Used 2022 Nissan Sentra

Taken on its own merits, the 2022 Nissan Sentra is a fine compact sedan. It has several driver assistance features as standard, drives with composure, is comfortable, and prices are reasonable. If only there wasn’t such stiff competition.

The compact car class is dominated by the Honda Civic. A new generation debuts for this year. The Toyota Corolla is another evergreen in this category. Then there’s the all-wheel-drive Subaru Impreza and the highly entertaining Mazda3. In this company, the Sentra struggles to make a strong argument for itself.

With no great upsides or downsides, perhaps the Sentra can appeal to those who have a soft spot for Nissan cars and have a dealership within easy reach.

In an ideal world, even the base version of the 2022 Sentra would have disc brakes at the rear instead of drums. This adds ammunition to our argument that the SV is a better choice, where discs are fitted at each corner.

At least the S has blind-spot monitoring as standard, so those wide rear pillars become less of an issue.

There aren’t any choices of engine. Drivers of any Sentra model have a 149-horsepower unit to enjoy or endure, depending on what they require from it. The automatic transmission is of the continuously variable type. If it figures in any enthusiast’s dreams, it’s probably because they ate cheese just before going to sleep. In fairness, Nissan has a lot of experience engineering these things to be about as responsive and quiet as they can get.

There are, however, a couple of standard features that contribute to the Sentra’s mainly enjoyable driving experience. Active Ride Control compensates for washboard road surfaces and up/down pitching they can create. It does this with subtle braking and power attenuation.

Intelligent Trace Control helps the Sentra hold its cornering line with efficiency and stability by slowing an inside wheel if necessary. Let’s also give a special mention to the Sentra’s multi-link rear suspension, a more sophisticated setup than the cheaper torsion beam alternative found in the Hyundai Elantra and Kia Forte.

The bottom of the steering wheel flattens out a bit, making it easier for drivers to slide their knees under. This kind of thing is popular in sporty cars these days. It’s standard in every 2022 Sentra.

The cabin is unquestionably agreeable and user-friendly, with decent materials and build quality. Upholstery ranges from cloth to nicer cloth to simulated leather upholstery to tan-colored/diamond-stitched real stuff — which is optional in the SV.

The SV has a leather-wrapped steering wheel. When it’s the one thing that drivers have to keep hold of for every mile covered, then this is much better than the S model’s plastic one.

Rear legroom measures 34.7 inches. That compares well with the Toyota Corolla, but the Honda Civic and Hyundai Elantra both have more if that matters. Trunk space is 14.3 cubic feet — good for this class.

Personal taste is going to swing things one way or another, naturally, but we’d argue that the 2022 Sentra has a lot going for it in the visuals department. Looking a like a scaled-down Maxima (Nissan’s top sedan), the Sentra has the same “floating roof” rear pillar treatment and is also available in a bold orange/bronze color with a contrasting black roof.

The Midnight Edition package is a new option for the top SR trim, bringing a grille treatment, rear spoiler, rear diffuser, badges, and 18-inch alloy wheels all finished in black. The SR also comes standard with extra aerodynamic pieces and a chromed exhaust tip.

ZERO GRAVITY FRONT SEATS
They’re road-trip comfortable, some of the best found in any compact sedan, and standard throughout the 2022 Sentra range. To balance things out, the rear seats are comfy as well.

ADVANCED DRIVE ASSIST DISPLAY
This is a 7-inch information display that goes between the speedometer and rev counter. It’s standard in the SV and SR, adding a little more tech to the cabin.

A set of safety features, known collectively as the Nissan Safety Shield 360, is standard in the base 2022 Sentra S. It includes forward-collision warning with automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, and — unusual for the class — rear automatic emergency braking.

The rest of the S trim is more basic, with things like 16-inch steel wheels, rear brake drums (instead of discs), cloth upholstery, and air conditioning.

The infotainment system at least has Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone integration, Bluetooth, and a 7-inch touchscreen, but only one USB-A port, and four speakers.

The SV is more recommendable, adding rear brake discs, 16-inch alloy wheels, heated side mirrors, nicer cloth upholstery, leather-wrapped steering wheel, rear center armrest, 8-inch touchscreen, satellite radio, another USB-A port, USB-C port, six speakers, and adaptive cruise control.

SR is the poshest iteration of the 2022 Sentra. It has 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights/daytime running lights/fog lights, remote start, and dual-zone automatic climate control.

The S doesn’t qualify for as many options as the two higher trims, but can still be ordered with interior accent lighting.

The All-Weather package ($590) is new for this year, available in the SV trim. It adds dual-zone automatic climate control, heated front seats, heated steering wheel, and a remote start function.

Another major bundle for the SV is a Premium package ($1,860), bringing 17-inch alloy wheels, powered moonroof, diamond-stitched leather seating surfaces, 6-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, and a leather-wrapped shift knob.

A separate Premium package for the SR ($2,740) also has the heated front seats/steering wheel, 6-way powered driver’s seat, and powered moonroof. However, the upholstery upgrade is simulated leather. Other items in this bundle are thinner LED headlights, Wi-Fi, illuminated vanity mirrors for the front shades, and an 8-speaker Bose audio system.

The Midnight Edition cosmetics package ($695) is also available with the SR.

Regardless of trim, the engine in every 2022 Sentra is a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder unit making 149 horsepower and 146 lb-ft of torque. This goes through an automatic transmission to drive just the front wheels.

Regular 87-octane gasoline is perfectly acceptable. In the combined driving cycle devised by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the S and SV achieve 33 miles per gallon, the SV manages 32 mpg.

2.0-liter inline-4
149 horsepower @ 6,000 rpm
146 lb-ft of torque @ 4,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 29/39 mpg (S, SV) 28/37 mpg (SR)