2013-2014 Nissan Versa SV and Versa Note SV

In this review I will be combining both Nissan Versa sedan and Versa Note as they're actually pretty similar. As always I will be providing two individual scores when necessary as there are some differences.

Introduction: The original Nissan Versa also known as the Nissan Tiida was introduced in 2004 in Japan. It only arrived to North America by 2006 as a model year 2007 vehicle. This was the first time Nissan attempted to compete in the subcompact market that was once dominated by Toyota and the Korean automakers. Unlike other automakers Nissan didn't attempt to compete on features but instead it directly went after the price tag and space inside. Nissan believed that offering North Americans the option of a inexpensive car with a sizable interior was the key to success. It turns out this was indeed what the market wanted and the Versa was easily the strongest seller in its segment. For the second generation of Nissan Versas, things have changed. The Nissan Versa sedan was released first in 2012 and was based off the Nissan Latio and no longer using the Tiida's design. The Versa hatchback was released in 2013 now following the direction of the Japanese Nissan Note. For the North American version its now called the Nissan Versa Note. Both vehicles are using Nissan's new V platform which decreases weight and increases rear legroom. Nissan is planning on once again dominating the subcompact sector with its previous strategy of low cost and lots of space which worked well last time.

With regards to the previous Nissan Versa it was not a car I actually liked in the same way I like the new Hyundai Accent or enjoyed like the Mazda 2. However there wasn't a whole lot to hate about it either because of its low price and overall it seemed you were getting what you paid for. So while I was not expecting much, I was certainly expecting to see improvement from the older design.

Performance: Unlike the previous Nissan Versa the 1.8L 4-cylinder engine is no longer available. This did give the original Versa the distinction of being one of the more powerful cars in the segment. This time around they only provide a 1.6L 4-cylinder engine which produces 109 hp and 107 lb.ft of torque. This engine is coupled to either a 5-speed manual transmission or the Nissan CVT. Both cars given the CVT accelerate from 0-100 km/h in about 11 seconds. This is in contrast to the older car which was capable of accelerating to that speed in 9.5 seconds. Fuel economy has apparently improved and this is likely the scenario if driven under the same conditions as government regulated tests. However due to how slow the new car is, I highly doubt you'll notice the mild increase as you'll be working that engine harder than the old unit. Highway overtaking? Forget it, even the CVT is no help here due to how little power you have to work with. I never liked the noise of the old 1.8L but with the CVT and how slow the 1.6L engine is, the drone is very long and incredibly annoying.

My Score(both): 3/10 - The engine does as you expect it to its a tad bit better on fuel, its slow and given the CVT its really noisy.

Handling: The old car handled rather decently but it was always lacking in steering feel. The new cars have indeed been given a new platform and it kind of shows...they're worse. The new cars when taking corners roll more than the older cars despite the sedan actually being shorter. The steering feel is even more lacking in feel than before, they give you very little feedback in regards to how much turn you've made. I don't know how Nissan has managed to make this small car feel like a large car with regards to agility but they have and these cars are worse for it. The ride comfort is the only area where I don't feel any worse, but its also no better. Both cars feel mostly the same, although the Note feels a tad bit better than the Versa sedan.

My Score(sedan): 3/10 - Lousy steering feel, lousy handling with so so ride comfort.
My Score(Note): 4/10 - A notch better in handling over the sedan, otherwise the same problems.

Interior: The previous Versa was never a looker with regards to the interior but it was at least usable and the corners cut were not always as obvious. The interior of both sedan and Note are pretty much the same and without a doubt show that Nissan went out of its own way to cut yet more corners. First to the only positive points, the interior headroom is once again better than its competitors. Rear legroom is definitely improved over the old car's already generous amount. The new stereo is better than the ancient unit of the old car. After that, things start to go a bit wrong. The HVAC controls however are extremely lousy with regards to quality, they're noisy and have a 33 cent store feel. Most of the other interior fixtures are either nasty looking or feel nasty including the gear lever. A pillar visibility is actually reduced in both sedan and Note. Rear visibility however hasn't changed, the Note does offer a backup camera as optional equipment not that its needed. The build quality is not reassuring either, previous Versas were poorly made and these current cars have already been recalled for bolts not tightened properly. Both Versa Note and Versa sedan are made in Aguascalientes, Mexico.

My Score(both): 3/10 - Roomy and spacious, but very low rent and not well made.

