AutoNSider Review | 2020 Nissan Sentra 2.0 SR CVT

True Story. I parked this new Sentra next to a buddy who’s been driving one of
those European “3’s” for the last 5 or 6 years. He looked at my Sentra and said
“Hmmmmm”. Then I opened the door and he said something like “dang”. Then
I told him 25K, and he said something way stronger than “dang”.
Yes…Nissan’s new for ’20 Sentra resembles a 19-year-old who’s outgrown their
teenage acne…got the braces off…had a nose job…and all of a sudden
developed a rather lithe and curvy body. There’s so much new about Nissan’s
’20 Sentra that my only surprise is that they still call it a Sentra.
Let’s face it. Some of those earlier Sentras seemed a bit lumpy and frumpy…at
least to me.
No more. Today’s Sentra strikes me as more like a slightly shrunken
Maxima…with just the proper amount of tone, curves and muscles.
But there’s more to the new Sentra than just it’s new exterior.
In SR trim with a Premium Package, you get animal-friendly leatherette with
contrasting stitching (my buddy’s “3-something” didn’t have contrasting stitching)
plus LED headlamps, power sunroof, heated seats and steering, 6-speaker
premium audio, 18” alloys, hands-free texting and voice recognition, and just
about every safety alert that’s currently available.
But wait…there’s more….
Yes…Nissan’s ’20 Sentra touches every base with more power, better economy,
sportier handling, and more space.
Space? Today’s Sentra is about the same size as an Altima of 10 years ago.
And that means that there’s actually room for five fully grown adults inside.
Power is up significantly, too. You’ll get a 149 HP 2.0 liter four and a state of the
art CVT auto to keep it cookin’. And for you “Old-Schoolers” who prefer the feel
of actual gears shifting in your automatic, I’ll just say that Nissan makes one of
the best CVTs that I’ve driven. They’ve programmed the feel of upshifts and
downshifts into their new CVT…making it a lot more satisfying to drive.

And on the subject of “Fun to Drive”, Nissan gave their new Sentra an
independent rear suspension. Other vehicles in Nissan’s price range have
moved away from this pricier setup. The result? A ride that’s soft on the
potholes yet composed on the curves.
Mileage was another happy surprise. The EPA rates Nissan’s Sentra at 29
MPG City and 39 Hwy. We got low to mid 30’s around town, and touched low
40’s on a few 65 – 70 MPH freeway commutes.
In short, Nissan’s new Sentra was quite a surprise…for all the right reasons.
Our test Sentra had just about every option and package available, and still came in with a reasonable window sticker of $25,480. So is Nissan’s new ’20 Sentra a genuine “sports sedan”? No. But it’s definitely a “sporty sedan” that delivers much more than its 25K price would suggest. 

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