2012 Nissan Sentra

Pros

Very comfortable, quiet, great economy, love the CVT

Cons

Somewhat plasticky interior, center armrest too far back, not enough cup holders, thin paint

Purchased As New

I love this car. I average between 200 and 600 miles a week, and am never tired from driving it. Very comfortable drivers seat and the height adjustable seat makes a great difference.

I absolutely LOVE the blocky look, it's so different looking from the aero designed cars that all look the same. It has enough headroom both front and rear, and all seating positions are comfortable. No complaints from the 13 and 15 year old in the back.

I read about poor fuel economy and lackluster acceleration. We went to Maryland from Mass with 3 people and luggage, and hit 39.9 MPG at one point on the highway, and averaged 34.3 for the whole trip.

As for the acceleration, with the CVT it takes some getting used to. You shouldn't be afraid of really putting your foot into it. I can merge into traffic and reach 65-70 by the time I reach the end of the acceleration/entrance lane.

CVT does not work the same way a traditional transmission does, so you have to drive it differently. You won't get a down shift when you push the accelerator, so you have to just trust that the power is there and keep the foot down.

A few niggles though. Very thin paint; two weeks after I got it I noticed stone chips in the hood. It's now over a year old, and there are more of them.

The interior is very plasticky, and the dash cut lines are very evident and are not even.

We had a 2007 Versa, and it had a bottle holder in the door panels plus 2 cup holders in the console. We only have a total of 4 cup holders in the Sentra. I miss the bottle holders for water.

I hadn't realized when I bought it that the trunk will not open from the key fob, so have to use the actual key. Kind of ghetto in this day and age and it's a pain. Wish I had gone for the intellikey, but it was part of a $1,900 option package.

All in all, a smooth riding, economical and comfortable car that is distinctive and eye catching. I got the Red Alert just to make sure it totally was. I call it Traffic Court Red....read morehide

Pros

good brakes, roomy

Cons

ride is rough, disappointing gas mpg, transmission, bad acceleration

Purchased As New

bad suspension, disappointing gas mpg (27/34, but unless you drive 65 or lower, your mpg will drop down to 27 even on highway), old design style. Despite of the fact that Nissan advertises its CVT on Sentra, you aren't saving very much gas, and the acceleration is slower than Elantra, Forte, Corolla, and Civic. Zeroback is higher than other cars in its clsss. Honestly, I wouldn't have bought this Sentra if Nissan did not give me a good deal. Hyundai and Honda failed to give me the deal I wanted.

however, brakes are sensitive and works well. Its brake assist system might be annoying but is helpful. It's more roomy than Honda Civic....read morehide

Pros

Best brakes ever; decent driver seat, maintenace-free

Cons

gas mileage lower; no heat in winter; poor acceleration; door locks

Purchased As New

On the SR, I like being able to raise the seat. Never had a car that could stop on a dime like this one with top-notch brakes. However, gas mileage is nowhere listed and lucky to get low 20's and in the winter it takes forever to get a tiny bit of heat out of it. As with all CVT's it upshifts so fast after acclerating, you get no feeling of power when trying to get onto the highway. Door locks do NOT unlock when you pull the drivers inside door handle to get out, wasting valuable emergency exit time. Paint is paper thin and scratches very easily. No engine maintenace required (other than oil changes) for 19K thus far, so it is reliable. Arm rest, door rest way too low and poorly designed. Switches on drivers door poorly laid out. No way to get satellite radio without adding a $1000 package of junk too. Limited option packages on SR model. High price for what you get....read morehide

Pros

Tight handling, surprisingly and comfortably roomy, good braking, quiet, sips gas, great value

Cons

Sluggish acceleration

Purchased As New

The car is stylish, the console is well laid out, and everything is easy to find and reach. I like the digital odometer (and its various functions), though I wish I didn't have to cycle through it to find a previous display -- I'd like to be able to move forward AND backward through it. I love the auxiliary plug for the radio to use external entertainment sources! The back seats fold down VERY easily -- and completely (once the headrests are removed, which is also easy) -- which makes moving large/long parcels a breeze. The trunk is surprisingly roomy; the ONLY complaint I have about it -- and the car in general -- is the lack of a remote trunk-open button feature on the keyfob. I have had my car for ten months (15,000 miles) now, and I love it! When it's time to look for my next car, I will definitely look at the Sentra again....read morehide

Pros

great turning radius, big trunk, handling, ride, options

Cons

disappointing gas mileage

Purchased As Used

I got this 2012 model car for my daughter to use through college. It is a great car except the advertised gas mileage is nothing short of a lie. It will get over 30 mpg highway, we get 33. But the city mileage is horrible, ranging from only 22-25 mpg, not the 27 Nissan claims. We are not lead foot drivers either. So if you are planning on a lot of urban use, you can do better than this car. Also this one has a navigation system but no rear camera....read morehide

Pros

Good looking, easy to drive. Great transmission.

