The Sentra delivers on the most important aspects for a small sedan. It's stylish, comfortable and well stocked with features. Its performance is unremarkable, but otherwise the Sentra is a pretty solid choice, especially if safety and value are top priorities for you.
Ronald Montoya has worked in the automotive industry since 2008. He has written over a thousand car related articles and bought and sold over 100 vehicles over the course of his career. Ronald is a senior consumer advice editor and content strategy at Edmunds and has also contributed to the Associated Press. He has also been featured on ABC, NBC and NPR on a number of car shopping topics. He got his start in the auto industry by taking a part-time job at a car dealership, where he worked in the service and accounting department.
Pros
Comfortable ride
Improved cabin materials and design
Lots of standard safety and tech features
Cons
Slow acceleration
Dated infotainment graphics
Mediocre emergency braking performance
What's new
New packages: Midnight Edition and All-Weather
No other changes for 2022
Part of the eighth Sentra generation introduced for 2020
Overview
The 2022 Nissan Sentra is a small, economical sedan that underwent a full redesign in 2020. Power is supplied by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and routed to the front wheels through a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). Within the Nissan lineup, the Sentra is a step up from the smaller Versa and slots in just below the larger Altima.
Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2022 Nissan Sentra S 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl CVT) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.57 per gallon for regular unleaded in Virginia.
The 2022 model year brings minimal changes to the Sentra. The only noteworthy changes are a couple of packages. The All-Weather package adds a number of convenience features to the SV trim for those in colder climates, while the Midnight Edition adds some contrasting black trim and black 18-inch wheels for the SR trim.
We like the Sentra for its smooth ride, better-than-average interior materials, and plentiful safety and tech features for the money. But it's hamstrung by slow acceleration, an out-of-date infotainment system, and rather long braking distances in a class dominated by the Honda Civic and newer competitors including the Kia Forte and Hyundai Elantra. Check out the categories of our test team's Expert Rating to learn more.
Edmunds Expert Rating
average
7.3/10
Edmunds Rating
Our VerdictThe Edmunds Vehicle Testing Team evaluates a fresh batch of vehicles every week, pairing objective assessments at our test track with real-world driving on city streets, freeways and winding roads. The data we gather results in our Expert Ratings. They’re based on 30-plus scores that cover every aspect of the automotive experience.
The Sentra delivers on the most important aspects for a small sedan. It's stylish, comfortable and well stocked with features. Its performance is unremarkable, but otherwise the Sentra is a pretty solid choice, especially if safety and value are top priorities for you.
How does the Sentra drive? Acceleration is not bad off the line, but the Sentra loses vigor as you gain speed. We measured a 0-60 mph time of 8.8 seconds. That's a little below average for the small sedan class but similar to other slowish cars such as the Kia Forte and Toyota Corolla. In routine driving, the Sentra's continuously variable automatic transmission is smooth and unobtrusive. But it doesn't provide much engine braking effect when you lift off the gas, so you might find yourself needing to use a little more of the brakes than you might expect when slowing down.
The brake pedal is smooth and easy to control in casual use. Emergency braking performance, however, is subpar. Our test Sentra needed 131 feet to stop from 60 mph. For context, the segment average is about 123 feet. Steering and handling are unremarkable but should suffice for the average owner for everyday use.
Comfort
7.5/10
How comfortable is the Sentra? Comfort is one of the Sentra's stronger attributes. The ride is very composed and easily smooths out road imperfections. This softness, though, can make the Sentra feel floaty at higher speeds. Road noise is ever present but never intrusive, and it's nothing the stereo can't easily cover.
The front seats have decent cushioning and support. The best seats in the house are shockingly found in the rear. They're plush, comfortable and accommodating for two average-size adults. The climate control system is not particularly powerful, but air flow coverage from the vents is good. Our test car did not have rear air vents, but that's typical for this class.
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How’s the interior? The controls are easily accessible for both driver and passenger and are simple to understand whether tuning the radio or adjusting the climate control. The 8-inch touchscreen is equally easy to read and use.
There's plenty of interior room for front occupants. Rear legroom is among the most generous in the segment. Most drivers will find it easy to settle into a comfortable driving position thanks to the decent range of adjustments that come from the seat and steering wheel. Visibility is quite good to the front and sides, but the thick rear roof pillars and sloped rear window impede over-the-shoulder and rear visibility.
