LIKES
- Good steering feel
- Stronger powertrain
- Standard active safety features
- Spacious rear seat
DISLIKES
- Premium Package too expensive...
- ...for heated seats and steering wheel
- CVT response from a stop
- SR trim upgrades are cosmetic
- SE-R?
BUYING TIP
The 2020 Nissan Sentra is sportier and better equipped but is still a value.
The redesigned 2020 Nissan Sentra comes to market at a time when fewer people are buying compact sedans and fewer automakers are making them. Yet, the 2020 Sentra is an important entry-level vehicle for Nissan, as it has been since it was first launched for 1982. In that span, it has become the best-selling nameplate over time for the Japanese brand, and the 2020 redesign grows from a basic budget car to a balanced value buy loaded with standard features and toned with some athletic muscle.
It comes loaded with active standard safety features, a 7.0-inch touchscreen, rear seats that are roomy enough for two 6-footers, and costs a tick over $20,000 with destination ($20,015 to be exact). It earns a 6.0 overall TCC Rating for value, features, and a bit of sport.
The eighth-generation Sentra rides on a new platform and is lower, wider, and comes available with two-tone roof options. The wheelbase is a bit longer, and a new independent rear suspension and more powerful powertrain combine with the lower center of gravity to add more sport and better handling than in past Sentras.
The simplified trim levels of S, SV, and SR all come with a flat-bottomed steering wheel and circular air vents inspired by the GT-R supercar. There’s only one package option, Premium (at least $2,170), available on SR and SV, which enhances the sportier look with thinner and longer LED headlights, and up to 18-inch alloy wheels. The package also bundles heated seats and steering wheel, which would be better as standalone options. A 10% upcharge erodes the value proposition. We would still recommend the $21,195 SV trim, which, for $1,180 more, includes adaptive cruise control, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, a larger touchscreen, larger wheels, and nicer seats.
The 2020 Sentra is powered by a 149-horsepower 2.0-liter inline-4 with a much improved continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). The front-drive sedan rides lower to the ground and has an independent rear suspension that can soak up road imperfections while cruising, yet provide more responsive low-speed handling. The electric power steering unit provides more feedback the more you turn, giving it a decidedly sportier feel when you want it.
Styling
The 2020 Nissan Sentra is lower, wider and more athletic looking than the outgoing model.
For 2020, the redesigned Sentra compact sedan rides on a new platform not yet shared with any other Nissan vehicles. In two-tone Monarch Orange Metallic with a Super Black roof, it looks more like a small Maxima (Eds note: A Minima?). It is nearly two inches lower and two inches wider, with a slightly longer wheelbase so it looks more athletic. We give it a 6 for style.
The sporty aspirations under the sheet metal are also reflected in the sheet metal.
The redesigned Sentra wears a more flowing style than the angular one of its predecessor. The hood dips further down, and the face stretches horizontally, with deeply recessed available fog lights in the lower grille. Long narrow headlights, which can be upgraded to even longer, narrower LED lights, wrap over the front wheel arches. The two-tone black roof option has a slimming effect, which is why we love black on our bods as much as our cars. The lines running over the hood and down the sides give it a smoother wedgelike look. The lower roofline tucks in nicely at the rear, which used to be blockish.
Inside, the style reaches far past the budget car past. Available quilted leather on bucket seats complements a black and tan interior filled with soft touch surfaces. The black-on-black option makes the plastic chrome pieces look like something more upscale than plastic. The horizontal display of controls and vents matches the lower, wider proportions of the exterior.
It comes in three simplified trim levels. The top SR trim comes with 18-inch alloy wheels, rear spoiler, black side mirrors with integrated turn signals, and other black and chrome elements. Mid-grade SV models get 16-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, while base S models get 16-inch steel wheels.
There is no SE-R model. Not yet, anyway. With a new platform and new engine, anything could happen.
Performance
The most significant upgrades to the 2020 Nissan Sentra are performance based, highlighted by a stronger engine and independent rear suspension.
In form and in function, the Sentra aspires to have better handling than it did in its more budget-minded past. The lower center of gravity, punchier powertrain, independent rear suspension, and responsive electric power steering earn a 5 out of 10 on our scale.
The 149-horsepower 2.0-liter inline-4 with a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) produces 146 pound-feet of torque, which represent respective improvements of 20% and 17% over the outgoing model. Fuel economy improves from 32 mpg combined to 33 mpg combined in S and SV trims. It’s neither quick nor fast, though the lag from a stop could be mistaken for a turbo engine. It’s not.
Slam the throttle and the CVT looks over its shoulder for a second, as if asking if you’re sure. It’ll run to nearly 6,000 rpm when hammered, before the CVT finds a proper mid-range rpm. Above 3,000 rpm, the Sentra is punchy enough to execute any reasonable passing move.
