Building a really good small car is a hard, hard thing. In fact, it’s a thing so hard that American car companies have basically decided that they no longer even want to try. These are cars that people expect a lot from and they expect a lot from them for a short amount of money. Nissan had been lagging this category with the previous generation Sentra. The car was no longer very current looking and it just didn’t really deliver to the level that its segment competitors did. It was time for a refresh and to some level, a reboot.
Being that this is one of the longest lasting, foundational models in the entire Nissan lineup the company needs this car to stand and deliver on price, styling, comfort, driver experience, and longevity. It’s in the deep end of the pool with Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, Mazda 3, and other small cars that helped to literally create the segment in this country. So, how did they do?
I go into depth on my feelings for the 2020 Nissan SV in the video below but I can tell you straight out that this car is worth every penny of its $20,000 asking price and it is because of several key reasons. The firstly, the styling. This is an inexpensive car that does not look cheap. That’s a very tough feat to pull off successfully. The alignment of Nissan’s styling really makes so much sense and the big winner in the whole thing is the Sentra. Interior comfort, styling, and feel is great. There’s room for real people to ride in this car without contorting, and its driving dynamics deliver the good as well.
Criticisms? I have a couple in the video and provide more context there, but I wish I was able to interact with the car a little more, I wish there were a little more spunk here to match the styling, and of course we’d always love a dash more horsepower here at BangShift.
You need to watch the video (and check out the photos below) for the full story and my impressions on this car. The easy answer is that if you are shopping in this $20,000 price range for a car that will give you an experience beyond your spending and do it in a stylish package that you can be proud to own, do not sleep on the 2020 Nissan Sentra SV. This car overdelivers for its price point.
(Full photo gallery below the video!)
Press play below to get our full impressions of the all-new 2020 Nissan Sentra SV –
I’ve done a lot of research for this class of car. Was looking for a non turbo engine, simply because the turbo requires premium gas (forget what the dealer will tell you, regular won’t cut it). The most power, non turbo, is the Toyota Corolla, 169 HP. Second would be Honda Civic base model, 158 HP. Both Corolla & Civic can be ordered with a 6 speed stick. After those cars, Nissan Sentra, Hyundai Elantra, etc, which have 148 HP. You can get an Elantra with a turbo 4, 201 HP. Anyhoo, I do agree with this review of the Sentra. Love the styling, short on HP. If I had to choose, it would be the Civic base model with stick.
Bought a 2019 6 speed manual Sentra last year
Topped out @ less then 16 K – and yes , not a power house.
Anything else is north of 25K
But her highness wanted it …
If you can find one get the manual box
Would never buy at Automatic CVT from Nissan
I really wish more people in this price range would buy these instead of getting 8 year financing for an suv that costs 20k more