The 2016 Nissan Sentra gets a thorough refresh inside and out. Is it enough to keep it competitive in the tough compact sedan segment against the likes of Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, and many others? Roman and Nathan traveled to California to get a first drive in the car.
The last major overhaul for the Nissan Sentra was 2013. As one of the top-selling compact sedans, Nissan worked hard to reduce the Sentra’s weight, improve fuel economy, adopt a more expressive style, and step up from being just an affordable sedan. The 2016 Sentra gets redesigned front and rear ends that feature a new grille, bumpers, and boomerang head- and taillights.
The cabin also benefits from a mid-cycle refresh with a modernized design, a new steering wheel, gear shifter, and 5-inch infotainment screen atop the center stack. Advanced driver aids and safety technology available with the 2016 Sentra include adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning and emergency braking, as well as blind spot detection and rear cross-traffic alert.
The single powerplant for the 2016 Sentra is a 1.8-liter 4-cylinder engine mated to an Xtronic transmission (CVT). A 6-speed manual transmission is available on the base Sentra S trim. Fuel economy is rated at 29 mpg city, 38 mpg highway and 32 mpg combined with the Xtronic transmission. The Sentra S with 6-speed manual transmission is rated at 27 mpg city, 36 mpg highway and 30 mpg combined.
The 2016 Sentra has a starting MSRP of $16,780 (excluding fees) for the Sentra S with 6-speed manual transmission. A Sentra SV with the Driver Assist Package, which includes NissanConnect with Navigation and Mobile Apps and the innovative active safety features customers highly desire and utilize on a daily basis – such as Blind Spot Warming (BSW) and Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) – is estimated to be priced at under $20,000.
2016 Nissan Sentra Specs:
- Engine: 1.8L DOHC I-4
- Power: 130 hp @ 6,000 rpm
- Torque: 128 lb-ft @ 3,600 rpm
- Transmission: Xtronic (CVT) or 6-speed manual
- Drivetrain layout: front engine/front-wheel drive
- Curb weight: 2,857 lbs (Xtronic) / 2,848 lbs (manual)
- EPA-estimated fuel economy (city/hwy/combined mpg): 29/38/32 (Xtronic)