Styling: Normally I give cars a 5/10 on styling if I feel they've made a effort to try and be different despite me thinking they're really ugly. However with regards to the Nissan Versa sedan, its a hideous car where I see absolutely no effort to style it correctly. I find there are no noticeable lines and get a sense each piece was picked simply because it cost less. I couldn't find a single angle where the sedan looked good, and if it was given the rear lip spoiler it further increases its ugliness factor. The design is a total mess. Now the Note is a far far superior effort over the sedan. It has a MPV shape which isn't exactly ugly nor pretty. Nissan seems to be attempting a new styling language with the oddly shaped headlights integrating with the grille. The rear is standard hatchback with oddly shaped tail lights. I'll give it some credit for trying out different shapes, I don't think it worked but its alright.

My Score(sedan): 1/10 - Hideous, its styling by accountants.
My Score(Note): 6/10 - Modest looking hatchback, minor attempts to change styling but not enough.

Value for money: Both cars are very cheap. However when you buy the cheapest versions of both cars you will be missing some features. The base Versa sedan S is a manual only vehicle with no A/C, no power anything, pretty much a bare car with no actual notable features. If you want anything from the sedan you must buy the SV which adds $3000 extra to the price. The Note has almost the same problem except you can a few other items the sedan omits like choosing the CVT. The models I'm reviewing are the SV models which are both near $15K, suddenly these two cars are not that cheap. They're competing against the Hyundai Accent which is an all around better car unless you care for headroom. The Mazda 2 is a superior car to drive. Even the Toyota Yaris with its ancient equipment I feel is a better buy. When you remove the price tag advantage of the Versa it shows the real weakness in aiming for a very low base MSRP, the overall cars are simply below standard. Between the two versions, the Note is a better value than the sedan not only in its more flexible options but the sedan is just too ugly.

My Score(sedan): 3/10 - Not good value, inflexible options and in SV form too expensive.
My Score(Note): 5/10 - Acceptable at best, some decent options, and it does offer good headroom over competitors.

Overall(sedan): 13/50 - Its ugly and rubbish.
Overall(Note): 21/50 - Not very good.

Conclusion: I feel these cars are a sign of the horrible state of the world economy and even world thinking. Unlike how things once were where people value a product's quality and all around value, a lot of people are simply looking at the cheapest price. I as any consumer would love to see lower prices for everything, however I'm not willing to accept a huge loss in quality if that's what a lower price entails. These cars specifically target the car driver who wants the absolute cheapest car that doesn't feel small. I briefly touched on this in the value section, when you build a car based on the notion of a low MSRP you have to make sacrifices throughout the whole car to achieve that reality. The terrible drive, the bad engine, the ugly interior are all things that were sacrificed for that low, low price. Worse still I doubt many drivers want to accept the omissions on the cheap S versions, that means the price is no longer $11K or $13K but more like $15K. If you were going to pay that much...why not buy the Hyundai Accent or Mazda 2 which were built to be cars of that price rather than the lowest of the low? I liked the Mazda because of how much it did with that tiny budget, it didn't make you feel awful for paying so little for a car because so much of it was so nice, you do see some elements of cheapness but after a nice drive you forget about it. These Versas are the opposite, I feel terrible every time I drive them as it always reminds you that you're on a horrible budget with no sense of positivity. How do you feel good about yourself when your car is so miserable and just spreads that misery to you?

2007-2011 Nissan Sentra 2.0S

The next car is something I still drive a lot but its due for a replacement soon.


Introduction: The Nissan Sentra has been in Nissan's lineup for a very long time. Before the use of the Sentra name, the previous car was called a Datsun 210 which was RWD. Since the introduction of the Sentra in 1982, the car has since become FWD. Its main competitor was always the Toyota Corolla, eventually the Honda Civic would also become a target car. The Sentra does not appear to be as popular or sell as well as the Civic or Corolla. Nevertheless Nissan does have a performance version of the Sentra called the SE-R Spec V. The current Sentra is now in its sixth generation and is expected to be replaced by the 2012 model year.

The previous Sentra was a vehicle that was not very interesting to me. As a result I didn't really expect much out of this car although it seemed more promising than the older car.


