives the Sentra a bit of shout. I want to thank Nissan for not putting paddle shifters into this automatic SR model. Many of their competitors "add this feature" leaving the consumer having to pay for it but frequently it goes unused. Save the $300-$400. Lower than average customer reliability by Consumer Reports and average safety scores have hampered sales of the Sentra so far. |
The 2015 Nissan Sentra is a rip roaring value when you consider all of the items you get when you buy the car. It's relatively quiet, lavishly equipped, has a pretty nice and luxurious interior, and decent trunk space. And as you can see by the mileage figures listed above, its thriftiness places the Sentra in the top tier of economy cars. But where the Sentra could use some help is in the excitement area. It's an attractive car, but the styling is growing outdated quickly. With stiff competition from the more contemporary cars in its field, and this fall's arrival of the all-new 2016 Chevy Cruze - which we expect to be a big seller - the clock is ticking on the current generation Sentra. |
| Safety | |
| Advanced airbag technology. Traction Control. Stability Control. Power Locks. Tire Monitoring System. Disc Brakes. | Nothing special here - it has all of the usual safety bells and whistles, but no one or two outstanding safety features that it can claim as its own. It does have both traction control and stability control systems, important plusses for the consumer. |
| Technology | |
| Push-button start, intuitive key, the best-darn-air-conditioning-in-universe-ever for a small-compact. Sirius XM and Traffic Link, Am/FM/CD, USB and Bluetooth. NissanConnect™ NAV and infotainment system with 5.8" display - pretty small. Bose sound system including 8 speakers - hey now. Rear-view camera. | Standard features include NissanConnect, an incredibly easy navigation and infotainment system, full power assisted systems such as steering, brakes and windows, power door locks with automatic locking system, air conditioning, six way adjustable driver's seat, premium sport cloth seats, heated front seats, AM/FM/CD/USB audio system, rear spoiler, chrome exhaust tips; five inch color display screen, and Bose audio system, and a navigation package that included mobile apps, and several other items.
Our Premium package which replace the cloth seats with leather seats, glass sunroom, and other items makes this Sentra a steal at the $23,685 asking price. |
| Aesthetics & Styling | |
| As we said earlier, Nissan's Sentra is in dire need of a makeover, inside and out, to bring it up to snuff with other compact cars. | The overall design is a go with it's modest design language, contour and the chrome reflected in this true, roomy sedan. On the inside, though not fancy, the lines and dials on the dash are lar, easy to read and user-friendly. |
| Warranty | |
| 3 years or 36,000 miles Overall; 5 years or 60,000 mile Powertrain. | Three years and or 36,000 miles, with powertrain warranty of 60,000 miles/five years. |
