When Nissan first brought the Sentra to the American market in the early 1980s, it was a success: After a year of sales, it was the best-selling import and fourth best-selling passenger car in the country.
But by the early 2000s, it had fallen behind competitors like the Honda Civic and Ford Fiesta.
The 2012 Sentra landed at number 40 on U.S. News' list of best affordable small cars.
To return the Sentra to the top of the list, Nissan has worked to meet the new realities of the small car market, which now demands fuel economy and amenities long reserved for luxury cars, as well as affordability.
It worked.
The 2013 Sentra is not a remarkable car; driving it is not especially enjoyable. Jalopnik complained about the noise of the engine (an issue I did not notice so much). Autoblog criticized the wood trim and "thin-rimmed" steering wheel.
But the Sentra has best in class fuel economy and is loaded with bells and whistles, from a rear view camera for backing up safely to the nifty tire fill alert.
After an afternoon driving the car from San Francisco to Napa Valley, I found plenty of things to like.
The S Model starts at $15,990; the SL premium model starts at $19,760.
Disclosure: Nissan provided travel and lodging expenses for us to visit San Francisco and drive the 2013 Sentra.
1. It's a good looking car.
Nissan shortened the front and lengthened the rear of the Sentra. I personally prefer longer hoods, but there's no way to call this car ugly.
2. It's spacious.
The rear seat offers an impressive 37.4 inches of legroom. The front has 42.5 inches. I'm 5'11", and had plenty of room, though a taller driver might be uncomfortable.
3. It's efficient.
The fuel economy numbers are the best in its class: The Sentra gets 40 mpg on the highway and 30 mpg in the city, for a combined 34 mpg, just shy of what some hybrid cars get.
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