Is the 2025 Nissan Sentra a Good Car? 5 Pros, 2 Cons

The Nissan Sentra is one of the few choices left in the shrinking compact sedan market, and it stands out as one of the most affordable choices in the category. Last redesigned for the 2020 model year, the Sentra got a mild update for 2024 that includes a revised continuously variable automatic transmission, start-stop functionality and various styling tweaks.

Related: 2024 Nissan Sentra Review: A Lot for a Little

The updates add to the appeal of the Sentra, which offers a generous assortment of standard features and solid value in a segment abandoned by many manufacturers in favor of small SUVs. There are still plenty of competitors to choose from, however, including the Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra and Toyota Corolla. For 2025, the Sentra received an available Midnight Edition Package but is otherwise unchanged.

Cars.com News Editor Jennifer Geiger spent some time with an updated Sentra in the top SR trim level and found that it has more to offer than just a low price. Click the link above to read Geiger’s expert review, or for a quicker look, here are five things we like about the Nissan Sentra and two we don’t.

What Do We Like About the Nissan Sentra?

1. Improved CVT

The Sentra’s 2024 update brings improvements to its CVT that are aimed at smoother operation and improved fuel economy. In addition, the transmission can now mimic the feel of a conventional automatic with simulated gear changes. The improvements are largely successful, with less noise and a more natural feel while accelerating, but there’s still some of the droning noise and rubber-band feel that’s typical with a CVT.

2. More Frugal With Fuel

Thanks to the transmission updates and a new stop-start feature to save fuel at stoplights, Nissan has managed to squeeze out a 1-mpg improvement in the Sentra’s overall fuel economy for an EPA-rated 34 mpg combined. That still trails the Civic, Elantra and Corolla, which, unlike the Sentra, are all also available with a hybrid powertrain for even better fuel mileage.

3. Competent Cruiser

All Sentra trims are powered by a 149-horsepower, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that has enough power for highway merging and passing. There’s not much left in reserve, however. The Sentra isn’t one of the sportier entries in the class, but it rides reasonably well with decent damping, as well as a quiet and controlled highway ride.

4. Pleasant Accommodations

The interior design is clean and functional, if somewhat basic, and it doesn’t look low-rent despite lots of plastic bits. Our tested SR trim livens things up with contrasting red-and-orange stitching on the seats and dash, along with additional niceties like heated seats. The standard infotainment system offers quick response times, includes Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and is easy to learn and use. There are also welcome physical controls for volume, tuning and climate functions.

5. Good Value

The Sentra may not be the sportiest, most well-equipped or fuel-efficient compact sedan you can buy, but its overall combination of virtues and an affordable price make it a solid value. Even the base trim comes with a decent assortment of standard safety and convenience features, all for a starting price that is lower than those for the Civic, Corolla or Elantra.

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What Do We Dislike About the Nissan Sentra?

1. Child-Safety Seat Fit

With less rear-seat legroom than in its competitors, fitting car seats in the Sentra can be a challenge. The limited space makes it impossible to install a rear-facing child-safety seat without impacting front-seat passenger legroom. Also, the fixed rear head restraints prevent forward-facing convertible car seats and boosters from sitting flush against the seatbacks, as they should for a proper fit.

2. Not Very Interesting

As much as the Sentra delivers decent bang for the buck, buyers looking for a bit of excitement or even the best fuel economy might want to keep shopping. The Sentra offers broad appeal, but it’s unlikely to increase your pulse. If price is your number one concern, however, the Sentra is worth a closer look.

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