The 2024 Nissan Sentra is here, and it's not your average compact car. Nissan has given its best-selling sedan a major makeover, with a sleeker design, more power, and better handling. But is it enough to compete with rivals like the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, and Hyundai Elantra? Let's find out.
Design: A Sharper Look
The first thing you'll notice about the 2024 Nissan Sentra is its new look. Nissan has ditched the bland and boxy shape of the previous generation for a more dynamic and sporty one. The front end features a large V-shaped grille, LED headlights, and a sculpted hood. The side profile has a sloping roofline, muscular fenders, and 18-inch alloy wheels. The rear end has a trunk spoiler, LED taillights, and dual exhaust tips.
The 2024 Nissan Sentra is also slightly larger than before, with a longer wheelbase, wider track, and lower height. This gives it more interior space, as well as a lower center of gravity for better stability. The trunk capacity is 14.3 cubic feet (405 liters), which is average for the class.
The interior of the Nissan Sentra is also improved, with higher-quality materials, more features, and a modern layout. The dashboard has a 7-inch digital instrument cluster and an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. The seats are comfortable and supportive, with optional leather upholstery and heating. The rear seats have enough legroom and headroom for most adults, but taller passengers might feel cramped.
Some of the standard features on the 2024 Nissan Sentra include keyless entry and start, automatic climate control, cruise control, power windows and mirrors, tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, six-speaker sound system, USB ports, Bluetooth connectivity, rearview camera, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and driver attention alert. Some of the available features include a sunroof, wireless charging pad, Bose premium sound system, navigation system, adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, 360-degree camera system, parking sensors, head-up display, and traffic sign recognition.
Performance: A Peppy Engine
The 2024 Nissan Sentra comes with only one engine option: a 2.0-liter four-cylinder that produces 149 horsepower (111 kilowatts) and 146 pound-feet (198-newton meters) of torque. This is a slight increase from the previous generation's 1.8-liter engine that made 124 hp (92 kW) and 125 lb-ft (169 Nm) of torque.
The engine is paired with either a six-speed manual transmission or a continuously variable transmission (CVT) that simulates gear shifts. The manual transmission is only available on the base S trim level; all other trims come with the CVT as standard.
The 2024 Nissan Sentra has decent acceleration for its class; it can go from zero to 60 mph (97 km/h) in about nine seconds with the CVT. However, it's not very quick compared to some of its rivals that offer turbocharged engines or hybrid powertrains.
The fuel economy of the 2024 Nissan Sentra is also average; it gets an EPA-estimated 29 mpg city/39 mpg highway/33 mpg combined (8.1 L/100 km city/6 L/100 km highway/7.1 L/100 km combined) with the CVT. The manual transmission lowers those numbers to 27/35/30 mpg (8.7/6.7/7.8 L/100 km). The Nissan Sentra has a 12.4-gallon (47-liter) fuel tank, which gives it a range of about 409 miles (658 kilometers) with the CVT.
