2016 Nissan Sentra - For Every Turn, There's Cars.com. Nissan Sentra 2016
The verdict: The refreshed 2016 Nissan Sentra adds needed refinements to its styling and protection technology at the same time as retaining its two strongest selling points — excellent use and passenger room. But vague steering and sluggish acceleration remain.
Versus the competition: Improvements produce the 2016 Sentra better overall but don’t give it a leg up on top of elongated ago|newly} updated competition such as the 2016 Honda Civic, which is better to drive and has a nicer cabin. The Sentra does offer superior use in the company of its subordinate trim levels, however.
Nissan has refreshed the 2016 Nissan Sentra inside an effort to remain rate in the company of the competition, with two main rival compact sedans that got stocked redesigns this year: the Honda Civic and Chevrolet Cruze. The refresh swaps 20 percent of the Sentra’s parts for new pieces and adds new technology and protection features as well. See the differences amidst the 2015 and 2016 versions of the Sentra here, and balance the Sentra in the company of its competitors here.
The Sentra comes inside five trim levels: S, FE+ S, SV, SR and SL. I drove both the SR and SL models around Orange County inside Southern California to find out assuming the more features give the 2016 Sentra enough of a boost to remain up.
The Nissan Sentra’s styling updates don’t modify the overall shape of the sedan, but there are changes aplenty up front, where all first of the A-pillars has been restyled. That means a new hood, start fenders, grille, headlights and bumper. The look is borrowed from the larger Nissan Maxima and Altima sedans and is a better direction than the calm styling of the 2015.
Down the sides and inside the rear, however, the body panels and shapes have not been changed save for some subtle tweaks to the rear bumper. The taillights become an updated design but sit inside the identical housing. Retaining the identical high-walled, rounded greenhouse profile keeps the overall aesthetic the identical and the Sentra still blends inside too much for my tastes, largely when compared in the company of the aggressively restyled 2016 Civic.
The nearly all chic Sentra is the SR trim, although it’s worth noting that all of its seeming “go-fast” parts are purely cosmetic. It gets special 17-inch alloy wheels, side skirts, a rear spoiler, fog lights and a chrome exhaust tip.
Not much has changed under the hood. The one motor is carried on top of from previous year’s model: a 130-horsepower, 1.8-liter four-cylinder that is mated to a six-speed manual transmission or a continuously changeable robot transmission. The manual comes one on of|supported by} the base S trim level, on of|supported by} which the CVT is optional. All additional trims have one the CVT.
With the identical motor and one minor delay tweaks, the Nissan Sentra’s driving understanding remnants an uninspiring proposition. There is nought offensive about piloting the Sentra; it tracks well and the steering wheel tightens up nicely when on of|supported by} the motorway to aid remain you on of|supported by} center. But the pliant delay and accurate but vague-feeling steering makes it additional at home on of|supported by} unswerving roads. The motor is not aggressively tuned and when combined in the company of the CVT feels a slice sluggish. Trying to become the Nissan Sentra to increase swiftly is akin to getting a teenager to do chores; the dishes become done eventually, but it drive take some nagging.
There is one strange quirk of the CVT that I noticed: Nissan has more manufactured shift points to the CVT’s programming to produce it suffer additional like a old-fashioned robot in the company of separate gears. But at the same time as accelerating in the company of some vigor, such as getting on of|supported by} a motorway or passing, the motor drive step along inside the rpm range, as assuming it were upshifting, then climb in reverse up. It’s a slice unnerving assuming you know the Sentra has a CVT. The programming isn’t completely sorted out thus the CVT “shifts” at some difficult times as well. Nissan said that the new programming doesn’t affect fuel financial system inside either direction, but it’s an inorganic understanding I’d prefer to skip.
Despite Nissan’s comment on of|supported by} the CVT, the Sentra’s fuel financial system figures are slightly worse than previous year’s model. The EPA estimates models in the company of the manual transmission return 27/36/30 mpg city/highway/combined and those in the company of the CVT become 29/38/32 mpg. The figures for the CVT are along slightly compared in the company of previous year’s image in the company of the identical powertrain (29/39/33 mpg). Nissan says it more sound-deadening material inside the refresh to remain the cabin quieter, but the curb weight on of|supported by} the SR and SL trim levels is not at all additional than 20 pounds heavier for 2016. Because the motor and aerodynamics are the same, I remain skeptical about the CVT tuning’s effect on of|supported by} fuel economy.
The efficiency-focused FE+ version of the S trim is EPA-rated 30/40/34 mpg. The Sentra, like the rest of the class, takes regular gasoline.
Included inside the refresh are numerous inside upgrades, the highlights of which are more technology, improved materials and a new steering wheel borrowed from the 370Z that I really like. Both the seats and leather upholstery inside the SR and SL models I tested better on of|supported by} the previous generation. The seats are additional comfortable and have a better-looking design than previous year’s monochrome black leather.
Nissan also has made the Sentra quieter. Whether it’s cruising on of|supported by} the motorway or navigating town streets, isolation is impressive for a car inside this class. There is one exception to this though: during acceleration. Press the accelerator to the additional end of additional than halfway and the cabin is filled in the company of an unnerving drone that doesn’t dissipate until you make off. The increased sound-deadening material mentioned previously sits amidst the motor compartment and the cabin, but it is not enough.
