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For over 40 years, the Nissan Sentra has consistently ranked among the highest-value compact sedans. The redesigned 2026 Sentra is scheduled to arrive at dealerships in late 2025, and the automaker has updated its appearance. The Sentra combines advanced technology with affordability. It should appeal to all genders, to city and suburban residents, and to those seeking tech features, fresh style, and budget-friendly options.
Photo: Jim Resnick
With the redesign of the new Sentra, Nissan aims for a bolder appearance than before. Nissan will offer the 2026 Sentra sedan in four trim levels: base S, SV, SR, and SL. Pricing for the 2026 Nissan Sentra starts at $23,645 for the S trim and goes up to $29,235 for the SL, including the destination charge.
Read our full preview of the 2026 Nissan Sentra for more background and details.
For this 2026 Sentra review, Nissan provided a test vehicle equipped with SL trim and the following options:
The test vehicle's manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) was $30,375, including the $1,245 destination charge to ship the sedan from the Aguascalientes, Mexico, assembly plant to a local dealership. The price does not reflect any current rebates, incentives, or price adjustments since Nissan manufactured the test vehicle.
Photo: Jim Resnick
Starting at the front of the SL trim I tested, the sloped nose is prominent, with strakes within the grille and along its sides protruding upward and outward from a low center point below the Nissan badge. The Sentra's sides have fewer design cues and details, aside from the fastback roofline, while the rear end connects the sides with a long bar across the wide trunk lid, illuminated by LED lights.
Inside, the SL features a very appealing synthetic leather Nissan calls TailorFit. Finished with a quilted pattern, the seats look and feel upscale, like those in an INFINITI luxury sedan. The Zero Gravity seats also offer extra back support. In the SL, they include adjustable lumbar support and power adjustments, but only on the driver's side.
But the surprise inside is not just one feature. The new Sentra interior provides a significant upgrade in quality, fit, and finish compared to the outgoing model.
All new Sentra trims except the S feature two 12.3-inch digital displays for instruments and infotainment. The base S trim has a 7-inch instrument cluster in front of the driver. Two different views of the instrument gauges offer either a more segmented, digitized version or traditional dials of the speedometer and tach to mimic classic analog gauges.
A two-spoke, flat-bottom steering wheel includes all the standard buttons for adjusting audio volume, changing stations or tracks, and accessing advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) controls. However, the precise tactile feel of these buttons leaves a strong impression. Since you hold the steering wheel every second you drive, its quality is very important. The new Sentra's wheel, the wrapping around the rim, and the force needed to press the buttons all convey a sense of high quality.
With the driver's seat adjusted well for me, rear seat legroom for my 6-foot-1-inch frame was quite tight. I had to splay my legs significantly, and the roof sloped downward near my head, so my thinning hair touched it.
The Sentra's low, wide trunk opening makes it easy to access larger objects, and it offers more space than some competitors: 14.3 cubic feet compared to the Toyota Corolla sedan's 13.1. Convenient trunk-mounted levers lower the rear seats quickly, making loading easier. Nissan also provides an intelligent key that unlocks the doors as you approach and locks them as you walk away.
Photo: Jim Resnick
All 2026 Sentras come with a large 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen that acts as the control center for your technology, NissanConnect services (available only on the SR and SL trims), and audio controls.
The infotainment system includes:
Some automakers try to cram too much data into their touchscreens, making it hard to read. The Sentra's touchscreen uses clear, large fonts and icons. It is not cluttered with data in any one tile.
The new Sentra's infotainment display is larger than the largest available in both the Honda Civic (9 inches) and the Toyota Corolla (10.5 inches). The new Sentra touchscreen also appears to have a high refresh rate, so latency when processing information is minimal.
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come standard on all 2026 Sentra trims. However, wireless connectivity is included only on the SV, SR, and SL trims.
Pairing my iPhone with the Sentra took longer than usual. My phone recognized the Sentra's signal well before the vehicle detected my phone. However, since the car tested was still technically pre-production, minor electronic glitches can happen that you would not see in a production model. Once connected, though, making and receiving calls through the system was simple.
One slight phone-related oddity occurred. The wireless smartphone charging mat in my Sentra SL tester quickly and repeatedly overheated my iPhone 12. I know this was not caused by sun-related heat because each time it overheated, the dashboard shaded the charging mat. Additionally, it did not overheat when I placed it in the sun on the passenger seat. There are two USB-C ports up front, with only one USB-C port for rear passengers.
