The battle for the limited dollars of young buyers has forced automakers to up their game in the small car segment. No longer can they expect to roll out a cheap vehicle that’s good on gas but short on style and expect to sell many of them. The 2025 Toyota Corolla and 2025 Nissan Sentra reflect the segment’s direction in recent years. Buyers now demand more for their budget, and they’re getting it in the case of these two vehicles.
Let’s check out these small sedans.
2025 Toyota Corolla
A mainstay of the automaker’s lineup, the Corolla confirms Toyota knows how to build excellent compact cars. The current version offers good looks, exceptional mileage, and lots of technology at a great price. Also, if a sedan isn’t your thing, you can slide over to the hatchback. If 35 mpg combined isn’t good enough, you can move up to the Corolla hybrid and its EPA-estimated 50 mpg combined fuel economy rating.
The Toyota Corolla is powered by a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine that produces 169 horsepower. That is more than acceptable power, considering you’re more likely to be concerned with its fuel economy, which is impressive.
The sedan has four trim levels: LE, SE, FX, and XSE. Each offers more options as you move up the ladder. Pricing for the base LE starts at $23,785, including destination charges.
Toyota Corolla Highlights
Intelligent Assistant: A feature typically found on more expensive vehicles, the available tech package allows you to utter “Hey, Toyota,” and you ask for directions, turn up the radio volume, change the cabin temperature, and more.
Safety first: The Corolla comes standard with Toyota Safety Sense 3.0, which includes automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control, lane tracing assist, road sign assist, and automatic high beams.
Back to the future: Toyota cut its Nightshade appearance package, replacing it with the FX grade. Reminiscent of the Corolla FX16 from the late 1980s, the new model is a blacked-out beast. It features 18-inch wheels, special badging, a roof, and a spoiler — all in black. It’s also lowered and the steering is tuned, giving it a sportier look and feel.
Check this week’s Fair Purchase Price or see the Corolla models near you.
2025 Nissan Sentra
The Sentra received an impressive update last year. It still grabs attention with its sleek and sporty style while being very affordable. For someone on a budget, it’s a stylish workhorse.
Powered by a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder putting out 149 hp, it focuses on offering enough power to scoot around town without using much fuel. It also features a slew of infotainment technology, making the daily drive more enjoyable.
Available in three trim levels, S, SV, and SR, the new Sentra also features extensive safety and convenience technology. If there’s one thing young buyers want, it’s plenty of good tech. Pricing starts at $22,730, including destination fees.
Nissan Sentra Highlights
Tech-focused: The Sentra’s infotainment system offers Apple CarPlay and Android Auto standard, plus a 7-inch display in the base model that gets bumped to 8 inches in the SV and SR trims. The SV model can also be had with Nissan Connect Services, which includes a wi-fi hot spot. Buyers also get an additional USB-C port and satellite radio in those packages.
Safety first: Nissan’s Safety Shield 360 makes this small sedan a safer space. With forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, and — unusual for the class — rear automatic braking, you also get real value.
Great seats: The Sentra’s Zero Gravity front seats are “road-trip comfortable” and among the best in any compact sedan. The front-seat comfort in the Sentra is a cut above the Toyota Corolla. Even better, they’re standard across the Sentra range. The rear seats are comfy as well.
Check this week’s Fair Purchase Price or see the Sentra models near you.
Similarities
Nearly identical in size, the Toyota Corolla and Nissan Sentra feature sporty exteriors. Small 4-cylinder engines also power them with almost the same fuel economy ratings.
Conclusion
These two offerings are so similar that one might call them identical cousins. The Nissan Sentra is slightly less expensive but gives up 20 hp to the Toyota Corolla, so that’s probably a wash. The choice is simple: drive them both and pick the one you like better.
The Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price for any individual used vehicle can vary greatly according to mileage, condition, location, and other factors. The prices here reflect what buyers are currently paying for New 2025 Toyota Corolla vehicles and New 2025 Nissan Sentra vehicles in typical condition when purchasing from a dealership. These prices are updated weekly. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) quoted includes the destination fee, but does not include tax, license, document fees, and options.
| 2025 Toyota Corolla | 2025 Nissan Sentra | |
| Popular Powertrains | ||
| Engine | 2.0-liter 4-cylinder | 2.0-liter 4-cylinder |
| Horsepower | 169 hp @ 6,600 rpm | 149 hp @ 6,000 rpm |
| Torque | 151 lb-ft @ 4,400 rpm | 146 lb-ft @ 4,000 rpm |
| Transmission | CVT | CVT |
| Fuel Economy | 32 city/41 highway/35 combined mpg | 30 city/40 highway/34 combined mpg |
| Also Available | Hybrid | |
| Specs | ||
| Basic Warranty | 3 years/36,000 miles | 3 years/36,000 miles |
| Powertrain Warranty | 5 years/60,000 miles | 5 years/60,000 miles |
| NHTSA Overall Safety | 5 stars | 5 stars |
| Max Seating Capacity | 5 | 5 |
| Wheelbase | 106.3 inches | 106.6 inches |
| Overall Length | 182.3 inches | 182.9 inches |
| Width | 70.1 inches | 71.5 inches |
| Height | 56.5 inches | 56.9 inches |
| Turning Diameter | 35.6 feet | 38.1 feet |
| Headroom, Front | 38.3 inches | 38.9 inches |
| Headroom, Rear | 37.1 inches | 36.7 inches |
| Legroom, Front | 42.0 inches | 44.0 inches |
| Legroom, Rear | 34.8 inches | 34.9 inches |
| Shoulder Room, Front | 54.0 inches | 56.4 inches |
| Shoulder Room, Rear | 51.7 inches | 54.5 inches |
| Cargo Volume | 13.1 cubic feet | 14.3 cubic feet |