Performance: The Nissan Sentra is available with a 2.0L 4-cylinder engine that produces 140 hp and 142 lb.ft of torque. This engine is a nice upgrade over the previous 1.8L which wasn't very interesting. This Sentra is also equipped with a CVT and a 6-speed manual. The SE-R version gets a 2.5L 4-cylinder engine from the Altima. This review looks at the regular Sentra and the 2.0L accelerates from 0-100 km/h in about 9 seconds which is acceptable for a sedan in this class although significantly less impressive than the Altima using CVT. The engine can be quiet when cruising, but when its accelerating it sounds a bit crude and noisy. The CVT does make the cruising nice as you won't feel the change in gear ratios, its just not as good as the CVT you get in the Altima or Maxima on the performance level. Fuel economy isn't as good as the Civic or the Corolla either despite the Corolla still using a 4-speed automatic.

My Score: 7/10 - Reasonable speed, average fuel economy, noisy acceleration, not a great case for CVTs.

Handling: The Sentra handles pretty decently while not as nice as a Mazda3 or Mitsubishi Lancer its not as dull as it used to be. It can take a corner with the usual understeer and a bit of roll yet it has more confidence than say a Toyota Corolla. That said the wheel weighting feels a bit odd, its initially a bit tough but lightens up rather quickly which unfortunately produces little feel. Its another electric power steering system which I find is just not as nice as a hydraulic system.

My Score: 6/10 - Much better than before but still average in the pack, steering however lacks feel and is oddly weighted.


Interior: The Sentra's interior from before was pretty boring and not very well made. The difference between the older and newer Sentras in this version is down to the displays. The older ones have a orange and black display which would seem familiar to you if you had a 1980s computer. Odd Nissan decided on this colour combination. The newer display is white, red with a black background and seems a lot more modern and full of colour. The interior materials are not that nice to be honest, a lot of hard plastic and a few bits of fake aluminum plastic. The amount of space is rather average as is the trunk space. C-pillars are rather large so visibility is not as good. The biggest problem with the Sentra however is the build quality. This interior is still not well made, I've seen a lot of items fall off or have growing gaps. Things like the brake pedal pad coming off, the dead pedal pad peeling off, a door hinge not aligned properly, the plastic trim around the seat railings coming off and so on. The Sentra is made in Aguascalientes, Mexico.

My Score: 4/10 - Bland, lots of hard plastic, reduced visibility and the build quality is rubbish.

Styling: It appears Nissan wanted to make a mini-Altima with the Sentra although it looks a lot more square than the Altima does. The refresh makes the grille more modern since the old one was full of plastic squares. It looks mediocre from most angles, over all its a so so design.

My Score: 4/10 - Its a Altima imitation where the design mostly had a ruler.

Value for money: The Sentra starts out very cheap. Unfortunately that's really where it can excel since its not a driver's car nor a quality product. Even worse is the Mazda3 is a nicer vehicle to drive, significantly better built and has a similar base price in GX form. The Sentra also doesn't get much for having CVT since the Mitsubishi Lancer has this and the Dodge Caliber. The Sentra just doesn't excel at very much to be worth considering. I'd rather Nissan spend a bit more on better build quality over having a better MSRP.

My Score: 3/10 - Its cheap and average with terrible build quality.

Overall: 24/50 - A pretty average car which happens to be cheap to buy in base form but suffers from awful build quality.

2010 Nissan Maxima S

Yet another Nissan, this time the flagship.


Introduction: The first Nissan Maxima was introduced initially as the Datsun 810 in 1976 and was called the Nissan Bluebird Maxima in Japan. It eventually was renamed the Nissan Maxima when Nissan decided to retire the Datsun brand in 1982. The early Nissan Maximas had a lot in common with the Nissan Bluebird and thus in 1985 the 2nd generation Maxima switched from rear wheel drive to become front wheel drive like the U11 Bluebird and also switched usage of straight six engines in favour of the V6 engine. By the third generation the Maxima no longer shared much in common with the Bluebird and grew in size as Nissan's flagship vehicle. As the Altima grew in size, Nissan changed the Maxima's mostly unique platform only shared by the Infiniti I cars to the common Altima platform in 2004. This change also meant the Maxima was no longer built in Oppama Japan but rather the Smyrna plant in Tennessee. In its current version Nissan has further changed the Maxima possibly tapping into its roots from the past and brought back the "4 door sports car" from the 3rd generation Maxima.

Ever since I heard we were getting a select few of these cars I was very eager to drive one. After being disappointed with mostly US flagship cars and some Japanese ones, I was hoping Nissan would do the role of a flagship car well. For flagship cars I look at mainly the quality and essentially whether the car is a jack of all trades vehicle, if it isn't...it fails in my mind. A big reason I didn't score the Avalon well.


