LVSteve
Member
Thanks to COVID I've not done one these for a while. So...
Model: 2021 Nissan Sentra SV, 4-door, FWD sedan
Engine: 2.0 liter 4-cylinder, 149 hp, 146 lb ft.
Transmission: CVT
Weight: ~3100 lbs (like most cars far too much, IMHO)
Performance
Well, 149 hp against all that weight means you will never go drag racing. That said the step off and acceleration around town is perfectly adequate. The CVT doesn't let the motor moo too much unless you are in the habit of matting it at every light and stop sign, but I don't consider that driving. The CVT is even set up to provide stepped gear changes under heavy throttle.
The motor is mostly quiet except when you get on it some or the cruise control gets frisky. More on that later. 70 mph on the freeway has the motor running at about 1850 rpm. Mind you, this trip involved much less altitude and fewer grades than my Nevada trips. Performance will certainly be blunted in Denver. Three cheers for no auto start/stop system. I guess they don't work with CVT transmissions.
Ride and Handling
Large caveat here. ALL FOUR TIRES WERE OVER INFLATED BY 10 PSI. Bloody criminal on the part of the rental company IMHO, and I told them so when i returned the car. This assumes the TPMS system reads about right. I didn't find the TPMS menu until the last but one day of my trip, and I decided not to mess with the pressures without one of my hand gauges.
Ride on the freeway was punctuated at every minor seam by the over inflated tires. Still, I'm sure the 16" wheels give it a better ride and acceleration than the upscale model tested by C&D that rode on 18" rubber. 2020 Nissan Sentra Sedan Joins the Family Odd thing is that larger bumps gave the impression of a well tuned suspension with plenty of travel.
Handling is also hard to judge. Steering was light, feel-less but accurate. Roll is well controlled. Straightline stability could have been better, possibly compromised by the overinflated tires.
I never had to hammer the brakes so I can't comment on their ultimate performance. I would say that pedal pressure, feel and response were such that I didn't really notice the brakes, and that's how it should be.
Interior
Sorry, forgot to take pictures. Yes, there is hard plastic in many places, but it all seemed to be well screwed together. There were no squeaks or rattles and all the panels lined up. Seats feel a little narrow compared with a comparable Corolla, but they proved very comfortable. I could arrange a good driving position, which isn't always the case with my long legs and T-Rex arms. Headroom was fine, probably because this car wasn't cursed with a sunroof. I forgot to climb in the back behind my driver's seat position, but by eye there plenty of room. "Small" cars aren't small anymore, at least by the standards with which I was raised.
Interior is very quiet (NVH has come a long way in most cars) and I was impressed at the lack of road noise despite the tire issue. The radio worked well and synced up with my phone immediately. Apple Carplay was 100% for navigation.
Like many cars, the steering wheel is packed with controls. I felt that some were too close together. When operating the cruise control I hit the voice command, phone answer and cruise disable buttons quite a few times, and I have slim hands and fingers.
HVAC worked well and wasn't overly noisy even when the fan needed to really push. To my surprise the HVAC is a dual zone system, split left and right. One thing I didn't like was the rear and over the shoulder visibility. It's better than some modern cars, but it's a continual beef I have. The center high mounted brake light aslo blocks the view.
Highs
Adequate performance and space for $20k. Quiet, and mostly good on gas. I saw 34 mpg with a lot of city driving.
Lows
That darned cruise control. It is an adaptive system with no means to disable the radar system to make it a regular cruise. That's a no sale item for me. Also, the cruise was hyperactive in resuming speed, using way more revs and acceleration than necessary. Looks like Nissan are overcompensating for the glacial resume function on older models, like my old Xterra. Rear visibility.
Model: 2021 Nissan Sentra SV, 4-door, FWD sedan
Engine: 2.0 liter 4-cylinder, 149 hp, 146 lb ft.
Transmission: CVT
Weight: ~3100 lbs (like most cars far too much, IMHO)
Performance
Well, 149 hp against all that weight means you will never go drag racing. That said the step off and acceleration around town is perfectly adequate. The CVT doesn't let the motor moo too much unless you are in the habit of matting it at every light and stop sign, but I don't consider that driving. The CVT is even set up to provide stepped gear changes under heavy throttle.
The motor is mostly quiet except when you get on it some or the cruise control gets frisky. More on that later. 70 mph on the freeway has the motor running at about 1850 rpm. Mind you, this trip involved much less altitude and fewer grades than my Nevada trips. Performance will certainly be blunted in Denver. Three cheers for no auto start/stop system. I guess they don't work with CVT transmissions.
Ride and Handling
Large caveat here. ALL FOUR TIRES WERE OVER INFLATED BY 10 PSI. Bloody criminal on the part of the rental company IMHO, and I told them so when i returned the car. This assumes the TPMS system reads about right. I didn't find the TPMS menu until the last but one day of my trip, and I decided not to mess with the pressures without one of my hand gauges.
Ride on the freeway was punctuated at every minor seam by the over inflated tires. Still, I'm sure the 16" wheels give it a better ride and acceleration than the upscale model tested by C&D that rode on 18" rubber. 2020 Nissan Sentra Sedan Joins the Family Odd thing is that larger bumps gave the impression of a well tuned suspension with plenty of travel.
Handling is also hard to judge. Steering was light, feel-less but accurate. Roll is well controlled. Straightline stability could have been better, possibly compromised by the overinflated tires.
I never had to hammer the brakes so I can't comment on their ultimate performance. I would say that pedal pressure, feel and response were such that I didn't really notice the brakes, and that's how it should be.
Interior
Sorry, forgot to take pictures. Yes, there is hard plastic in many places, but it all seemed to be well screwed together. There were no squeaks or rattles and all the panels lined up. Seats feel a little narrow compared with a comparable Corolla, but they proved very comfortable. I could arrange a good driving position, which isn't always the case with my long legs and T-Rex arms. Headroom was fine, probably because this car wasn't cursed with a sunroof. I forgot to climb in the back behind my driver's seat position, but by eye there plenty of room. "Small" cars aren't small anymore, at least by the standards with which I was raised.
Interior is very quiet (NVH has come a long way in most cars) and I was impressed at the lack of road noise despite the tire issue. The radio worked well and synced up with my phone immediately. Apple Carplay was 100% for navigation.
Like many cars, the steering wheel is packed with controls. I felt that some were too close together. When operating the cruise control I hit the voice command, phone answer and cruise disable buttons quite a few times, and I have slim hands and fingers.
HVAC worked well and wasn't overly noisy even when the fan needed to really push. To my surprise the HVAC is a dual zone system, split left and right. One thing I didn't like was the rear and over the shoulder visibility. It's better than some modern cars, but it's a continual beef I have. The center high mounted brake light aslo blocks the view.
Highs
Adequate performance and space for $20k. Quiet, and mostly good on gas. I saw 34 mpg with a lot of city driving.
Lows
That darned cruise control. It is an adaptive system with no means to disable the radar system to make it a regular cruise. That's a no sale item for me. Also, the cruise was hyperactive in resuming speed, using way more revs and acceleration than necessary. Looks like Nissan are overcompensating for the glacial resume function on older models, like my old Xterra. Rear visibility.
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