Topic: Test Drive: 2012 Nissan Sentra 2.0

[2latecrew]

I don't know about low RPMS. My 07 Sentra 6 speed revs just under 3K at 120. I guess the CVT makes a huge difference? My mileage so far is not all that good and after browsing Fuely I see i am not alone. I have yet to break 8 L per 100KM even on long highway trips. Its not a pig but its far from great.

I do echo the comments about the comfy feel. Very quiet for a small car on the highway, reasonably soft ride and lots of room inside. I don't find the buttons small. While the interior is very balnd my car after 90,000 km still feels very well screwed together.

The 2.0l is SLOW. The shifter is video game like and there is absolutely no fun to be had in this car.

[Bubba]

Sentra is the official car of Mexico.

could not care less....

He's right though - ever been to Mexico? You can't look anywhere without seeing one. Its the Mexican version of the checkered cab! One we took to a tourist attraction the guy even put in a rear seat DVD system so his customers could watch movies enroute to their destination!

The Sentra is built in Aguascalientes, Mexico.

[Spec5]

The Sentra is built in Aguascalientes, Mexico.

Haha, right forgot to put that part in there too - actually I believe the Canadian version at least has been built there since it was first introduced to the Canadian market back in 85. The US got it first in 82 but those ones were imports from Japan.

[Blueprint]

The Sentra is built in Aguascalientes, Mexico.

Haha, right forgot to put that part in there too - actually I believe the Canadian version at least has been built there since it was first introduced to the Canadian market back in 85. The US got it first in 82 but those ones were imports from Japan.

A French car adapted to a Japanese brand and built in Mexico.  The Sentra is a true World Car 

[Blueprint]

I think what is most surprising is how many Sentra owners are actually members of this website.  Who would have thought this vehicle would be so popular with the above average motor heads.  Not really much to say about the Sentra, I had one as a rental and it was okay.  It didn't really blow me away or offended me.  I can see why some would buy them prior to all the new vehicles coming out but now I think it's a lot like the Mitsu Lancer, they both need a serious redo to actually compete with the new products.

It's a car that flew under the radar 'till the price drop in 2009.  I did get a base CVT Sentra as a rental, and took it back before the road trip part of that stay.  I found the CVT droning horrendous, plus no cruise control before 2000 km on the road - no way.

The mid-grade "S" feels better than the base car (used by rental fleets), and the 6-speaker stereo is really terrific for a std system.  In 2008, there wasn't much competition, except for the rust-prone, too tight in the rear Mazda 3.  My wife did not fit in the windshield-forward Civic.

Plus, our main need was: 3-accross seating in the back (including two child seats), a stick, a low-enough shoulder belt in the back for my then 10 y.o., a compact-class car. In 2008, only two choices met all requirements: Sentra and Corolla.  The 2.0S and Corolla S were even matched in pricing, at 19k$ before neg and taxes.  Granted, there would be more choices today, but not that much.  The Sentra's rear bench offers 1400mm shoulder width, only 10mm less than an Altima.  That room is stil pretty hard to beat in the marketplace.

Other bonus with Sentras: really cheap insurance, as in 400$ a year full coverage, new-value for 4 years and work use clause.

[Blueprint]

I don't know about low RPMS. My 07 Sentra 6 speed revs just under 3K at 120. I guess the CVT makes a huge difference? My mileage so far is not all that good and after browsing Fuely I see i am not alone. I have yet to break 8 L per 100KM even on long highway trips. Its not a pig but its far from great.

I do echo the comments about the comfy feel. Very quiet for a small car on the highway, reasonably soft ride and lots of room inside. I don't find the buttons small. While the interior is very balnd my car after 90,000 km still feels very well screwed together.

The 2.0l is SLOW. The shifter is video game like and there is absolutely no fun to be had in this car.

3k @ 120 is about right.  Check your tire pressures - On Montreal-Ottawa runs around 120, I get a repeatable 7.7.  I tried to stay below 110 once, and got into the sixes.  Steady-sate 100km/h in 6th nets a 5.9 on the trip meter.  My NYC roundtrip was the longest journey in the Sentra yet, and it got a measured 6.9.  Around town, it's easy to get in the nines, but with all the idling and stop-and-going, it's to be expected.

I don't find it slow if you keep the revs in the right range.  It's faster than a Corolla, about par with a Civic.  When passing, I downshift 6-to-5 to "prepare", and then 5-to-3 to unleash the cams.  Works for me 

[Ex-airbalancer]

no cruise control before 2000 km on the road - no way.

explain please, 

[2latecrew]

I don't know about low RPMS. My 07 Sentra 6 speed revs just under 3K at 120. I guess the CVT makes a huge difference? My mileage so far is not all that good and after browsing Fuely I see i am not alone. I have yet to break 8 L per 100KM even on long highway trips. Its not a pig but its far from great.