Performance: Under the Nissan Maxima's hood is a big 3.5L V6 engine, the famous VQ engine to be specific. This engine has been tweaked from the last Maxima now producing 290 hp and 261 lb.ft of torque. The only possible disappointing item for an enthusiast would be that Nissan mates this engine to a CVT instead of offering a manual. That said if you read my Altima review, you would have seen that Nissan's CVT is shockingly brilliant even when given an engine not all that spectacular. The Maxima's 0-100 time is...6 seconds dead. This is easily the quickest car I've ever driven, the feeling of power from this engine makes lots of cars feel slow. The responsiveness from the CVT means this power comes instantaneous and has no lag while changing gear ratios. So performance-wise, this powertrain combo is brilliant. Yet when you want to relax, the engine is extremely smooth and quiet. The noise is also very nice to hear. I can't think of an actual flaw to this combination, that's how good it is.

My Score: 10/10 - Fantastic engine and transmission combo, its extremely hard to beat

Handling: The Altima was not nearly as solid with the handling as I was hoping due to the lack of a sway bar of some sort. I always felt it had potential but could never reach it. The Maxima may share the Altima's platform but boy did they actually focus a lot of attention to the suspension. The Maxima has incredible amounts of grip and even when you're putting more speed into the corners it can maintain flat cornering which I've never experienced in a large 4-door sedan. Not even my car is this flat. The steering is very precise, you can feel how the car will behave just at your fingertips I have no issue with the steering. Yet despite this frankly excellent performing suspension's handling ability, it didn't at all sacrifice a whole lot of the comfort. Going over rough roads the Maxima while it felt the bumps, never really made me question ride comfort.

My Score: 10/10 - Excellent flat cornering, despite excellent handling ability ride comfort doesn't suffer all that much.


Interior: As Nissan's flagship vehicle, this car is fitted with a lot of buttons. You'll find buttons all over the place, its easily better equipped than most Altimas. There is a LCD screen fitted above the audio controls, I never really explored the usage but assuming you purchased it this is likely where your navigation package enhances. As for the general interior itself, I really like the seats since they're a combination of luxury leather seats with a racing seat. It provides not only excellent comfort but can hold you in place when you're cornering aggressively. There's quite a bit of room in the rear and the trunk space is pretty good as well. I also like the general atmosphere of the interior, its a lot less fake than many other flagship car interiors. Trim surrounding the buttons look and feel solid and its very simple away from the dash. All the nice items you got from the Altima are all here as well including the nice push button start. Considering how well the Altimas hold up, the Maximas now built in Smyrna shouldn't show any build quality defects.

My Score: 10/10 - Excellent seats, nice trim, very well equipped, has very little fake items, built well...rather hard to fault.

Styling: I wasn't a big fan of the Maxima's styling, I rather liked the previous generation's styling. However the Altima shares a similar look to that and I often confuse the two initially. Nissan wanted the Maxima to be different and when it was unveiled...mostly shock. The car's been here a while and I'm starting to see that Nissan was right. I still don't like the tears on the head lights but overall it looks very aggressive and sleek. The Maxima is very wide but the styling actually doesn't say to me the car looks fat.

My Score: 8/10 - The styling is growing on me, still don't like the tears though.

Value for money: The Maxima is a very expensive car, the starting price is at $39450. This makes it the most expensive of its rivals. In terms of price its rather close to the Toyota Avalon's starting price. Its not the largest at all, in fact the Maxima is shorter in length than the Honda Accord and actually most of the mid sized cars including the Altima. If the Chrysler and the Ford are given their strongest engines its not the quickest that said the Chrysler needs a very large Hemi V8 to reach a time under 6 seconds and the Taurus uses a twin turbo V6. Its kind of a shame, the Maxima could use a ultimate performance trim level. Only the Avalon is as well equipped at base spec and as an all rounder the base Maxima is more than enough. Just the driving experience is enough for me to toss out the Toyota, the Buick and the Chrysler. I haven't driven the new Taurus to compare the driving experience but the Maxima will be difficult to top.

My Score: 8/10 - Its very expensive initially, it also lacks a hyper performance package.

Overall: 46/50 - An absolutely fantastic flagship car from Nissan, easily one of the best cars on sale today.

2007-2009 Nissan Altima 2.5

The first review of 2010 and the 50th review I've submitted. This is a car that I still drive and there are still quite a lot of cars to get through many of which are Korean and American. Still I wanted to finish off the 50th review and the first of 2010 with a rather common sight on today's roads.