Technology
7.5/10
How’s the tech? The Sentra comes with many standard safety features and driver aids. Adaptive cruise control and a 360-degree parking camera system are still options, but overall Nissan's standard safety suite is pretty generous. We did, however, experience some glitches with the backup camera and one false alarm with the forward collision warning system in our test car.
The infotainment system is a little slow to respond and the graphics look dated, but you do get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration as standard. Nissan does not offer an onboard navigation system.
Storage
7.5/10
How’s the storage? The Sentra's 14.3 cubic feet of trunk space is better than average for a small sedan. The 60/40-split rear seats fold down to help accommodate longer cargo items. But the only release is from the rear seat; there aren't any releases in the trunk. Also the seats don't fold completely flat, which can make loading longer objects, like a flat-screen TV, more of a hassle.
There's sufficient interior storage for small items, cups and bottles, although others including the Honda Civic and Volkswagen Jetta do this better. There's also a good amount of child seat space, but you might find the cushions make access a bit tight to car seat anchors.
Fuel Economy
6.5/10
How’s the fuel economy? The Sentra achieves an EPA-estimated 33 mpg combined (29 city/39 highway), which is about average for vehicle with a base engine in this class. We observed 28.7 mpg over three tank fills in our test vehicle, with a best fill of 32 mpg. That's slightly below what we expected given the EPA figures.
Value
7.5/10
Is the Sentra a good value? The Sentra offers compelling value. It comes well equipped with loads of standard tech and safety features and starts at a lower price than a lot of the class. The cabin looks upscale and the materials all feel pretty good. Our test car's build quality, however, was a bit lackluster, with some noticeable interior trim gaps the primary culprit.
Nissan gives you a three-year/36,000-mile basic warranty, a five-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty and three years/36,000 miles of roadside assistance. All are typical for a non-luxury automaker.
Wildcard
7.0/10
The newest Sentra maintains its point A to B sensibility, but it looks much better doing it than prior generations. It makes for a solid daily driver with its comfortable and relatively upscale interior. But is top rivals manage to be similarly comfortable and practical while delivering a driving experience that's more fun and enjoyable.
Which Sentra does Edmunds recommend?
We recommend the SV trim with the All-Weather package. It comes with some desirable features you can't get on the base trim, such as dual-zone climate control, keyless entry, heated seats and traffic-adaptive cruise control.
Nissan Sentra models
The Sentra is a small sedan available in three trims: the S, SV and SR. All versions are powered by a 149-horsepower four-cylinder engine mated to a continuously variable automatic transmission. The Sentra is front-wheel-drive only. Feature highlights include:
S
The base model kicks off the Sentra line with:
16-inch steel wheels with wheel covers
Push-button start
Tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel
Height-adjustable driver's seat
7-inch touchscreen
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone compatibility
Four-speaker audio system
Standard safety features include:
Blind-spot monitor (alerts you if a vehicle in the next lane over is in your blind spot)
Lane departure warning (alerts you if the vehicle begins to drift out of its lane)
Forward and rear collision mitigation with pedestrian detection (warns you of an impending collision and applies the brakes in certain scenarios)
SV
The midlevel trim brings with it an assortment of upgraded features:
16-inch alloy wheels
Rear disc brakes (for better braking performance)
Heated side mirrors
Keyless entry
Leather-wrapped steering wheel
Upgraded driver information display
8-inch touchscreen
Additional USB ports
Six-speaker audio system
Adaptive cruise control (maintains a driver-set distance between the Sentra and the car in front)
New for 2022 is an All-Weather package, which adds the following features:
Dual-zone automatic climate control
Remote engine start
Heated front seats
Heated steering wheel
You can also choose to add the SV Premium package that adds:
17-inch wheels
Sunroof
Quilted leather seats
Power-adjustable driver's seat
SR
The top model in the lineup offers this equipment:
Dual-zone climate control
LED headlights and foglights
Sportier exterior design with a rear spoiler
Dark chrome grille
18-inch wheels
Sport cloth seat trim with contrast orange stitching
The Midnight Edition package is exclusive to the SR trim. It includes:
18-inch black-painted alloy wheels
Black-painted exterior trim and badging
The SR also has an available SR Premium package. It includes:
Surround-view parking camera system (gives you a top-down view of the Sentra and its surroundings for tight parking situations)
Upgraded LED headlights
Sunroof
Power-adjustable driver's seat
Simulated leather upholstery with orange stitching
Heated front seats and steering wheel
Eight-speaker Bose audio system
NissanConnect connectivity services with onboard Wi-Fi hotspot
Nice ride and quiet cabin. Beautiful dashboard and instrument cluster at night. Sound system is stunning and the wind noise in the highway at 80 mph. Is Barely noticeable. I love it!
