2011 Nissan Sentra Review and Prices

by Chuck Giametta

2011 NISSAN SENTRA BUYING ADVICE

• The 2011 Nissan Sentra is the best compact car for you if you want a roomy, reasonably priced small sedan that’s a little personality challenged.

• The 2011 Nissan Sentra should be a virtual carry over from the model-year 2010 Sentra, which got a “mid-cycle” freshening that brought revised styling and new features, including an available navigation system.

• Should you wait for the 2011 Nissan Sentra or buy a 2010 Nissan Sentra? Buy a 2010 Sentra. It cements in place Sentra’s styling and basic engineering until the all-new next-generation version arrives, likely for model-year 2013. However, Nissan may tinker with the 2011 Sentra lineup in reaction to arrival of the 2011 Nissan Leaf, an all-electric model that could siphon off fuel-economy minded Sentra shoppers. So look to the 2010 Sentra if you want to be assured of the broadest range of models and features.

2011 NISSAN SENTRA CHANGES

• Styling: Whatever 2011 Nissan Sentra models survive, they’ll remain based on a four-door sedan with awkward proportions unaffected by the 2010 freshening. All 2010 Sentras got revised headlights and taillights. Mainstream models – badged 2.0, 2.0 S and 2.0 SL – also got a new grille and front fascia. Some wheel designs were changed, as well. The sporty-looking 2.0 SR and the legitimately sporty SE-R and SE-R Spec V models continue to spiff up their look with a rear spoiler, driving lights, and subtle lower-body skirting. Sentra wasn’t eye candy before the changes, and continues to lack visual drama. It has a generic nose and an undistinguished roof that culminates in oddly shaped rear pillars that seem to hold up a narrow, stubby rump. Sentra looks vaguely top heavy. The upside is plenty of interior space, courtesy of that arched roof and a 105.7-inch wheelbase, which is among the longest in the compact-car class. Wheelbase is the distance between the front and rear axles and helps define how much space a vehicle can devote to the passenger compartment. Sentra’s dashboard is orderly and user-friendly. But despite 2010 upgrades to interior and fabrics and instrument-panel knobs and lighting, the cabin doesn’t stand out for visual flair or quality materials – even with the optional leather upholstery.            

• Mechanical: The 2011 Nissan Sentra will remain front-wheel drive and be powered by four-cylinder engines. If Nissan doesn’t slice and dice the lineup, the 2011 Sentra would repeat its 2.0 base model and step-up 2.0 S, 2.0 SR, and 2.0 SL models. They use a 2.0-liter engine rated at 140 horsepower. The entry-level 2.0 model would again offer a choice of a six-speed manual transmission or a continuously variable transmission (CVT). The CVT would continue as the only choice for the 2.0 S, 2.0 SR, and 2.0 SL models. CVTs perform the duties of an automatic transmission but dispense with individual gear ratios for a rheostat-like power delivery. The intent is a more efficient match between engine output, fuel consumption, and acceleration. The 2011 Nissan Sentra SE-R and SE-R Spec V models would continue with a 2.5-liter engine rated at 175 horsepower in the SE-R and 200 in the SE-R Spec V. The SE-R uses a CVT while the SE-R Spec V has a six-speed manual transmission. Suspension on all Sentras is by independent strut in front and torsion-beam in the rear. Models with the 2.0-liter engine have front-disc/rear-drum brakes. An antilock braking system (ABS), designed to prevent lock-up in emergency stops, is likely to remain optional on the entry-level 2.0 model and standard on all other Sentras. Aimed at performance-minded drivers, the Sentra SE-R and SE-R Spec V have four-wheel disc brakes. Along with the 2.0 SL, they also include Nissan’s Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) antiskid system, designed to mitigate sideways slides. VDC incorporates a traction control system intended to quell tire slip during acceleration and is optional on other Sentras. The SE-R Spec V has a sport-tuned suspension. Sentras with the 2.0-liter engine are softly sprung to furnish a comfortable ride but can feel ill at ease in corners. They have adequate acceleration, and though it may take time to get used to the CVT’s peculiar power delivery, you’ll find it works smoothly and is of particular benefit to highway-speed passing response. The Sentra SE-R and especially the SE-R Spec V accelerate with more verve, but don’t handle well enough to challenge cars like the MazdaSpeed3 or Honda Civic Si for true driving enjoyment.    

• Features: Sentra may trail top rivals for road manners but it’s highly competitive in terms of equipment and features. Nissan generously equips most Sentra models with USB interface, for instance, and offers a navigation system, still a relatively rarity in this class. If Nissan keeps the 2010 lineup and equipment levels intact, all 2011 Sentras will continue with power windows and door locks as standard. All but the entry-level 2.0 model would also continue with cruise control and remote keyless entry. The base 2.0 model has an audio auxiliary input. All other Sentras get a USB interface for iPods and other digital players. The 2.0 SL comes with keyless entry, Bluetooth cell-phone connectivity, and XM satellite radio; it’s the only Sentra available with leather upholstery. The 2.0 SL and the two SE-R models for 2010 gained a 4.3-inch color audio head unit with iPod and Bluetooth controls. They also became the only Sentras eligible for the navigation system, which includes a rearview camera. To keep costs down, this navigation system is a relatively simple one, lacking, for example, voice recognition capability. Depending on the model, Sentra’s other available options include a power moonroof and an eight-speaker 340-watt Rockford Fosgate audio system. Sentra’s entry-level 2.0 model has 15-inch wheels. The other 2.0 models have 16s. Alloy wheels are optional on the 2.0 SR and standard on the 2.0 SL. The two SE-R models have 17-inch alloys. The SE-R Spec V is available with a helical limited-slip differential, a performance-car item that equalizes power between the front wheels in rapid acceleration.  