Introduction: The original Nissan Altima was a replacement of the old Stanza, it didn't look all that different from the current Nissan Bluebird being sold worldwide. The second generation of Altima become a North American market only vehicle and designed by Nissan's design center in America but it did lose the original's unique head up display. The third generation Altima was significantly different as it was grown into a mid-size car with the Sentra taking over its original role as a compact. Today my review will focus on the 4th generation Altima its done yet a bit more to push Nissan's standards for equipment much like Altimas from the past with exception to the second gen.

When I was shown the Altima I was first amazed at the size of it, next was the key as it looked like no other key I've ever seen. Interestingly enough it was also the first Nissan I ever driven which is why I looked down on that 2006 Sentra.


Performance: The vehicle I have driven only has the 2.5L 4-cylinder engine. This particular engine produces 175 hp and 180 lb.ft of torque. The closest thing I've reviewed is the Chevrolet Malibu which had less power but accelerated in 9.6 seconds, but the Malibu is smaller than the Altima. The Altima comes in with a CVT and the last cars I reviewed that had this transmission are the slow Caliber and the Caliber related Jeeps. Sounds like this Altima will be just as slow around the 10 second region maybe 9. If you thought that...you'd be wrong. The Altima with its CVT accelerates from 0-100 km/h with its 4-cylinder in 7.2 seconds. This is the quickest 4-cylinder car I've driven that doesn't have a turbo. When its pushed very hard the noise the engine makes isn't all that pleasant. Yet despite its ferocious acceleration when driven smoothly its actually a very quiet car. The only time you will notice the 175 hp is when you try to approach the car's max speed, eventually it will slow down a lot. I have to say, this CVT if it can push a big car like this that quickly with that small engine and still make them fuel efficient...an automatic gearbox is obsolete.

My Score: 10/10 - Proof of a CVT done properly, the engine drones when pushed but a small price to pay for excellent performance from a small unimpressive engine.

Handling: Normally when you drive a car this big and family oriented the handling isn't as exciting as one would find on a sports car. With the Altima...its actually not bad on this front. When you push an Altima in a corner you will feel the weight of the car but you will also notice that it can corner well despite being front wheel drive. That said its very difficult to find the limits in the Altima because it rolls rather badly and without a anti-roll bar you're more likely to roll the car or roll out of your seat. It lacks the anti-roll bar because Nissan wanted the Altima to provide a good ride and adding one would spoil that. The steering on the Altima is very light and normally this produces a lack of feel I find, in the Altima's case its somewhat true. In very short turns you will get the feel of precision you get from heavier wheels, its when you make bigger turns that the wheel feels correct and accurate to your brain. All in all, the Altima does a reasonable job at cornering but it needs to be modified to get to its limits.

My Score: 7/10 - Good ability to corner but suffers from bad body roll and the wheel is a bit too light for precise feel, you feel that it could have been better.


Interior: While CVT provided changes for how the car moved, the interior got some changes of its own. Nissan proudly advertise that this car has a push button start, and they're right its standard for all Altimas. There are ups and downs to this arrangement, the good thing is Nissan has designed a slot for the key fob meaning you won't misplace it while driving. The novelty of this however does wear off. The rest of the interior is mostly plastic, the dash made out of decent quality plastic while items like the cup holders...weren't made out of good plastic. I found the seats to be comfortable...but not everyone did. I've only seen two colours for the interior the common one being black and the other is beige. The beige interior doesn't look very good at all. The Altima is very spacious with lots of interior room and trunk space. Also despite being a base model its extremely well equipped with conventional standard features like air conditioning, power windows/locks, etc. Lastly the build quality, now on the Mexican made Sentra I blasted that car for its awful build quality with trim pieces loose or falling off. I'm glad to say the Altima which is made in the United States has none of this. I've driven some aged Altimas and none have actually had issues due to normal usage, I've only seen once case where one cubbyhole won't close...because the last person in the car purposely damaged it. These are built in both Smyrna Tennessee and Canton Mississippi.

My Score: 8/10 - Reasonably well equipped, very spacious, very well built, and a start button, however the seats may not be comfortable for some and interior colour is very lacking.

Styling: The Altima went with a more rounded shape than the previous version. Much of the front styling is a downscaled Infiniti G and with a rather different rear lighting arrangement. As a result I found it worked quite well, the Altima is clearly different from the typical Accords and Camrys, and at the same time looks great. I actually prefer the sedan form over the coupe, the profile flows more nicer in the sedan than the coupe. Yet it isn't on the level of extremely beautiful which is its only flaw.

