 2012 Nissan Sentra 2.0 S. Click image to enlarge |
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Review and photos by Greg Wilson
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2012 Nissan Sentra
This is the last year for the current Nissan Sentra: an all-new 2013 Sentra is expected to arrive in the middle of 2012. It’s about time too: while just about every other compact sedan has been redesigned in the last five years, the Sentra was last re-done in 2006 (for the 2007 model year) with a mild facelift added in 2010 .
The sixth-generation Sentra has never been as popular as its Japanese-brand rivals, the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla or Mazda3, and is now faced with stiff competition from Korean imports, Hyundai Elantra and Kia Forte, and domestic contenders Chevy Cruze, Ford Focus, and soon, the new Dodge Dart. Oh, and let’s not forget the VW Jetta. The Sentra’s also-ran status is probably due to its rather unexciting styling, and possibly, buyer’s hesitation with its continuously variable transmission.
 2012 Nissan Sentra 2.0 S. Click image to enlarge |
So, with an all-new Sentra arriving in six months, and many other noteworthy compact sedans to choose from, why would you even consider the current Sentra? If I hadn’t driven it recently, I would have said, “Wait for the new one.” But after driving it for a week, I realized that that this Sentra has something that’s difficult to find in a new compact sedan: a wonderfully quiet cabin and a serene highway ride. The Sentra is the quietest compact sedan I’ve ever driven, quieter even than some luxury cars.
When I first drove it in late 2006, I remarked that it has a “quiet highway ride”, but I don’t recall it being this quiet. I suspect that Nissan engineers added more sound insulation and modified the suspension when they refreshed the design in 2010. It’s not just me that noticed this. In Peter Bleakney’s test drive in December, he commented, “You’ll marvel at how quiet and smooth riding the Sentra is.”
 2012 Nissan Sentra 2.0 S. Click image to enlarge |
One reason it’s so quiet on the highway is the operation of the optional continuously variable transmission. It drops engine revs at 100 km/h to just 1,800 rpm, thereby minimzing engine noise. Nissan’s CVTs are probably the best on the market, and seem better at grabbing the engine’s torque and delivering it to the front wheels without a lot of droning and moaning. Of course, if you put your foot to the floor and accelerate up a long hill, the Sentra’s CVT will hold the engine at about 5,500 rpm with appropriate engine buzz until you ease back on the throttle. But even then, the Sentra mutes the noise quite well, certainly better than the Nissan Versa which is noisy by comparison. (In that case, it’s purely due to a lack of sound insulation). On slight uphill grades, the Sentra will rev at about 3,000 rpm, and in normal use around town, it stays around 2,000 rpm, keeping engine and transmission noise low.
