Who’da thunk the Nissan Sentra would end up being a vanguard of affordable vehicles?
It’s no secret that vehicles have been getting steadily more expensive, with the average transaction price of a new car in this country reaching dizzying heights. Exacerbating the issue are companies bent on purging affordability from their lineups – witness the likes of Ford binning just about everything one could describe as a car in favour of trucks and SUVs.
Which makes the $21,590 MSRP (plus $1,140 destination and the TruCoat, natch) of a 2025 Nissan Sentra S all the more remarkable. On offer is a workaday 2.0L four-banger heaving out a reasonable 149 horsepower and roughly like amount of torque. The heel of this story is a mandatory Xtronic CVT, of course, and it is worth pointing out that the neighbours in Canada can get a new Sentra S shod with a six-speed manual transmission. So equipped, it is a robust powertrain that should weather the abuse of new drivers – it’s more than good enough for duty in stock form in the Sentra Cup, after all. This author drove a base Sentra S round-trip from Montreal to Line Rock Park last month, finding it to be an entirely competent and comfortable car.
With the lack of a stick, expect most Sentra shoppers to go for the $22,290 SV trim. One gets a decent amount of kit for the extra 700 clams including bigger alloys, a larger infotainment display packing satellite radio capability, and extra USB ports. Topping the range is a $24,590 SR which has a smattering of gear like power moonroof, Bose-branded audio, 360-degree camera views, and the option of snazzy two-tone paintwork. Part of the deal on all trims are three oil changes on the house, no small consideration for customers who may be just dipping a toe into the pond of vehicle ownership.
Recall the Sentra will soldier on alone once the Altima wraps production in Mississippi after the 2026 model year. Both the little Versa and once-great Maxima have long departed the scene. According to numbers from the company, Sentra is responsible for 89,028 deliveries (19.2% total Nissan volume) through to the end of June this year, making it the second-biggest seller after the Rogue which moved 141,160 units.
[Image: Nissan]
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