My Score: 8/10 - Overall a good looking car with a very rounded shape

Value for money: This segment is incredibly competitive and the cars here need to stand out. The Galant and Mazda6 did their best in driving dynamics. I do not believe the Altima stood out there on that level. Performance however and mildly neat features like CVT and the push button start do make it stand out. None of the 4-cylinder cars in this segment match the Altima's acceleration, there are powerful V6 cars that size which couldn't match that. The Altima is as a result a good choice for one who wants an all around good car but needs to satisfy their lead foot. It would be great if it could satisfy all levels of driving dynamics since its well equipped and had the lowest price.

My Score: 8/10 - The CVT and the engine really make the Altima stand out when one experiences the power a transmission can do to a run of the mill engine.

Overall: 41/50 - A very fast family car that overall is pretty good, just some small touches would have made it truly outstanding.

2006 Nissan Sentra

I think I'm near the end of my 2006 car reviews since many of the cars I've driven are from 2007-2008.


Introduction: The Nissan Sentra has been in Nissan's lineup for a very long time. Before the use of the Sentra name, the previous car was called a Datsun 210 which was RWD. Since the introduction of the Sentra in 1982, the car has since become FWD. Its main competitor was always the Toyota Corolla, eventually the Honda Civic would also become a target car. The Sentra does not appear to be as popular or sell as well as the Civic or Corolla. Nevertheless Nissan does have a performance version of the Sentra called the SE-R Spec V.

As for my take, the Sentra has rarely been a car I ever thought much about. Very few of them ever looked interesting and very few have ever had anything interesting to even discuss. These days with the 2007 version there is the use of the CVT gearbox, however the 5th generation which I'm reviewing today does not have this gearbox.


Performance: The Sentra I drove only had the 1.8L 4-cylinder engine producing 126 hp and 129 lb.ft of torque. This engine doesn't really have much interesting characteristics, its rather competitive in terms of performance but it wasn't all that noisy. Yet it is not a very memorable engine for either good or bad. I guess I can say its average.

My Score: 5/10 - Its an average engine, nothing special

Handling: Once again the Sentra didn't really show any sort of feel that you'd get from a more exciting car. It certainly was not nearly as dull as a Buick but despite the reasonably weighted wheel, the car is rather average at cornering. I'm kind of at a loss to describe it...other than it not being very memorable which is hard considering many cars do show their strengths and weaknesses here.

My Score: 6/10 - Average handling, decently weighted wheel


Interior: Ah, I remember a lot more here. The Sentra like much of its characteristics so far show its pretty generic and the interior here remains much the same. Nothing in particular is all that fancy or even remotely interesting, its just as you'd expect it to be in any car. Seats are rather standard and the ride comfort is decent. This however is a time when the Sentras still contained roll up windows and was not as well equipped as Korean cars are. The most memorable thing about the Sentra however is the build quality. For some reason Nissans that are built in Mexico are built pretty badly. The last time I was in one of these Sentras there were several panel gaps all over the interior as if nothing fit. Considering that not much has changed with newer Versas and Sentras, I can safely conclude this is the biggest problem the Sentra has other than being...well average. Very few were built well.

My Score: 3/10 - Generic interior let down badly by very poor build quality

Styling: The original 5th generation Sentra looked rather generic and really boring. The year I'm reviewing had a styling change replacing the generic front end with a much more interesting one. The grille particularly is changed giving it a more unique look instead of a typical car. The grille goes well with the shape of the car and is a more positive step than playing safe.

My Score: 6/10 - Standard looking car with a nice looking grille

Value for money: The Sentra was always cheaper than the Corolla and the Civic but its not the best equipped car either making not as good of a value as the Korean entries. There is also the problem of build quality compared to the Canadian built Corolla and Civic, the Mexican made Sentra looks very poor built. Regardless if you trashed your interior then having loose panels wouldn't matter too much. Aside from build quality the car was reasonably solid and thus you do get a Japanese branded vehicle for less money than the major players. So its a good value to that degree.

My Score: 7/10 - Despite its faults it does end up being cheaper and better value than its Japanese competitors. Not nearly as great in value as the Koreans but still worth considering if you want to save some dough.

Overall: 27/50 - Basically an average car with pretty good value but suffering primarily with very poor build quality.