I do echo the comments about the comfy feel. Very quiet for a small car on the highway, reasonably soft ride and lots of room inside. I don't find the buttons small. While the interior is very balnd my car after 90,000 km still feels very well screwed together.

The 2.0l is SLOW. The shifter is video game like and there is absolutely no fun to be had in this car.

3k @ 120 is about right.  Check your tire pressures - On Montreal-Ottawa runs around 120, I get a repeatable 7.7.  I tried to stay below 110 once, and got into the sixes.  Steady-sate 100km/h in 6th nets a 5.9 on the trip meter.  My NYC roundtrip was the longest journey in the Sentra yet, and it got a measured 6.9.  Around town, it's easy to get in the nines, but with all the idling and stop-and-going, it's to be expected.

I don't find it slow if you keep the revs in the right range.  It's faster than a Corolla, about par with a Civic.  When passing, I downshift 6-to-5 to "prepare", and then 5-to-3 to unleash the cams.  Works for me 

I had just had the Contii Winterforce snows installed. I set the tire pressure 2 psi over standard (it has been getting cold so I always add a little extra) Before I left I also changed the air filter. Like I said I have not broken 8 L/100. I'm sure if I was on 100 KM highways where speed is lower I might break 8 but frankly I expect more.

There really isn't a good reason to have 6 speeds and not make 6th a little longer to bring the revs down say 2700 or so. The mileage is no better than my 200HP GTI was. I'm reading about CVT revving 2200. That's a big difference. I don't like CVTs so thus us buying the stick but its a pretty poor shifter.

Its probably not much slower than comparable cars but a Civic revs more freely and shits way better so it feels faster.

[SaskSpecV]

He's right though - ever been to Mexico? You can't look anywhere without seeing one. Its the Mexican version of the checkered cab! One we took to a tourist attraction the guy even put in a rear seat DVD system so his customers could watch movies enroute to their destination!

I had quite the deja vu when taking a cab to the Cancun airport last year in what appeared to be my Mom's 1992 B13 Sentra!  Except that the car was a relatively new Nissan model - can't remember what Nissan called it for the Mexican market.  But it was the same B13 Sentra, or at least the same body. Exact same switchgear, seats, dimensions.  Though I'm not sure if the engine had been upgraded over the years.  Brought a smile to my face, thinking back to the old workhorse I learned to drive on.  And that era of Sentra has aged exceptionally well - not a lot of interior space, and I'm sure the crash tests results are terrible compared to today's Sentra, but in my mind it still looks pretty sharp even after 20 years...

[ArticSteve]

The engine and CVT are also assembled in Mexico.  It's very much like at Taco.  You get all the ingredients, throw them together and then roll it up. Presto; the official car of Mexico.  Even resembles a Taco. 

[Blueprint]

no cruise control before 2000 km on the road - no way.

explain please, 

The base Sentras, the one found in rental car agencies, are base-model "2.0" and don't have cruise control, even with the optional pkg.  I was in Calgary for business and got what was left - a base Sentra with balding front tires, no cruise and a 2-speaker radio.  Before heading through the Rockies on the "fun" part of the trip, I switched rental cars and got a loaded Fusion SEL V-6 (moonroof, 2-zone HVAC, 12-speaker stereo upgrade, heated leather, ...) ... for an extra 2$ per day.  Put 2,700 km on that one, some of them on cruise    Got a 8.5 l/100km with the 240 hp Fusion, despite fun on moutain roads, go figure.

[Blueprint]

I don't know about low RPMS. My 07 Sentra 6 speed revs just under 3K at 120. I guess the CVT makes a huge difference? My mileage so far is not all that good and after browsing Fuely I see i am not alone. I have yet to break 8 L per 100KM even on long highway trips. Its not a pig but its far from great.

I do echo the comments about the comfy feel. Very quiet for a small car on the highway, reasonably soft ride and lots of room inside. I don't find the buttons small. While the interior is very balnd my car after 90,000 km still feels very well screwed together.

The 2.0l is SLOW. The shifter is video game like and there is absolutely no fun to be had in this car.

3k @ 120 is about right.  Check your tire pressures - On Montreal-Ottawa runs around 120, I get a repeatable 7.7.  I tried to stay below 110 once, and got into the sixes.  Steady-sate 100km/h in 6th nets a 5.9 on the trip meter.  My NYC roundtrip was the longest journey in the Sentra yet, and it got a measured 6.9.  Around town, it's easy to get in the nines, but with all the idling and stop-and-going, it's to be expected.