2011 NISSAN SENTRA PRICES

• Pressured by lower-priced compact-class rivals from Mazda, Hyundai, Toyota, and Honda, Nissan actually reduced Sentra prices for the 2010 model year, cutting them by $130 at the bottom of the lineup and by $1,080 for the two SE-R models. The 2011 Nissan Sentra pricing won’t be announced until shortly before the car goes on sale but should stay close to model-year 2010 levels. (Prices in this review include the manufacturer’s destination fee; Nissan’s fee was $720 for model-year 2010.)

• That would price the 2011 Nissan Sentra 2.0 model from around $16,200 with manual transmission and around $17,400 with the CVT. It includes a four-speaker AM/FM/CD audio system with auxiliary input. 

• The 2011 Nissan Sentra 2.0 S price should come in around $17,900. It includes the CVT and adds to the 2.0 base model the 16-inch wheels, six-speaker audio, USB iPod interface upgraded cloth upholstery, security system, trip computer, cruise control, remote keyless entry, and ABS. Expect the 2011 Nissan Sentra 2.0 SR price to also be around $17,900. It differs from the 2.0 S primarily through exterior styling cues that mimic the look of the SE-R models. Figure the 2011 Nissan Sentra 2.0 SL price to start around $19,300 and include a leather-wrapped steering wheel and the color audio-head unit with iPod and Bluetooth controls.  

• Look for the 2011 Nissan Sentra SE-R price to start about $20,400, the 2011 Sentra SE-R Spec V price to begin around $21,900. In addition to the 2.5-liter engine, these models include all the aforementioned sport, safety, audio, and convenience features, plus their own cloth seat trim and stitching.

• Pricing for key 2011 Sentra options should remain close to 2010 levels, meaning about $700 for the 2.0 SL’s leather upholstery and just $400 for the navigation system. If you buy the base 2.0 model, budget for the important safety of the ABS and VDC package at a reasonable $510 or so.    

2011 NISSAN SENTRA FUEL ECONOMY

• EPA estimates for 2011 models had not been released at the time of this review, but 2011 Nissan Sentra fuel economy should continue to be highly competitive in this class, helped by the mileage-enhancing qualities of the CVT. This is one of the rare “automatic” transmissions that delivers better fuel economy than its manual-transmission counterpart.

• Anticipate 2011 Nissan Sentra fuel economy to again rate 24/31 mpg (city/highway) for the base 2.0 model with the six-speed manual transmission and 26/34 for the 2.0-liter models with the CVT.

• The 2011 Nissan Sentra SE-R fuel economy should repeat at 24/30 mpg and the 2011 Sentra SE-R Spec V at 21/28.

2011 NISSAN SENTRA RELEASE DATE

• The 2011 Nissan Sentra should be in showrooms in early autumn 2010.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE NISSAN SENTRA

• The Nissan Sentra’s future may be influenced by the arrival of the 2011 Nissan Leaf. The Leaf is a four-door hatchback about the size of the Sentra but powered solely by an electric motor. Nissan pegs its range at 100 miles on a single plug-in charging of the onboard lithium ion batteries. Leaf pricing will reportedly start under $30,000.

• Nissan wouldn’t drop the Sentra when the Leaf debuts, but some industry sources say it could revise Sentra’s model lineup so the two cars aren’t competing for the same buyers. This potential shake out could happen for model-year 2011 or 2012, but how precisely Nissan would re-slice the Sentra is far from certain.

2011 NISSAN SENTRA COMPETITION

• Honda Civic: The compact-class pacesetter for style, driving enjoyment, and sales, Civic will be all-new for 2011. Expect styling that continues to make most rivals look dated and for further gains in refinement, room, and fuel efficiency. Don’t buy another 2011 compact car without first seeing how Honda updates this jewel.

• Hyundai Elantra: The sedan version of this compact from South Korea will be in the final year of its current design in 2011, but it’s still an attractive value. Driving manners are dull (even a little retrograde), but roominess is class-competitive, the quality of cabin materials actually exceeds the compact-car norm, and Elantra’s features-per-dollar-spent equation is impressive.  

• Toyota Corolla: Never underestimate the power of the Toyota name and the ability of Corolla to deliver a quite, refined compact-car experience. Fuel economy, reliability, and resale value are other virtues. Style mavens and excitement seekers should look elsewhere, though. Corolla is due for its next redesign in model-year 2013.