Styling

The Sentra's tall stance and short hood and trunklid make the car look a bit stubby in profile. It's not nearly as sleek as the Civic, which is still futuristic looking even though it's been around in its current form since the 2006 model year — an incredible feat. I like the Sentra's design more than the Corolla's, which is about as bland and nondescript a car as you'll find these days. For a side-by-side comparison of the Sentra, Civic and Corolla, click here.

Not everything's right with the Sentra's design. A couple of our editors, myself included, weren't fond of the car's clear-lens taillights. This design cue was a fad a few years ago, and it's time for Nissan to ditch the look.

The Sentra comes standard with steel wheels, but our 2.0 SL had 16-inch alloy wheels with an eight-spoke design. Alloy wheels always dress up a car's exterior, and 2.0 S and 2.0 SL models get chrome door and trunklid accents that serve the same purpose.

    See also:

    Draining of coolant water
    If the vehicle is to be left outside without antifreeze, drain the cooling system, including the engine block. Refill before operating the vehicle. For details, see “Changing engine coolant” ...

    The Inside
    The SE-R is dolled-up with a black interior and sport bucket seats. The cloth upholstery, embroidered with the SE-R logo, is a step up from the regular Sentra, but I found the seats marginal in te ...

    Gasoline specifications
    NISSAN recommends using gasoline that meets the World-Wide Fuel Charter (WWFC) specifications where it is available. Many of the automobile manufacturers developed this specification to improv ...