The cabin is relatively quiet, with engine noise only present when pushed. Hard braking on a downslope caused some skitters where the front struts had a bit more than they could handle, but in most normal driving the Sentra was soft and composed. Overall, the suspension is tuned more for comfort than cornering.
More notable is the electric power steering. There is heft from the wheel on twisting roads, and not just from the Sentra’s chunky flat-bottomed steering wheel that’s typically found on sportier cars. The dual pinion rack-mounted electric power steering provides more resistance the more you turn, so cruising is soft and easy, while more spirited driving in canyon roads has greater feedback. Combine this with an independent rear suspension and the Sentra is no longer just something to get you someplace. It’s no track car, but the lower center of gravity, independent rear suspension, and punchier powertrain lets you push the front-wheel-drive compact more than expected.
Comfort & Quality
The sporty vibe carries over to the interior of the 2020 Nissan Sentra, which borrows style from the GT-R.
Even base S trims get a flat-bottomed steering wheel, and the three circular air vents in the center stack pay dues to the Nissan GT-R. A 4.2-inch vehicle information display is standard, as is a 7.0-inch touchscreen and a USB port. It does not look or feel like the budget car disposition of the past. We give it a 6 out of 10.
Cloth-covered front bucket seats with six-way manual adjustments are standard, while six-way power and two-way power lumbar seats are part of the Premium Package. The driver’s seat is comfy, with good thigh and side support. Outward vision is great due to the high windshield, though the lowered roofline pinches rear and side visibility.
Quilted leather seats are available with the Premium Package, as are heated seats and a heated steering wheel. Nissan really wants you to opt for the Premium Package, which can either be $2,460 in the SV or $2,170 in the SR trim.
The trunk is wide and deep, providing 14.3 cubic feet, which is larger than the Mazda 3 and Volkswagen Jetta sedans but smaller than the Honda Civic sedan.
Safety
The redesigned 2020 Sentra has not been crash tested but what's in is encouraging.
The 2020 Sentra has good scores in the crash tests it's completed so far. Federal testers gave the small car a five-star overall score, but noted that front crash protection was just four stars. In limited testing, the IIHS gave the Sentra top "Good" scores for its small-overlap front crash protection for driver and passenger sides, which simulates a crash with a smaller object such as a tree or light pole.
The Sentra includes a suite of standard active safety features called Nissan Safety Shield 360 that bode well for all shoppers. For now, it's a 7.
The 2020 Nissan Sentra comes loaded with six standard active safety features, including automatic emergency braking front and rear, blind-spot monitors and lane-departure warnings, rear cross-traffic alerts, high beam assist, and a driver alertness warning. Toyota, Hyundai, Honda, and Mazda offer similar standard equipment on their compact sedans and hatchbacks.
Features
The mid-grade SV trim offers the sweet spot of comfort and convenience for just $1,180 more than the base S model.
The sporty flourishes on the outside and under the hood of the redesigned 2020 Sentra carry over to the inside, which is offered in three simplified trim levels. Even base S trims get a flat-bottomed steering wheel, and the three circular air vents in the center stack pay dues to the Nissan GT-R. A 4.2-inch vehicle information display is standard, as is a 7.0-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth, a USB port, cruise control, remote keyless entry, push-button start, and power windows and locks.
For the nicer conveniences, you’ll have to step up to the $21,195 SV trim, but at $1,180 more than the base model, it isn’t much of a step. The Sentra SV comes with three USB ports, including one USB-C, an 8.0-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, adaptive cruise control, upgraded cloth seats, and a 7.0-inch digital vehicle info display. It’s clear and easy to use with steering wheel controls to toggle through trip meters or changing audio, so you don’t need to fuss with the touchscreen.
The SR upgrades are mostly cosmetic, with 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, fog lights, and DRLs, rear spoiler, and sport cloth black interior with orange stitching. Aside from the lower profile tires, there isn’t much performance difference, but at $22,355, it is only $1,160 more than the SV.
The SR Premium ($2,170) adds heated steering wheel, synthetic leather seats front and back, 8-speaker Bose audio system, and a surround-view camera system.
We could do without any of it, but would recommend the SV for the better infotainment system and adaptive cruise control.
Fuel Economy
The 2020 Nissan Sentra more powerful powertrain is also more fuel efficient, though not by much.
Despite a larger 149-hp 2.0-liter inline-4 engine, the 2020 Nissan Sentra gains 1 mpg combined over the outgoing model to get 29 mpg city, 39 highway, 33 combined in S and SV trims. The heavier SR trim gets 28/37/32 mpg. It’s good enough to earn a 6 out of 10 relative to all other vehicles, but most compact sedans fare better.
The Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra, and Toyota Corolla average at least 35 mpg combined, while the Mitsubishi Mirage is rated at 39 mpg combined. The Sentra’s CVT has an infinite number of gears, which helps to optimize fuel economy based on how you drive. Like in other cars, a light throttle will mean fewer trips to the gas station.
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