5/5 stars, Elegand and Sleek Sedan
Esteban,
SR 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl CVT)
I was looking for a practical car for my long commute (76 miles RT) The Corolla SE and Nissan Kicks SV were at the top of my list. I test drive the corolla first and didn't like it, the car was just ok. I continued to Honda and test drive a Civic (Sport) in red, the driving dynamics were by far superior to the Corolla. The Civic is sporty and sexy on the outside and well appointed and … comfortable inside. I almost bought this car, but my wife didn't want the Civic. The following day, I went to Nissan to try the kicks and told my reluctant wife that the Mazda CX-30 was next on our list. Upon arrival at Nissan, we spotted a beautiful two-toned dark red kicks SV with a black roof, the car was really nice, had plenty of room on the second row and trunk, but the engine was severely under powered. Then we spotted an electric blue Sentra SV (which was never on my list or my wife's), it came with a premium package (ivory leather seats, power seats, sun roof, Michelin tires) we test drive this car and got blown away by the experience (peppy engine), the Sentra cornered sharp curves like nothing, since it is a new model (been on the market for few months now) as opposed to the 4-year old Civic, the interior was superior to the Civic as well. It is very elegant, everything is in the right position and visibility is superb, you definitely get more car for the money. We were so impressed with the test drive that decided on the spot that the Sentra was the car we were buying. In the showroom, they had a metalic orange Sentra SR with a black roof, LED lights, lower suspension, spoiler and other add ons to make it look very sporty. We bought this car and got a great deal from Nissan ($21.5k, 0%, 60 months) After few hundred miles, I like this car even better, it is really elegant, the interior is comfortable, roomy (my 12 and 14 year old daughters love all the space they have in the back) and it comes with all the latest technologies. Nissan did a good job with this car for sure. On the negative side, its hard to find something to say here, but there are few minor things for consideration: (1) MPG is listed as 29/39 on the SV and 28/37 on the SR, which is the trim that I have, but I am getting only 29-30 (average) so far, which is below the 32-33 MPG I was hoping/expecting. (2) at highway speed, sometimes I get a vibration on the steering wheel for a second or two, it might have to do more with the Hancock tires on the SR (I test drove the SV with Michelin tires and never felt the vibration), and lastly (3) the light sensor is super sensitive, when I drive underneath overpasses sometimes the dash goes dark (low light mode) and comes right back to high light mode (for contrast) when receives sun light again, I wish Nissan engineers had tuned this feature for a lag of 20-30 seconds or so, so it doesn't change light modes so fast, but some drivers might like this feature instead. I am really happy with this car, it has everything at a really good price, without unnecessary trade offs, it is roomy, agile, elegant and sporty.
5/5 stars, 2020 Sentra, the best yet in its class
D.Winters,
SR 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl CVT)
I traded a late model honda civic, for the new sentra, i found after two months owning it, that it handles better is much quieter on the highway, has a much more updated saftey package that is standard on all trim levels A step ahead of my Civic.
1/5 stars, The Car That Broke the Camel's Back
V,
SV 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl CVT)
My husband and I figured we would be a Nissan family for life. We don't always have perfect experiences at our local dealership, but they try their best and we always look at the brighter side of things. However, we can't really look past the bad experience we've had with this car. We had the 2017 model and loved it. Our 2020 model, however, has been nothing but trouble since it started … and Nissan has done absolutely nothing to solve the issue. Our charging ports broke. Our sensor in our front end had to be replaced. The back sensor screams at us if we so much as park behind a leaf. We started to hear a "clicking noise" when we turned the steering wheel and took the car in for an inspection (this came at the same time as the only recall on the car, so the timing was convenient). They said everything was fine and that they "fixed" the clicking. Not so much. Lastly, the breaks failed and he got into an accident yesterday. Not only did the breaks fail, but so did all of the safety features that are put in place to prevent this very same type of accident. No breaks, so he couldn't slow down. No sensor went off before the accident, and finally, the car did not break automatically on it's own, which it's supposed to do.
Thankfully, no one got hurt but this could have been so much worse. When we talked to Nissan about it, their only response was that it was our insurances problem.
We're never buying a Nissan again, let alone a Sentra.
Sounds an alert if sensors detect an imminent front collision. Can also apply the brakes if the driver does not react quickly.
