2020 Nissan Sentra Review

The 2020 Nissan Sentra is fully redesigned. Following on the heels of the redesigned Altima and Versa, this eighth-generation Sentra comes with many necessary improvements and additions to make it a more compelling choice for a small sedan.

The most noticeable difference on the 2020 Sentra is its sleeker new exterior design. The car is 2 inches wider than the outgoing generation, and its roof is 2.2 inches lower. The interior has also been given a makeover with more premium materials.

One welcome upgrade comes in the form of a new 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 149 horsepower and 145 lb-ft of torque, giving it a boost over the previous Sentra's 124-hp 1.8-liter engine. On top of more power, the new engine also gains efficiency. Nissan estimates that it will get 33 mpg combined (29 city/39 highway). That lags a bit behind what the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla can manage, but the new Sentra offers added value in other places.

Nissan has made its suite of advanced driver safety aids — called Safety Shield 360 — standard equipment. It includes advanced driver assist systems such as automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, rear automatic braking and automatic high-beam headlights. Even blind-spot monitoring is standard on all trim levels.

A 7-inch touchscreen with standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is also standard. It can be upgraded to an 8-inch unit that comes with a Bose stereo system. And on top of features you expect, such as a sunroof and dual-zone climate control, the top-tier 2020 Sentra gets quilted leather upholstery.

On top of the more powerful engine, the 2020 Nissan Sentra has a new steering rack and an independent rear suspension, which is more sophisticated than the previous generation's torsion bar setup and promises better handling and ride control. Nissan has also fine-tuned the car's traction and stability control systems.

These changes, along with the car's lower stance, have paid off. For starters, the Sentra rides smoothly and is composed over bumps. In our limited initial testing, we found the Sentra dealt with potholes, speed humps, and uneven freeway surfaces quite well.

We were also impressed by Nissan's improvements to the Sentra's steering and handling. Steering is precise and nicely weighted, and there's even a bit of communication from the road. Body roll is present but controlled, and the Sentra handles predictably through corners. For an affordable compact car, the new Sentra is a competent handler.

But the Sentra has a dynamic Achilles heel. While the 2.0-liter engine is sufficient, it's mated to a continuously variable automatic transmission that is programmed for high fuel economy above all else. So even in routine driving there's a delay before power is available for merging or passing. Try to have some fun on a back road and the CVT is simply out of its depth, rapidly (and annoyingly) adjusting its gearing and the engine's rpm as it desperately tries to stay in its comfort zone.

Dynamically, the Sentra seems like it will keep most commuters happy most of the time. Ride and handling are greatly improved over the outgoing generation, and the added engine power makes a noticeable difference. We just have our fingers crossed that Nissan will tweak the CVT's brain a bit before the final version of the car arrives.

Short answer: not bad. We spent our time in a midlevel Sentra SV with the SV Premium Package that adds a power driver's seat and quilted leather upholstery among other things. Hard plastics certainly abound in the Sentra's cabin, but there are enough padded soft-touch surfaces to elevate the interior experience. Even better, those surfaces are thoughtfully placed. We especially appreciated the padding along the center console to keep the driver's knee from resting on a hard surface.

The front seats are comfortable, as we'd expect from a modern Nissan, and the leather upholstery isn't too stiff. Everything looks quite nice in person, although it's harder to appreciate the seats' good looks when you're sitting in them. And while Nissan made the Sentra sleeker, the automaker was very conscious of preserving sight lines. It's pretty easy to see out the front and back, and a surround-view camera system is also available to help you out even more when maneuvering the car.

Our one complaint about the interior is rear headroom, which on paper hasn't changed. Our 6-foot-tall correspondent found that while he had sufficient legroom, he couldn't sit upright in the rear seat. That won't be a deal-breaker for many buyers in this segment, but shoppers who regularly carry adults in the back seat may find space a bit pinched.

One downside of an independent rear suspension is that it tends to eat into trunk space a bit more than a torsion beam. For 2020, trunk space is down almost a cubic foot from last year, to 14.3 cubic feet. That lands squarely between the larger Honda Civic and the smaller Toyota Corolla and is about average for the segment. It's a usable space at least, deeper than you'd think from the outside, and easy to access thanks to a trunklid that opens very wide.

Our first impression of the interior storage is that it's also about average for the class. There's a reasonably sized center console box and a handy cubby for phones, but nothing is exceptional in terms of packaging.

Now is a key moment to be competitive in the small sedan market. American automakers have abandoned the space, leaving a vacuum for customers who are more loyal to a body style than a brand (and there are plenty of those). Lots of owners and lessees of Ford and GM sedans who are looking to trade up have been turning to Asian manufacturers for their new vehicles rather than switch into an American SUV.

The previous-generation Sentra was one of our lower-ranked cars in our small sedan category. Really, the best thing about it was its low price. The new 2020 Sentra manages to be a nicer car to drive and to live with, without sacrificing the value proposition. Sure, it's pricier than the last model, but it also comes standard with a full suite of in-demand safety features and driver aids. Buyers doing apples-to-apples comparisons will find a lot of reasons to consider this Sentra.

The Sentra's rivals should be familiar to a lot of car shoppers. The Honda Civic is currently at the top of the class thanks to its strong performance and roomy interior. Other small sedans with high Edmunds scores include the Kia Forte, the Mazda 3, the Subaru Impreza and the Toyota Corolla.

While the new Sentra is much nicer on the inside than the old model, it's not quite up to the standards set by high-trim Mazda 3 models. As for performance, the Civic's turbocharged engine is both more efficient and far more satisfying whether you're on a twisty road or just commuting.

Perhaps the closest competitor is the Kia Forte, another value-oriented offering. The Forte has a stiff ride, and it's not a particularly engaging car to drive, but it does offer tons of features for a reasonable price. If that matters to you, it's worth comparing trim levels side by side with the Sentra since the cost for certain features varies between the two.

The outgoing generation Sentra offers a 188-horsepower turbocharged motor and even a "sporty" Nismo trim. It never made much sense to us in the old model since the platform really couldn't do much with the extra power or sport-tuned suspension. This new generation, however, could really take advantage of those upgrades.

Nissan is keeping mum on future product plans for the eighth-gen Sentra, but after our first drive we're keeping our fingers crossed for a turbocharged engine option to give it a bit sportier performance.