- Jul 3, 2003
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I have a 2007 Nissan Sentra loaner car while my car is in for a relatively minor repair so I thought I'd post a review of it...because I like reviewing rental cars. 
Anyway, the car is a cheap little vehicle with funky looks but I decided to keep an open mind and see what I liked and disliked about the car.
First the design. The Nissan Sentra is ugly...no doubt about it. Inside and out it is just full of strange angles and unusual design cues. For example, the shifter extending from the middle of the dash is just something I can't find visually appealing in any car (although placement does seem to lend itself to resting my hand on it comfortably). I also don't like the high roofline, it's almost as if it wants to be an SUV or a PT Cruiser but didn't quite make the cut. I parked it next to a 4 door Civic and couldn't help but notice how much more sporty and less chunky the Civic looked in comparison.
On to the interior, the controls are well laid out and everything is within easy reach and easy to locate. Also, the seats are comfortable and the fabrics aren't bad for a cheap economy car. The dash is a hard plastic that is just well, hard...and it feels cheap. Despite this, there are no interior rattles and fit and finish seems quite acceptable especially for a rental car with 15k miles on it. The trunk is actually quite large for a vehicle this size. In fact, I'd bet it's bigger than the trunk in my wife's IS250.
The Sentra has a raspy engine, which is noisier than I'd like in a daily driver (or a rental car), and while it provides adequate acceleration, it is mated to a CVT transmission, which I absolutely hate. The more cars I drive with these the more I hate them. The engine just revs all over the place based on throttle input and it provides a very mushy feel, you aren't ever quite sure how it will respond to throttle input and usually it responds in a sluggish manner unless you really romp on it. I'll NEVER own a car with a CVT. I think this powertrain would be much better with a nice 5 or 6 speed manual gear box.
As for driving impressions, I do like the steering feel, but not the wheel itself, more of that cold hard plastic, leather would be much better, and the radio controls on it aren't very intuitive. However, the steering on the Sentra is nicely weighted and doesn't feel over boosted, probably because it is a fairly small lightweight car that doesn't need much power assist once moving and the turning radius is incredible. Brakes are also good, they bite well and stop the car quickly.
Body roll isn't bad in corners and because of its diminutive size the Nissan Sentra is fairly nimble and handles predictably although I bet it would handle better with some decent tires and a firmer suspension.
One thing I didn't care for about the driving position and design is the outward view to the rear and the tiny sideview mirrors. Although it's not nearly as bad as the Chrysler 300 I rented a couple years ago, which is a much bigger car, it isn't great either. I suspect this is due to the high belt line of the car which is great for interior room but offers trade offs in other areas.
So, while it's not a car that I'll ever own, it's not too bad once you get past the ugly looks.
Did I mention that I hate the CVT?
Anyway, the car is a cheap little vehicle with funky looks but I decided to keep an open mind and see what I liked and disliked about the car.
First the design. The Nissan Sentra is ugly...no doubt about it. Inside and out it is just full of strange angles and unusual design cues. For example, the shifter extending from the middle of the dash is just something I can't find visually appealing in any car (although placement does seem to lend itself to resting my hand on it comfortably). I also don't like the high roofline, it's almost as if it wants to be an SUV or a PT Cruiser but didn't quite make the cut. I parked it next to a 4 door Civic and couldn't help but notice how much more sporty and less chunky the Civic looked in comparison.
On to the interior, the controls are well laid out and everything is within easy reach and easy to locate. Also, the seats are comfortable and the fabrics aren't bad for a cheap economy car. The dash is a hard plastic that is just well, hard...and it feels cheap. Despite this, there are no interior rattles and fit and finish seems quite acceptable especially for a rental car with 15k miles on it. The trunk is actually quite large for a vehicle this size. In fact, I'd bet it's bigger than the trunk in my wife's IS250.
The Sentra has a raspy engine, which is noisier than I'd like in a daily driver (or a rental car), and while it provides adequate acceleration, it is mated to a CVT transmission, which I absolutely hate. The more cars I drive with these the more I hate them. The engine just revs all over the place based on throttle input and it provides a very mushy feel, you aren't ever quite sure how it will respond to throttle input and usually it responds in a sluggish manner unless you really romp on it. I'll NEVER own a car with a CVT. I think this powertrain would be much better with a nice 5 or 6 speed manual gear box.
As for driving impressions, I do like the steering feel, but not the wheel itself, more of that cold hard plastic, leather would be much better, and the radio controls on it aren't very intuitive. However, the steering on the Sentra is nicely weighted and doesn't feel over boosted, probably because it is a fairly small lightweight car that doesn't need much power assist once moving and the turning radius is incredible. Brakes are also good, they bite well and stop the car quickly.
Body roll isn't bad in corners and because of its diminutive size the Nissan Sentra is fairly nimble and handles predictably although I bet it would handle better with some decent tires and a firmer suspension.
One thing I didn't care for about the driving position and design is the outward view to the rear and the tiny sideview mirrors. Although it's not nearly as bad as the Chrysler 300 I rented a couple years ago, which is a much bigger car, it isn't great either. I suspect this is due to the high belt line of the car which is great for interior room but offers trade offs in other areas.
So, while it's not a car that I'll ever own, it's not too bad once you get past the ugly looks.
Did I mention that I hate the CVT?
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