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| 2007 Nissan Sentra Review | |||
| Whether you're about to spend $40K on a brand new car, or half that on a used car, it is always important to learn as much as you can about the used car. Read these car reviews to learn about all aspects of the vehicle. Each of the usedcar reviews cover interior and exterior features, options, road tests, and more. | |||
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Introduction
| Road Test
| Inside & Out
| Other Thoughts
| Last Word
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| Other Thoughts | |||
Bigger cars get to command disproportionately bigger stickers - that's the way it works - but thankfully, Nissan didn't exploit this axiom as much as they could have. Until the SE-R is reborn as a late 2007 model, the Sentra consists of three trim lines, starting with the base model (tested here) at $15,365 with the 6-speed manual, $16,165 with the CVT. Even this stripper Sentra gets air conditioning, power windows and locks, 15-inch wheels, folding back seat, tire pressure monitor, and side air bags. Unlike some automakers, Nissan doesn't mix safety with greed, permitting anyone to buy antilock brakes even here - at a bargain $250, no less. Also, there are no engineering or safety differences among the Sentra's trim lines.But there's still a lot of stuff to add, so pony up an extra $900 for the middleman Sentra 2.0S ($16,265 stick / $17,065 CVT) if you have any interest in steering wheel audio controls, six speakers (vs. four), speed-sensitive volume, keyless entry, power mirrors, height-adjustable driver's seat, map lights, visor vanity mirrors, seatback pockets, overhead CD holder, trip computer, outside temperature display, trunk lid trim, and 16-inch wheels. The 2.0S offers an optional Convenience Package (Bluetooth, cargo net, cruise control, leather steering wheel, Divide-N-Hide trunk storage compartment, and XM/Sirius radio prep for $650, or $900 for CVT models where it adds Intelligent Key). After buying that, you can buy antilock brakes with alloy wheels for $600, and after buying both, you can buy the Audio Package (6-disc MP3 changer, Rockford-Fosgate sound, and two subwoofers) for $750. The Sentra has apparently moved far up enough in the world to earn Nissan's "SL" badge, noting, of course, a first-time-ever leather interior. The 2.0SL also standardizes the alloy wheels, antilock brakes, everything in the 2.0S's Convenience Package, and tops it off with an alarm all for $19,015, or $1,950 over the 2.0S. Again, if you like leather, that's not a bad deal at all considering the content (though you still have to pony up $160 for floor mats). The SL's only big options are the sunroof and upgraded stereo (sunroof must come first), both $750. From Nissan's perspective, it's pretty silly that the Sentra exists. Razor-thin margins of a few inches or a few hundred bucks separate it from the Versa below and Altima above, creating obvious overlap. Four scarily similar sedans now wear the Nissan emblem (after all that effort in recent years to cut down on profit-eating redundancy), and counting Infiniti, the Sentra just became the sixth Nissan that the EPA calls a "mid-size sedan." Seller screwups can mean buyer bargains. Consider that a Sentra 2.0S CVT with the Convenience Package, ABS/wheels combo, and floor mats - likely the most popular model - amounts to $18,725, about even with the Honda Civic and Mazda 3 and noticeably cheaper than its most similar competitor, the Toyota Corolla. In other words, you're getting a ton of extra space for free. Although it straddles the border between two segments, it's important to confine the Sentra to its traditional set of competitors instead of thinking of it as some bargain Accord or Camry, because frankly, its hardware and overall feel remain closer to the crappy-cheap economy end of the spectrum. That said, if your heart longs for a mid-sized compact car - an adequate appliance whose excellence begins and ends with its value equation - then go right ahead and fall in love with the Sentra. |
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