I don't find it slow if you keep the revs in the right range.  It's faster than a Corolla, about par with a Civic.  When passing, I downshift 6-to-5 to "prepare", and then 5-to-3 to unleash the cams.  Works for me 

I had just had the Contii Winterforce snows installed. I set the tire pressure 2 psi over standard (it has been getting cold so I always add a little extra) Before I left I also changed the air filter. Like I said I have not broken 8 L/100. I'm sure if I was on 100 KM highways where speed is lower I might break 8 but frankly I expect more.

There really isn't a good reason to have 6 speeds and not make 6th a little longer to bring the revs down say 2700 or so. The mileage is no better than my 200HP GTI was. I'm reading about CVT revving 2200. That's a big difference. I don't like CVTs so thus us buying the stick but its a pretty poor shifter.

Its probably not much slower than comparable cars but a Civic revs more freely and shits way better so it feels faster.

It's not a Honda shifter, no argument here.  I agree that 6th should drop the revs more than that.  Stop and Go really kills fuel econ with this car, but do go up the gears in commuting - 50km/h is 5th gear, 60 km/h 6th gear - it adds up.  With the cold and the Blizzaks, plus traffic, I'm in the high 8s right now, but that in town.

[theonlydt]

As an idea of CVT economy - I did a long drive recently in a very hilly area - mostly highway after some stop-go. The car had three adults, I'm not short and one other occupant is not only tall, but wider than a school bus. I am using Winterforce winter tyres. Cruise control was set to 130kmh as the road was empty, it was a long drive, there'd been a funeral, we'd done that drive 4 times that week etc etc.

At a steady 130kmh it pulled 2500rpm, it never wavered off that speed (most cars over-speed on hills on cruise) and averaged 8.8l/100km.

Just as an idea - once did that journey not in any hurry. 100-110kmh all the way, no aircon on summer tyres - 7.2l/100km. (I had it as low as 6.9 at one point).

Not bad for the power available and interior space.

The 2.0 I had as rentals were never as impressive, but I mostly put that down to them being rental cars.

CVTs have a special way to drive them so they don't drone and over-rev, get used to it and you can drive most of the time basically at idle. It's just the same as when I had to learn how to drive to best use my mazda 5's auto, which in itself was very different to the standards I used to own (Civic, Accord - euro models - both of them also very different!). I wouldn't say all CVTs are bad, I would say the calibration in some cars is terrible though - had a Dodge Caliber that was appalling and also a Mitsu Lancer (strange - as I think they also use the JATCO box?!)

[richink]

I think Peter hit the nail on the head with this comment "It is one of the most pleasantly inoffensive and user-friendly devices I’ve driven. "

I can say this about the Sentra and the Altima I drove this year, both with the Xtronic CVT. Both cars were comfy, well behaved and economical beasties that did the job exceedingly well.

My colleague utterly adores her 370z convertible.

[dirtyjeffer]

i had an 84 Nissan Sentra XE Coupe about 20 years ago...i loved that little car...it ran great, up until it was stolen and driven into a telephone pole...same thing happened to my 81 Toyota Celica about 3 years later.

[bridgecity]

I love Tacos!!! 

[sailor723]

At a steady 130kmh it pulled 2500rpm, it never wavered off that speed (most cars over-speed on hills on cruise) and averaged 8.8l/100km.

That doesn't sound all that impressive to me. Our 328iX does about the same with the cruise set in the mid/high 120's 

[Jaeger]

I love Tacos!!! 

Mmmmm.... tacos.....



Jaeger

[SapphireSeo]

I've never really looked at the Sentra as a remarkable car. Until reading this my only experience was as a passenger in my best friend's wife's old sentra which she drove so roughly that I didn't sleep a wink on the 2.5 hour road trip. But from this article I've really found a unique appreciation for this auto. With loads of interior space, a quiet and comfortable ride, it really does have invisible appeal that I'd never have tuned into otherwise. Thanks Peter.

[theonlydt]

At a steady 130kmh it pulled 2500rpm, it never wavered off that speed (most cars over-speed on hills on cruise) and averaged 8.8l/100km.

That doesn't sound all that impressive to me. Our 328iX does about the same with the cruise set in the mid/high 120's 

You have to realise where I live is incredibly hilly - as an example to maintain 110kmh on some of the hills on the highway my Mazda 5 with only one occupant will have to change down to 3rd. The run in question was completed on winter tyres, aircon on, three occupants (all adults) and after a section of heavy city driving. The difference in fuel consumption between 120 and 130 is quite significant in most cars.