The Honda Civic is still the gold standard, of course, but there are about half a dozen alternatives from brands like Hyundai, Mazda, and Toyota that nearly match the Civic.

The Nissan Sentra falls into that chasing pack. It's an affordable, affable, and attractive commuter with a functional four-cylinder engine and an interior you won't be offended by. At $22,730 to start, it's also one of the cheapest cars in the class. The version tested here is a mid-range Sentra SV with a few options. It costs a still-reasonable $28,035 all told. It’s 2.0-liter engine makes a modest 149 horsepower and 146 pound-feet of torque. It's paired to a continuously variable transmission with front-wheel drive on every trim.
Is the Sentra thrilling to drive? No, of course not. But the engine delivers just enough power to move the small sedan quickly enough, the chassis is decently balanced, and the brakes are smooth. On the flip side, the steering is mushy, the CVT makes the engine drone, and the acceleration can feel jerky. The Corolla and Civic are sharper in all respects.
A new automatic Stop/Start function for 2025 improves the Sentra's fuel economy to 30 miles per gallon city, 40 highway, and 34 combined. The sporty SR gets 38 mpg combined. The non-hybrid Civic is still better with 36 mpg combined and the non-hybrid Corolla matches the Sentra at 34 mpg combined. But the Sentra remains one of the only cars in the class without a hybrid option. Nissan updated the Sentra's face for 2024, giving it a more-gaping maw. That carries over to 2025 unchanged. But even with the bigger schnozz, the Sentra is still an attractive small sedan with sharp design elements and a sleek profile (again, relative to the rest of the cars in this class). The optional 17-inch wheels on this SV model look stylish, and if you like colors, the $425 Scarlet Ember exterior is worth the splurge.
Black cloth seats come standard on the Sentra SV, but the $2,620 Premium package is another add-on worth considering. It covers the dash, door panels, and chairs in real tan leather. The front seats even get a quilted pattern that makes them feel more premium, and the driver gets six-way power adjustability with lumbar support.

Droning engine noise, courtesy of the cvt, and moderate road noise aside, the Sentra is a comfortable place to spend time. The seats are soft and supportive, and there's plenty of space for all five passengers. The 8.0-inch touchscreen comes standard with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and there's a 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster behind the steering wheel for monitoring basic functions.
Nissan's Safety Shield 360 active safety suite also comes standard on the Sentra, and it includes things like front and rear automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and cruise control. Unfortunately, Nissan doesn't offer its more advanced ProPilot system on the Sentra even though it's available on new (and more affordable) offerings like the 2025 Kicks.

Still, if you want a no-nonsense commuter car that has great fuel economy and costs just over $20,000, you really can't go wrong with the Nissan Sentra. It's not the most efficient nor the most fun to drive, and the SV and SR trims get a little too pricey for what they offer. Otherwise, the Sentra does what it needs to do.