2007 Nissan Sentra

Ride comfort is typically pleasant, as the Sentra deals effectively with most pavement flaws, though harsh highway spots might elicit some lumpiness. Occasionally, a serious bump may lead to either a woozy sensation or a rather harsh hit, yet the Sentra exhibits excellent control.


Steering/handling is more ordinary than sporty, yet a Sentra maneuvers easily in urban environments and behaves well on the highway. Sentras also react adeptly on curvy roads. As promised, "on-center" feel is good and this sedan tracks easily on expressways. On snow and ice, the front-drive Sentra comports itself well, and its CVT permits "rocking" forward and back when needed.


Front occupants get plenty of space on short seat bottoms, and the driving position is hard to beat. Backseat head and foot room are ample, but leg/knee space is on the snug side. Instruments are simple but readable, especially when orange-lit at night, except for the bar-type fuel/temperature gauges and the trip odometer. The gearshift lever now sits in an easy-reach spot atop the forward console, and Nissan's information display presents large characters for easy readability. An outstanding climate-control system uses multi-position rotary knobs.


With the Sentra, Nissan competes against the Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Chevrolet Cobalt, and Ford Focus. Those aren't necessarily the lowest-end models from rival automakers.


Expect to pay more for this larger Sentra than its predecessor commanded. The base-model 2.0 starts at $14,750 (plus destination charge), with air conditioning, power windows/locks, and a CD player. Nissan's CVT adds $800 to that figure. With manual shift, the midrange 2.0 S starts at $15,650. The 2.0 SL stickers for $18,400 with its standard CVT, leather trim, antilock braking, intelligent key, and Bluetooth hands-free phone operation. (www.nissanusa.com)