Today at the Beijing Motor Show, Nissan unveiled the Sylphy. But don't be fooled by the name; this is the US-bound 2013 Nissan Sentra in disguise. More »

The Sentra has been a pillar of Nissan’s car line for a full thirty years now, and while times have certainly changed, the Sentra has unfailingly been the automotive equivalent to sensible shoes or the same favorite brand of jeans you pick year after year. In other words, with the Sentra, the perception is you get just about what you expect. But the reality is we no longer live in a world where your choices for a decent small car were essentially limited to Civic/Corolla/Sentra. Far from it. With that in mind, The Garage set out to see how the current Sentra stacks up.

The Sentra is now in its sixth generation. Introduced in 2006 in Detroit as a 2007 model, the Sentra is now ancient in a sea of brand-new, fresh-faced competition. To put this into perspective, when the current Sentra was shown to the world for the first time, my wife was pregnant with our son. Said son is now in Kindergarten learning how to read, about to turn six years old. But, I digress. The Sentra is certainly familiar in appearance for having been around so long. A styling refresh in 2010 did much to soften up the blocky Lego-like front and rear end design. Our test car was a Sentra SR with the Special Edition Package identical to the car pictured here. For sure, I appreciated the SR-specific exterior features such as side sill extensions, sportier front and rear fascias, decklid spoiler among other features. But again, you’re looking at a design that has been around for an eternity. The sporty appearance bits help, but cannot mask the age of the design.

Given the sporty bits on the Sentra’s exterior, those expecting that theme to carryover inside will walk away bitterly disappointed. Our test car was finished in a pale, industrial grey that just seemed to shout ‘rental car’. The Sentra offers a perfectly functional, practical cabin, however. As a tall fellow I had more than enough room up front. Gauges were clear as a bell, and all other controls were a snap to use. But I was frequently annoyed with a squeaking driver’s seat on our 2012 test car with all of 6,000 miles on the clock. I was also disappointed at the lack of heated seats-they can be had on a Sentra, but only the top-spec SL model. The cabin is showing its age much moreso than the exterior, but again, the biggest letdown was the Sentra SR’s sporty exterior styling revealing a drab, dull, and completely uninspired interior.

With the exception of the SE-R and Spec V Sentra’s, all models share the same 2.0L four cylinder rated at 140hp. With this engine, only the base Sentra can be had with a manual transmission, all other models share a CVT. Acceleration felt about average for this class of car, and EPA fuel economy ratings of 27/34  city/highway MPG are OK but well behind the numbers a Hyundai Elantra can achieve. On a cold January weekend here in Connecticut, the Sentra seemed to take forever for its engine temp to warm up. Cruising at 35mph with the engine, which is no model of silky smoothness itself but at a constant buzzy 2,000 rpm the Sentra was annoying as all heck until she finally warmed up enough. Once warmed up, the Sentra still felt far less refined than its newer competition, in terms of ride quality and overall refinement.

The 2012 Nissan Sentra 2.0 SR has a base list price of $17,990USD, which includes the exterior bits described earlier, foglights, six-speaker audio with iPod interface. Our test car added splash guards, floor mats, and the Special Edition Package that included Navigation, XM Satellite radio, XM NavTraffic, USB port, keyless entry and ignition, Bluetooth, moonroof and unique 16″ alloys. Total tally, including destination comes to $20, 320. That is a pretty decent amount of features for the price paid here.

The Sentra represents a decent value for the amount of features you get, but in the end this is a dated, tired car that has outlived its useful life. The bottom line is that in the intervening years the Sentra has been around, the competition has seriously stepped up its game. To be sure, the Sentra will do all that is asked of it-reliable, economical transportation. And the market has spoken-in 2011, the Sentra was Nissan’s second best-selling car in the US behind the Altima. In my opinion, newer models like the Ford Focus, Chevy Cruze, Hyundai Elantra and Mazda3 simply offer a far more engaging driving experience and refinement the Sentra cannot match. Value is one thing, but in a market as hotly contested as this, resting on your laurels simply won’t do in 2012.

Filed under: Car Buying, Nissan

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Transportation (DOT) recently unveiled new window stickers that are going to be present on all vehicles starting in 2013. All future window stickers will feature a Quick Response (QR) code, which can be read by the smartphone of a prospective car buyer. Nissan elected to stay a step of ahead of the new window stickers, and is the first automaker to implement QR codes in its 2012 model year lineup.