All 2026 Sentras also feature a universal "myQ" garage door opener that can check the status of your garage door, in addition to opening and closing it from the infotainment touchscreen. It also operates without requiring proximity.
The 2026 Sentra does not have built-in navigation, so you will need to use your smartphone. However, you can upgrade the standard infotainment system to SiriusXM satellite radio's more advanced 360L service, which combines streaming content and satellite programming with extra channels and artist-related stations beyond the typical SiriusXM lineup.
Nissan equipped my Sentra SL test vehicle with the top Bose Premium audio system, featuring eight speakers. I did not use satellite radio as an audio source, since it was not enabled, but instead used my own iPhone. With my phone as the source, the Bose system performed better than I expected, delivering clear, defined sound at the high frequencies and rich bass at the low end.
Photo: Jim Resnick
Unfortunately, not much is new under the hood of the 2026 Sentra, as the 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine essentially carries over from 2025. It produces a modest 149 horsepower and 146 pound-feet of torque. It is paired with Nissan's Xtronic continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT), powering the front wheels. However, there is no hybrid option, and the sporty SR trim does not provide extra power.
The 2.0-liter engine handles acceleration with some confidence, and the CVT works well with it. Nissan designed the Xtronic transmission to simulate the stepped shifts of a conventional automatic or sequential gearbox with actual gears. Under full throttle, those "shift" moments feel a bit soft because there is no real change in power, it is just a drop in rpms.
The new Sentra's steering does not set a new standard in tactile road feedback, nor does the suspension match sporty hot hatches like the Volkswagen Golf GTI. However, at least in the SL sedan I tested, the new Sentra cruises along the highway and two-lane county roads with excellent stability and ride comfort, plus a surprisingly quiet operation.
Coming to a stop from high-speed highway driving on off-ramps felt smooth. The brakes also exhibited good precision at low speeds, without being grabby or difficult to control.
Three driving modes—Eco, Standard, and Sport—adjust the Sentra SL's steering, transmission, and throttle response. Sport mode holds the CVT's simulated shifts while providing a more aggressive throttle curve and less assist to the power steering. However, I honestly did not notice much difference in how it felt.
During a 92-mile drive through mixed highway and suburban areas without traffic delays, the Sentra SL test vehicle averaged 31.4 mpg. Although official Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) mileage figures have not yet been released, Nissan's preliminary internal estimates suggest 32 mpg combined for the SR and SL trims, and 33 mpg combined for the S and SV trims.
Photo: Jim Resnick
All 2026 Sentras come with Nissan's basic Safety Shield 360 suite of driver assistance technologies, along with newly standard ADAS features, all listed here:
The Sentra SL also includes Nissan's ProPilot Assist, which is available as an option on the SR trim.
The Sentra SL, with its full ADAS capability, makes several impressions, the first of which occurs even before you start driving. This is a subcompact sedan with a sticker price that could be below $30,000 if it were not for paint and lighting options. Yet, it offers essentially the level of ADAS functionality you would expect in a $60,000 luxury car. It is without question an acutely feature-rich, affordable sedan.
ProPilot is standard on the SL trim, optional on the SR, but unavailable on S and SV trims). It Assist combines adaptive cruise control and lane centering to maintain speed and distance from the vehicle ahead, while providing steering input to keep the Sentra centered in its lane. This creates a semi-autonomous driver assist experience, but it still requires hands on the steering wheel at all times.
I informally tested ProPilot Assist by engaging it and releasing my grip on the wheel to see how long it took for the system to warn me to retake control. It only triggered a warning 3 to 4 seconds after I took my hands off the wheel.
ProPilot Assist and its lane centering feature worked smoothly, accurately, and predictably. It kept the Sentra well centered ("Sentered?") on 50-mph two-lane county roads and 65-mph interstate highways. Additionally, when I approached heavy highway traffic, ProPilot Assist slowed the sedan, then resumed speed when vehicles ahead accelerated.
According to the JD Power 2025 Initial Quality Study (IQS), the Nissan Sentra ranks highest in the Compact Car segment. The Kia K4 and the Hyundai Elantra are the next highest-ranked models.
According to the JD Power 2025 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study, the Kia K4 ranks highest in the Compact Car segment. The Honda Civic and the Hyundai Elantra are the next highest-ranked models.
Other 2026 Sentra competitors include the Mazda Mazda3, Subaru Impreza, and Toyota Corolla.
According to verified owners, the Sentra earns an award as the highest-ranked model in its segment in the 2025 Initial Quality Study.
