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.
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Driving It
The Sentra's off-the-line performance is good, with acceleration that's much
more effortless than the Civic or Corolla, both of which are offered with
traditional automatic transmissions with fixe ...
Safety
All-disc antilock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution and brake
assist are standard. Side-impact airbags and side curtain-type airbags that
protect outboard occupants in all three rows ...
How It Drives
Like most entry-level cars, the Versa has adequate power for most situations,
even with the air conditioning on. The continuously variable automatic
transmission picks up engine revs quickly enoug ...
