Nissan Sentra History
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The Nissan Sentra is a compact four-door sedan that's built in Mexico. On sale in the U.S. since 1982, it's sized and priced against other perennial best-sellers like the Honda Civic, Ford Focus, Toyota Corolla and Mazda3.
All generations of the Sentra have held true to the basic economy-car format. Since it first made its debut, Sentra's been a front-wheel-drive four-door with occasional two-door hatchback versions offered. The first Sentra, sold from 1982-1986, replaced the old Datsun 210, and was the first car in the U.S. sold under the new Nissan nameplate. It also was the first Nissan build in the United States, in the vast assembly complex Nissan built in Tennessee. Four-speed manual and three-speed automatics were offered, and top versions achieved 35 mpg. The second generation arrived as a 1986 model in the U.S., and continued on through 1990.
The third Sentra emerged as a 1991 model and carried on through the 1995 model year. It adopted an upright shape that provided good interior space, and its light weight and independent suspension gave it a more sporty feel than the Toyota Corolla and the Honda Civic. The third-generation Sentra won many enthusiast fans when it added a special SE-R edition. A regular on magazine top-ten lists, the 140-horsepower SE-R came in a two-door body style and was specially tuned for sporty driving, and added four-wheel disc brakes and a limited-slip differential to the standard-features list. Basic equipment lists included an AM/FM radio and roll-up windows, and automatic seat belts were used through most of these model years to meet federal safety-belt requirements.
In its fourth generation, the Sentra reversed course as Nissan tried to spare costs. A torsion-beam rear suspension replaced the independent suspension on the previous car, and the SE-R returned in watered-down form, larger and less nimble than before. The SE-R later adopted the "200SX" tag as Nissan invoked the heritage of its sportscars.
In the fifth Sentra, sold from 2000 to 2006, the Sentra grew more as the next-larger Altima progressed into the mid-size sedan class. The Sentra left its Smyrna assembly plant for a plant in Mexico for this model change as well. The new edition felt more substantial and roomy; the SE-R returned with a larger 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, and a Spec V edition cranked out 175 horsepower through a six-speed manual transmission. A facelifted edition in 2004 presaged styling themes that would appear on the new Maxima, with a wide grille split by a round Nissan badge.
The current Nissan Sentra bowed in the 2007 model year, with a world debut at the 2006 Detroit auto show. On paper a mid-size car, the Sentra gained a smaller sibling, the hatchback Nissan Versa. This Sentra would be the first to benefit from the global alliance Nissan had entered in 2000 with French automaker Renault; a common platform spawned the Sentra as well as the Renault Megane lineup as well as the Versa and the Nissan Rogue crossover. The Sentra was offered as a four-door sedan, equipped with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and a choice of manual gearboxes or a continuously variable transmission. Power output was rated at 140 hp. The SE-R returned as a sedan, with a high-output version of the same engine rated at 177 horsepower; the SE-R Spec V produced 200 hp and was teamed with a six-speed manual transmission.
The 2010 model year brought a cosmetic refresh for the Sentra's somewhat stubby look and its angular interior. As a driver's machine, it's lacking in comparison to the great Sentras of the early 1990s, but it's a reasonably roomy package with excellent outward visibility. The CVT-equipped versions suffer from the noise and drone that accompanies most CVT-equipped cars; by design the transmission keeps the engine revving at high rpm, where the noise and vibration live. It's the only gearbox on the SE-R, which makes the Spec V the only choice for some straight-edge enthusiasts. Ride quality on all versions is a high point, and assembly quality has been good.
The Sentra gets top "good" ratings in frontal offset, side, and rear tests from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and nearly all top ratings from the federal government, with only one four-star result for rear passenger side-impact protection. Side and side-curtain airbags are standard. But Nissan is a step behind some other automakers in safety features. For 2010, Nissan now offers electronic stability control as an option across the more affordable models, but it's standard on 2.0 SL, SE-R, and Spec V models. However, anti-lock brakes remain optional, not standard, on the base 2.0 models.
