Little of substance has changed with this year's model
The Basics:
The 2008 Nissan Sentra is no longer Nissan's smallest car for sale in the U.S. market. For Nissan, 2008 is the year the company introduces the Versa into a slot below the Sentra, making the Sentra more of a compact than a subcompact.
The base 2008 Nissan Sentra makes a great high-value commuter car given its solid list of standard features, including six airbags. Anti-lock brakes are included on 2.0 S models, while the fancy 2.0 SL boasts a Bluetooth hands-free phone system and leather appointed seats. Unfortunately, the 2.0 SL also sticks you with Nissan's Xtronic CVT, which seems to cause engine drone. We'd rather drive the standard six-speed manual transmission that's available on the S.
Overall, the 2008 Nissan Sentra has sharp styling and a roomy, quiet interior. Because it only comes as a sedan, it suffers against competitors that offer other body styles (like the two-door Honda Civics). The Sentra gets good fuel economy from its peppy 140-horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, but your driving experience can be dampened a bit by the CVT, and the suspension occasionally bobbles when you expect consistent responses.
Nissan offers higher-performance Sentra models: the SE-R and the Spec V. Both feature significant performance enhancements over lesser Sentra models because the SE-R and Spec V utilize 177- and 200-hp versions of the larger 2.5-liter four-cylinder found in the Nissan Altima sedan and Rouge crossover. Suspensions, brakes, and interiors of these Sentra performance models are also enhanced.
Likes:
- Roomy, quiet interior
- Stand-out styling
- Huge glove box
- SE-R and Spec V performance models
- Fuel economy
Dislikes:
- Only one body style: a sedan
- Continuously variable transmission (CVT)
- Inconsistent suspension performance
- Performance models outgunned