Rear Automatic Braking
Applies the brakes if sensors detect an imminent collision with an object behind the car.
Intelligent Cruise Control
Slows down or speeds up to maintain a set distance between the Sentra and the car in front.
NHTSA Overall Rating 5 out of 5 stars
The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration offers independent analysis.
Frontal Barrier Crash Rating
Rating
Overall
4 / 5
Driver
5 / 5
Passenger
3 / 5
Side Crash Rating
Rating
Overall
5 / 5
Side Barrier Rating
Rating
Overall
5 / 5
Driver
5 / 5
Passenger
5 / 5
Combined Side Barrier & Pole Ratings
Rating
Front Seat
5 / 5
Back Seat
5 / 5
Rollover
Rating
Rollover
5 / 5
Dynamic Test Result
No Tip
Risk Of Rollover
9.9%
IIHS Rating
The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety uses extensive crash tests to determine car safety.
Small Overlap Front Driver-Side Test
Good
Small Overlap Front Passenger-Side Test
Good
Moderate Overlap Front Test – Original
Good
Moderate Overlap Front Test – Updated
Not Tested
Side Impact Test – Original
Good
Side Impact Test – Updated
Acceptable
Roof Strength Test
Good
Rear Crash Protection / Head Restraint
Good
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2022 Nissan Sentra First Impressions
by the Edmunds Experts
•02/03/2021
What is the Sentra?
The 2022 Nissan Sentra is a small, economical sedan that underwent a full redesign in 2020. Power is supplied by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and routed to the front wheels through a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). Within the Nissan lineup, the Sentra is a step up from the smaller Versa and slots in just below the larger Altima.
We don't expect any notable changes for the 2022 model year since the Sentra is pretty fresh off its redesign. If anything, we're likely to see a minor shuffling of features from the options column to the standard features list. We should have more concrete information as we get near the end of 2021, so keep checking back for the latest updates.
Edmunds says
We like the Sentra for its smooth ride, better-than-average interior materials, and plentiful safety and tech features for the money. But it's hamstrung by slow acceleration, an out-of-date infotainment system, and rather long braking distances in a class dominated by the Honda Civic and newer competitors including the Kia Forte and Hyundai Elantra.
FAQ
Is the Nissan Sentra a good car?
The Edmunds experts tested the 2022 Sentra both on the road and at the track, giving it a 7.3 out of 10. Edmunds’ consumer reviews show that the 2022 Sentra gets an average rating of 4 stars out of 5 (based on 55 reviews) What about cargo capacity? When you're thinking about carrying stuff in your new car, keep in mind that the Sentra has 14.3 cubic feet of trunk space. And then there's safety and reliability. Edmunds has all the latest NHTSA and IIHS crash-test scores, plus industry-leading expert and consumer reviews to help you understand what it's like to own and maintain a Nissan Sentra. Learn more
What's new in the 2022 Nissan Sentra?
According to Edmunds’ car experts, here’s what’s new for the 2022 Nissan Sentra:
New packages: Midnight Edition and All-Weather
No other changes for 2022
Part of the eighth Sentra generation introduced for 2020
To determine whether the Nissan Sentra is reliable, read Edmunds' authentic consumer reviews, which come from real owners and reveal what it's like to live with the Sentra. Look for specific complaints that keep popping up in the reviews, and be sure to compare the Sentra's 4-star average consumer rating to that of competing vehicles. Learn more
Is the 2022 Nissan Sentra a good car?
There's a lot to consider if you're wondering whether the 2022 Nissan Sentra is a good car. Edmunds' expert testing team reviewed the 2022 Sentra and gave it a 7.3 out of 10. Our consumer reviews show that the 2022 Sentra gets an average rating of 4 stars out of 5 (based on 55 reviews). Safety scores, fuel economy, cargo capacity and feature availability should all be factors in determining whether the 2022 Sentra is a good car for you. Learn more
How much should I pay for a 2022 Nissan Sentra?
The least-expensive 2022 Nissan Sentra is the 2022 Nissan Sentra S 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl CVT). Including destination charge, it arrives with a Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of about $19,950.
Other versions include:
S 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl CVT) which starts at $19,950
SV 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl CVT) which starts at $21,030
SR 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl CVT) which starts at $22,700
If you're interested in the Nissan Sentra, the next question is, which Sentra model is right for you? Sentra variants include S 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl CVT), SV 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl CVT), and SR 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl CVT). For a full list of Sentra models, check out Edmunds’ Features & Specs page. Learn more
