2007 Motor Trend Car of the Year: Testing and Finalists
Nip, tuck, and take a little off the top while you're at it
By Neil G. Chirico
The compact market segment is tough, so quick face-lifts no longer cut it. Nissan threw out everything but the nameplate for the 2007 version of its Sentra. The previous conventional sedan profile has been ditched for a more chiseled look with Nissan's current corporate face.
While a complete redo was long overdue, is Nissan diluting its own piece of this market space with the addition of the new subcompact Versa? They're separated only by a mere 3.6 cubic feet of interior passenger volume. Both share chassis architecture with Renault, although the Versa is a hatchback and the Sentra has a conventional trunk. The new Sentra houses a new larger and more powerful 140-horse, 2.0-liter inline-four versus the Versa's 122-horse, 1.8-liter I-4. Both are available with continuously variable automatic transmissions as well as six-speed manuals.
Editors noted that the Sentra "moved around a lot" on the rough road section of the driving loop and was prone to wallowing during hard cornering (this was a standard model; a performance-tuned SE-R should come to market within a year). The new electric power-assisted steering, while quick, lacks significant feedback; one editor described it as "foamy." Rear-seat headroom is tight, and the trunk also was dinged for being too small, although the interior is artfully designed and finished to a higher level than some previous Nissans.
While it looks good, it represents an advance over its well-aged predecessor, and it can handle everyday-commuting chores adequately, the Sentra doesn't raise the bar in any particular area. And will the Versa indeed impinge on the Sentra's turf? Only time and market share will tell, although if buyers choose either, as opposed to heading for another brand's showroom, Nissan will be happy.
| 2007 Nissan Sentra |
| Base price range | $15,365-$19,015 |
| Price as tested | $19,765 (SL) |
| Vehicle layout | Front engine, FWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan |
| Engine | 2.0L/140-hp/147-lb-ft DOHC 16-valve I-4 |
| Transmission | Continuously variable auto |
| Curb weight (f/r dist) | 3022 lb (62/38%) |
| Wheelbase | 105.7 in |
| Length x width x height | 179.8 x 70.5 x 59.5 in |
| 0-60 mph | 9.4 sec |
| Quarter mile | 17.3 sec @ 79.2 mph |
| Braking, 60-0 mph | 136 ft |
| 600-foot slalom | 63.7 mph, avg |
| Lateral acceleration | 0.71 g, avg |
| MT Figure eight | 29.2 sec @ 0.54 g, avg |
| EPA city/hwy fuel econ | 29/36 mpg |
| Sum Up | Better, but just average in this highly competitive segment. |
| Bet you didn't know | The Sentra shares its platform with Europe's Renault Megane: The engine bay is identical. |
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