My favorite part of the Nissan Sentra’s inside actually is the rear seat, which offers plenty of headroom and legroom (37.4 and 36.7 inches, respectively) along in the company of great visibility. The Sentra can legitimately seat four adults comfortably even on top of extended stretches.
The Nissan Sentra’s straightforward dashboard controls are no-frills, in the company of an easily learned design and controls that are easy to reach from the driver’s seat.
There is not at all standard dashboard screen in the company of the base audio system. Nissan Sentra SV and SR trims add a 5-inch touch-screen audio system in the company of NissanConnect Mobile Apps, which integrates Pandora and iHeartRadio internet radio as well as Facebook. Voice recognition and a hands-free contents messaging assistant also are included inside this system. The SL comes standard in the company of a 5.8-inch touch-screen and navigation. The upgraded system also adds Google search capability to back in the company of destination and point-of-interest searches, TripAdvisor ratings and a master or mistress of ceremonies of SiriusXM services such as traffic and weather updates (this system is open on of|supported by} the SV and SR). NissanConnect Mobile Apps uses your smartphone’s data connection, thus you may pay extra for audio streaming, depending on of|supported by} your plan.
Nissan also has more new functionality to NissanConnect for 2016 in the company of a subscription-based aspect called Services (optional on of|supported by} the SR and SL). It uses a built-in cellular connection not included for additional functions of NissanConnect, such as cruising and Mobile Apps. The basic plan offers protection features detailed below inside the Safety section. A higher-cost plan also allows owners to set speed, curfew and frontier alerts for teen drivers, remotely lock and unlock the doors, and send directions to the cruising system via Google through the NissanConnect app.
There are two big problems in the company of the Nissan Sentra’s infotainment system: not at all Apple CarPlay and not at all Android Auto. When asked assuming the technologies would be coming afterwards inside the twelve months or assuming the system even could be upgraded to handle the technologies inside the future, Nissan representatives refused comment on of|supported by} both fronts. Apple’s Siri Eyes Free voice recognition has been more on of|supported by} the SV trim standard and above, but that isn’t enough to offset the bar of these two important features, largely in the light of that both seem on of|supported by} the 2016 Civic, 2016 Volkswagen Jetta, 2016 Cruze and 2017 Hyundai Elantra among rival compact sedans.
The Nissan Sentra’s stock has 15.1 cubic feet of cargo storage. This ties it in the company of the Civic sedan among the segment leaders, trailing one the Jetta and its 15.7 cubic feet. A 60/40-split folding backseat is standard across all trim levels.
The 2016 Nissan Sentra earned summit scores of excellent inside all of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s crashworthiness tests, like many direct competitors with the Civic, Mazda3, Subaru Impreza and Volkswagen Golf. The Sentra’s four-star overall rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration matches previous year’s ratings.
A backup camera comes standard on of|supported by} the SV trim standard and up, but it is not offered on of|supported by} the S or FE+ S.There are serious upgrades to the Nissan Sentra’s available high-tech protection features, with the supplement of blind mark information in the company of rear cross-traffic alert, first collision information in the company of robot emergency braking and a new adaptive cruise control system. These technologies are starting to produce their means additional and additional into this class, but are not so far commonly found.
In the IIHS start crash prevention rating, the Sentra currently rates basic, reflecting that collision information is available. The robot emergency braking feature, not so far tested, could submit a win of advanced (matching the Mazda3 and Jetta in the company of that feature) or superior (matching the Civic and Impreza).
The adaptive cruise control system performed well on of|supported by} the highway, speeding up and slowing to the additional end of smoothly and comfortably – something we can’t say for all such systems, even additional costly ones. It also maintained a steady length from the car ahead even when driving on top of a long, curved overpass. There is one nit to pick in the company of the system, though: It won’t do cease and go. If the Sentra is stuck inside traffic and stops completely, the system drive shut off and the chauffeur has to reactivate it manually after the Sentra reaches a rate of 20-25 mph. (Some adaptive cruise control systems drive resume from a cease at the push of a button or a knock of the accelerator.)
The subscription-based Services aspect of the NissanConnect system also provides robot collision notification, verge assistance, a stolen vehicle locator and vehicle health reports.
Click here for a stocked list of protection features.
The changes inside the 2016 Nissan Sentra better the sedan, but they still don’t give it an objective lead on top of its competitors. It still has middle-of-the-pack fuel economy, doesn’t drive as well as some and its styling remnants attractive conservative.
There is one place, however, where the Nissan Sentra does deliver: value. The SV trim standard illustrates this point best, in the company of standard features such as NissanConnect in the company of Mobile Apps, Bluetooth connectivity, USB port, backup camera, Siri Eyes Free and satellite radio (subscription required). The SV starts at $19,385 (all prices involve the destination fee) and can be outfitted in the company of the Driver’s Assist Package for $1,020, which adds navigation, blind mark information in the company of rear cross-traffic alert and SiriusXM traffic reports. Total price: $20,405, impressive for a car in the company of these features.
I was unable to configure the competition as fully for the identical price. You can outfit a Toyota Corolla LE Plus in the company of cruising for $22,330, but it doesn’t offer blind mark warning. A comparable 2016 Kia Forte EX sedan is $23,840 and also is missing blind mark warning.
The closest competitor I could find was a 2016 Civic EX sedan at $23,035, which offers a LaneWatch camera system as an alternative to blind mark information and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as substitutes for navigation. If you want a Civic sedan in the company of a built-in cruising system, it drive cost you additional than $25,000.
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