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:

    Headlights
    Replacing the xenon headlight bulb (if so equipped) WARNING HIGH VOLTAGE When xenon headlights are on, they produce a high voltage. To prevent an electric shock, never attempt to modify or disas ...

    How to adjust the screen (if so equipped)
    To set up the RearView Monitor to your preferred settings, push the SETTING button while the RearView Monitor screen is displayed. Each time the SETTING button is pushed, the next setting item ...

    Xenon headlights (if so equipped)
    WARNING HIGH VOLTAGE ● When xenon headlights are on, they produce a high voltage. To prevent an electric shock, never attempt to modify or disassemble. Always have your xenon headlights re ...