A reasonably priced, attractive sedan with luxury features you might not expect in a smaller package.
The 2024 Nissan Sentra looks especially fetching in two-tone paint.
The sedan deathwatch continues. The Nissan Maxima died in 2023. And according to Automotive News, the Nissan Versa and Altima will vanish in 2025. Yet the Nissan Sentra lives. And in many ways, that’s fitting, for it is easily the company’s best sedan.
CHANGES FOR 2024
For the 2024 model year, the Sentra brings with it a revised V-motion grille and a reshaped front end with alluring chrome trim. By moving its vent openings to the car’s exterior corners, the lower fascia has a cleaner appearance.
The 2024 Nissan Sentra wears typical Nissan design cues.
There are also updated headlights with black internal bezels and new wheel designs. The result only enhances the already-lovely Sentra, looking much like a midsize Nissan Altima that has spent too much time in the dryer. Its appearance is dynamic and athletic, devoid of the dowdy style that far too many compacts suffer from. We really appreciate its two-tone paint, lending it an upmarket presence.
THE INSIDE STORY
The 2024 Nissan Sentra is offered in base S ($20,890), mid-level SV ($21,820), and top-of-the-line SR ($23,980) grades. Prices exclude tax, title, license, options and destination charge.
AN eight-inch touchscreen is offered on upper trims.
It’s wonderful that there hasn’t been much change inside. Offered in ascending S, SV, and SR trim, our SR-grade test vehicle included a lot of surprising details, such red accent stitching, that improved the atmosphere within the cabin. For its size, the Sentra proves to be roomy, with enough head and leg room in both the front and rear. Not only does the trunk have a generous 14.3 cubic feet of storage capacity, but it also has a spare tire, which is becoming rare.
Better yet, a heated steering wheel, heated front seats, Prima-Tex seats, a power driver’s seat with two-way power lumbar, an eight-speaker Bose audio system, a rear-view monitor, sun visors with illuminated vanity mirrors, LED headlights, LED daytime running lights, and a power glass moonroof are just a few of the features that make the Sentra feel like a small luxury vehicle.
The 2024 Nissan Sentra’s rear seat is surprisingly spacious.
This is especially true if you choose the SR Premium Package, which includes a six-way power driver’s seat, Bose premium eight-speaker audio system, a heated steering wheel, around view monitor, leatherette seat trim, NissanConnect services, power glass moonroof, illuminated visor vanity mirrors, and Wi-Fi hotspot.
Compacts typically don’t have this kind of extravagance, but it can make your Sentra truly indulgent.
UNDER THE HOOD
A 2.0-liter four-cylinder double-overhead cam engine with 149 horsepower and a continuously variable automatic gearbox (or CVT) powers the 2024 Nissan Sentra. The EPA rates the 2024 Nissan Sentra as returning 33 mpg in combined city/highway driving. Front-wheel drive is standard; all-wheel drive is not offered.
The 2024 Nissan Sentra’s instrument panel is thoroughly modern.
Driver assistance safety systems include Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection, Blind Spot Warning, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Lane Departure Warning, High Beam Assist and Rear Automatic Braking.
When it comes to tech, you’ll find USB-A, USB-C, auxiliary, and 12-volt plugs in the cabin, along with standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. A seven-inch infotainment touchscreen is standard; an eight-inch touchscreen is optional.
WHAT WE FOUND
Despite using a CVT gearbox most of the time, we found the powerplant to be a smooth operator. However, as is common with automobiles equipped with CVT gearboxes, there is some rubberbanding in the driveline.
Looks good, doesn’t it?
It’s hardly a sports car, despite the perfectly weighted steering. The 2024 Nissan Sentra’s performance and responsiveness are respectable, albeit unspectacular. It does possess a satisfying sense of balance, however, possessing well-controlled body movements. That said, body lean becomes apparent during fast cornering, although grip is really strong. The Sentra makes a lot less noise in town than it does on the highway, like most diminutive vehicles.
But please, can someone at Nissan eliminate the Sentra’s antiquated, foot-operated parking brake?
Still, we found the 2024 Nissan Sentra to be a fantastic little sedan thanks to its excellent driving qualities, spacious interior, attractive exterior, and reasonable pricing. Although the term “value” is overused, the 2024 Nissan Sentra offers enough of it given the exorbitant prices of most new vehicles today.
No wonder it has escaped the grim reaper’s wraith.
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