On Nissan lots right now, the 2012 Altima and Sentra display the data-rich boxes that work with the camera on your phone. Once scanned, the QR codes can provide:

• Specific vehicle information, including grade walk, key features and available accessories
• Video based product overviews
• Image gallery
• Incentive offers
• Dealer inventory
• Request a quote capability
• Join mailing list request
• Dealer location support

Nissan will continue to add the codes to the rest of its 2012 lineup. Click past the jump for more information on the QR codes, and to read the full press release.

Continue reading Nissan first to place QR codes on window stickers ahead of 2013 mandate

Nissan first to place QR codes on window stickers ahead of 2013 mandate originally appeared on Autoblog 5.0 on Mon, 08 Aug 2011 14:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Sedan, SUV, Truck, Recalls, Safety, Nissan

Nissan has issued a voluntary recall on select Frontier and Xterra models due to problems with the lower steering column joint and shaft, as well as the Sentra sedan for problems with the positive battery cable terminal. Just under 605,000 vehicles are affected by this recall, which is set to ramp up in early December.

Approximately 303,000 Frontiers and 283,000 Xterras in the United States, Canada and a number of Latin American countries can develop corrosion that limits the movement of the lower steering column joint. If this issue is overlooked, it can lead to the steering shaft cracking.

Sentras, on the other hand, have developed a problem with the connector on the positive battery cable terminal, which can cause the car to have issues starting, or can possibly result in stalling at low speeds. Approximately 18,500 Sentras manufactured between May 15, 2010 and July 8, 2010 are being recalled for this reason.

Affected model years depend on where the vehicle was manufactured, and you can see the full details in Nissan's press release, after the jump. Thanks to all for the tips!

[Sources: Nissan, CNN Money]

Continue reading Nissan recalling 605,000 Frontier, Xterra and Sentra models over two issues

Nissan recalling 605,000 Frontier, Xterra and Sentra models over two issues originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Nov 2010 14:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Coupe, Sedan, Nissan

As much as we'd love to see Nissan hearken back to its performance roots with a remake of the classic 240SX coupe, it seems the Japanese automaker is content to earn sales by sticking to the tried-and-true approach of offering competent vehicles at attainable prices. In other words, if Nissan has a sporty-looking coupe in the pipeline, it'll be more of a Scion tC competitor than a Hyundai Genesis Coupe-challenger.

This revelation comes by way of Larry Dominique, chief product planner for Nissan North America, who tells Wards "he would be more inclined to do a derivative of the Sentra than introduce an entirely new nameplate." Nissan's internal data suggests that it could only sell about 30,000 240SX coupes in America per year, which isn't enough to make a convincing production argument. Sad, sure, but very likely also true.

In related news, Dominique also says that the next generation of Nissan cars in the States will share a great deal of design DNA. At present, there is very little visually that ties the Versa, Sentra and Altima together in any meaningful cohesive way besides the Nissan badge on the trunk. Expect that to change in the coming years as the nameplates receive their next rounds of styling updates.



[Source: Wards]

Report: Nissan abandons thoughts of 240SX revival, ponders Sentra coupe instead originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 22 Sep 2010 14:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Recalls, Safety, Technology, Nissan

Nissan is recalling a number of models due to overheating Garmin navigation units. Cars, trucks and SUVs equipped with Nuvi 750, 760 and 765 GPS devices are at risk for a vehicle fire due to overheating batteries in the devices. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the recall affects Nissan's Altima, Frontier, Pathfinder, Rogue, Sentra, Versa and Xterra models sold with the Garmin devices between 2008 and 2010. NHTSA does not say exactly how many vehicles will be effected by the defective batteries.

Garmin technicians will make the necessary repairs to the GPS units by replacing the battery with a new, less-toasty unit and adding an additional spacer between the battery and the rest of the device. The repair won't cost owners anything other than a little time and a trip to the local dealership. Nissan will notify owners directly about the recall, which is scheduled to begin sometime during this month. Suzuki is facing a similar recall, as well - these Garmin navigation units are fitted in the SX4, Grand Vitara and Equator.



Photos Copyright (C)2010 Steven J. Ewing / AOL

[Source: NHTSA]

Nissan joins overheating Garmin sat-nav recall originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 13 Sep 2010 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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