Cons

Side mirrors blind spots, 360 degree vision needs improvement

Purchased As New

Although gas mileage is decent, better mileage needs to be improved.

Extras like cruise control, access to the trunk with the remote control, disk brakes, bluetooth, etc., should be included as part of a package.

We bougth our car in 2009 and so far so good with no problems whatsoever.

A great wonderful not so little of a car at a great price....read morehide

Pros

Great gas milage, roomy, sylish, and anything else really!

Cons

none so far.

Purchased As New

Had a 2008 sentra 2.0 S and LOVED it.
So nissan gave me a great trade-in deal and i got my pearly white sentra 2.0 SR (: with its tinted windows, smoke head and tail lights and cute spoiler, it has all the same, awesome, features as my 08 plus more! I love this little car.

Pros

Fuel Economy, Variable Transmission, Smooth Ride, Auto Volume Sensitivity..etc!

Cons

I wish my model had bluetooth..otherwise no cons.

Purchased As New

I first fell in love with this ride when i took a trip to Puerto Rico. Our rental was a Sentra. We had it for a week and I drove everywhere! I didn't even give my husband a chance! It was smooth responsive and just fun to drive. I got the SR less than a month ago with the sport grill, splash guards, the rear spoiler all in black with the grey interior. I call it my "Little Monster". Its has everything I need and nothing I don't. I wish I could have afforded the Nav system with Bluetooth and xm radio but i'm saved with the iPod auxillary in the armrest and on the stereo unit. There's a preset to automatically raise and lower the volume based on your speed. Its a great detail. The gas being at 35 miles to the gallon for me has been excellent since i drive 80 miles a day in Atlanta. My previous vehicle was an 03 Xterra at 15 mpg. After 10 good years i had to change and wanted to go smaller anyway. It's an excellent purchase for a well made car. If you're looking into simple, stylish, affordability (duh) and reliability, try a Nissan. You will spend less in your investment with tune ups, oil changes, any form of parts replacements or orders since Nissan is common in the US versus other foreign cars. Do the research and find a Nissan!...read morehide

Pros

EVERYTHING!

Cons

As good as you'l l get for the $$$

Purchased As New

It has everything you can possibly get in a vehicle for around 17K. My Sentra SR Special Edition came with smoked headlights and tail lights, dark hyperfinish alloy wheels, a body kit, power tilt and open moonroof, a smart key for keyless entry and starting, navigation, XM satellite radio. Awesome Car!!!...read morehide

Pros

Great gas and Value for the money

Cons

CVT doesn't have manual downshift like the Maxima

Purchased As New

I traded in my 2004 Honda Odyssey since my kids are grown up now. Needed a better gas mileage on a commuting car. I reviewed many of the other cars: Hyundai Elantra & Accent, Honda Fit & Civic, Kia Rio & Optima, and Nissan Altima & Verza. I read reviews about how Sentra is outdated compare to other competion cars, but this car has the best overall value for the money. I purchased SR with special edition package at $16K after all the incentives. MSRP on the car was $20,700 with great option packages. See details on SE package, its great!

New model comes out for 2013 on the Sentra so they have a great rebate program going on 2012 model. You will not find any other cars close to this car with performance and value. This car might get little less gas than Accent or Rio, but better power. It might be about $1K higher, but look at all the options that is included in the car. Navigation and much much more! If you add all this on other cars than it would be about $20K or more.

This car might not have a great handling like the Maxima, but the ride is very quiet compare to Corolla or Civic. Talk to the mechanics, they advised me that Nissan and Suburu are the better engineered than other cars. All other Japanese car became like GM and their quality has dropped dramatically in last 10 years....read morehide