Nissan Sentra sedan rebuilt inside-out as a miniature Altima
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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Erase any latent images your mind may still possess about Sentra, the subcompact sedan from Nissan -- terms like boxy, cramped, sluggish or small.
Instead, focus on the new design that's curvaceous, spacious, comfortable and surprisingly responsive to drive.
Sentra, it seems, has been reinvented from top to bottom, and this new edition, bearing a 1995 model-year designation and wearing sensuously smooth sheetmetal, measures larger, performs better and actually feels bigger than its subcompact dimensions suggest.
Still, Nissan has managed to hold the line on prices for its smallest sedan, as figures begin at $11,000.
Sentra takes its place in Nissan's sedan series behind the mid-size Maxima, recently revised in an award-winning new format, and the best-selling Altima compact.
Park Sentra between these two larger Nissans and you may detect styling cues borrowed from both -- particularly overall fluidity in the design and softly rounded corners to once-straight lines.
A strong C-piller statement flows forward into an expanse of glass before sloping dramatically to the sharp slant of Sentra's front hoodline. Aero-style curved headlamp clusters and a boldly extended windshield highlight the front section, while at the rear in a blunt tail treatment lights span the width of the vehicle and wrap around each side.
At a glance, you could easily mistake Sentra for the larger Altima.
Drive Sentra, like I did recently in pre-production editions fresh out of Nissan's Tennessee assembly plant, and you too would discover that its stylish exterior shape is only the first of many enticing new assets.
Climb inside, and let's go for a spin.
As you settle into the front bucket, note that both front seats have been redesigned with contoured styling and concealed pelvic and lumbar arch support elements which work in concert to stem body fatigue.
Seat upholstery, ranging from woven or knit fabrics to fancy velour in higher trim editions, looks sharp and feels good too.
Also, check out the amount of room you get for head, shoulders, knees and legs. With Sentra's wheelbase lengthened by 4.1 inches and the platform broadened by another inch, passengers end up with more interior space.
Specifically, in the rear seat you get two more inches of room for knees and 1.5 inches more for total legroom, half an inch more shoulder room for those in front as well as back, and about the same amount of increased head space.
Net effect: Sentra functions like a compact-class car.
Now buckle up and we'll try some pavement tests.
If you recall those horrendous motorized shoulder straps on previous Sentras, the new 3-point manual safety belts and dual airbags will be welcomed additions.
Other improved safety equipment cannot be seen so easily, such as new steel beams imbedded in each of Sentra's four side doors, or the new chassis design which incorporates fore and aft crush zones that absorb impact forces from frontal or rear-end crashes.
Time to power up and move out, which Sentra does effectively with its revamped powertrain.
The 4-cylinder engine, compact in 1.6-liter format, carries four valves in each cylinder and twin cams on top.
Improvements include microfinishing crankshaft journals, paring piston compression rings from two to one per cylinder, punching up compression ratios and recalibrating Nissan's variable timing control system to function within a broader range.
These enhancements boost output by 5 hp to 115 and improve fuel economy by as much as 2 mpg.
Sentra performs as an efficient set of wheels, by the way, scoring as high as 40 mpg with manual transmission.
Off-the-line acceleration feels snappy with a 5-speed.
Nissan's marketing gurus predict most buyers will pick a version with the 4-speed electronic automatic shifter, however. It's friendly, smooth and efficient, although Sentra's zippiness dims slightly, as do fuel numbers.
If blindfolded, you would not believe that Sentra's smooth ride quality could come from a car whose measurements pigeonhole it in the subcompact class. The stiffer new chassis design aids the smoothness, as does the bonus of a 4-wheel independent suspension, but the most significant improvement comes from the multi-link beam employed in the rear suspension. Borrowed from Maxima, it replaces the previous strut system.
Also, the compact form of this beam permits the extension of Sentra's wheelbase, which in turn generates more rear seat room and a bigger trunk.
Power rack and pinion steering puts a lively snap in the car's handling ability -- you'll appreciate it in the curvy stuff, as Sentra performs with an assurance that makes it seem almost sporty.
My tests of Sentra in various trim editions occurred initially over rolling Texas back routes surrounding suburban lakes northwest of Dallas. Then I spent a week at home with a Sentra GXE, the trim version which Nissan estimates will account for 55 percent of all sales.
That car, pumped up with popular equipment, lists for $13,450, with an automatic transmission pulling another $800 to the bottom line.
Entry level comes with the base Sentra. Even this barest edition contains the new low-fatigue reclining front bucket seats, plus dual airbags, rack and pinion steering and the multi-link beam rear suspension.
Next step up the model ladder leads to Sentra XE, equipped with air conditioning, power steering and AM-FM stereo sound with cassette deck and digital clock.
Sentra GXE goes further with cruise control, power windows and locks, twin remote power outside mirrors, split fold-down rear seatback and knit fabric covering seats.
Top model, Sentra GLE, stocks luxury gear like a power sunroof, remote keyless entry system, 14-inch alloy wheels, bodycolor side moldings and the option of anti-lock 4-wheel disc brakes.
1995 NISSAN SENTRA
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| 1995 NISSAN SENTRA VEHICLE SPECIFICATIONS |
| Description: |
Subcompact sedan |
| Model Options: |
Subcompact sedan |
| Wheelbase: |
99.8 inches |
| Overall Length: |
170.1 inches
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| Engine Size: |
DOHC 1.6-L I-4 16v
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| Transmission: |
Manual/5, Auto/4 |
| Drive: |
Front |
| Braking: |
Power disc/drum,
opt. 4-disc/ABS |
| Airbags: |
2 |
| Gas Mileage: |
M/5: 30/40 mpg
A/4: 28/37 mpg |
| MSRP Price: |
$ 11,000 to $ 15,000 |
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