• News
  • Guides
  • Reviews
  • Media
  • About
  • News
  • Guides
  • Reviews
  • Media
  • About
Sign up Now (For Free)

Sign up for our newsletter and receive the latest automotive news in your inbox!

Invalid email address
We promise not to spam you. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Thanks for subscribing!
News
Read Now
  • All News
  • Automakers
  • Automobiles
  • Auto Shows
  • Business
  • EVs & Environment
  • Guides
  • Lawsuits/Legal
  • Regulatory
  • Ride-Sharing
  • Safety & Recalls
  • Technology
Recent
  • Ford “Significantly” Raising Production of Mustang Mach-E While Reducing Prices “Across the Board”
  • Week Ahead: Numbers, Numbers and More Numbers
  • The Rearview Mirror: All That the Name Implies
  • Top Tips for Improving EV Range in Cold Weather
  • Mercedes is First Automaker to Offer True Level 3 Hands-Free Driving System in the U.S.
  • Audi Introduces Fourth “Sphere” Concept: Activesphere
  • Jaguar Land Rover Posts First Profitable Quarter in Two Years
  • Musk Confirms Cybertruck Production Tracking for End of 2023
  • Polestar Raises its Game with the 2024 Polestar 2
  • Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda Steps Down, Hands Reins to Lexus Chief Koji Sato
Editor’s Choice
    Reviews
    Read Now
    • All Reviews
      • Feeder
    • Classic Cars
    • Concept Cars
    • Convertibles
    • Coupes
    • Crossovers/CUVs
    • Diesel
    • Hot hatches
    • Hybrids
    • Luxury Vehicles
    • Minivans
    • Muscle Cars
    • Pickups
    • Sedans
    • Sports Cars
    • Super Cars
    • SUVs
    Recent Reviews
    • A Week With: 2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R 4x4 Super Crew
    • A Week With: 2023 Genesis Electrified G80 AWD
    • A Week With: 2023 Land Rover Defender 110 V-8
    • First Drive: 2023 Honda Pilot TrailSport
    • A Week With: 2023 Jaguar F-Type R Coupe
    • A Week With: 2023 GMC Yukon Denali Ultimate
    • A Week With: 2023 Genesis GV60 Performance
    • A Week With: 2023 Chevrolet Suburban Z71
    • A Week With: 2023 Lexus UX 250h F Sport
    • A Week With: 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQB 300 4Matic
    Editor’s Choice
      Guides
      Car Warranty
      • Endurance Warranty Reviews
      • BMW Extended Warranty
      • Extended Warranty For Cars Over 100k Miles
      • Extended Car Warranty Cost
      • Subaru Extended Warranty
      • CarShield Reviews
      • CarShield Cost
      • Aftermarket Car Warranty
      • CARCHEX Warranty Reviews
      • Reputable Extended Car Warranty Companies
      • Used Car Warranty Companies
      • Best Car Warranty
      • Is CarShield A Scam?
      • Mercedes Extended Warranty
      • CarShield Plans
      Insurance
      • How To Identify A Car Insurance Company
      • Geico Mechanical Breakdown Insurance
      • How Far Back Does A Car Insurance Company Look
      • Mechanical Breakdown Insurance For Used Cars
      • State Farm Mechanical Breakdown Insurance
      • Mechanical Breakdown Insurance From Progressive
      • Dollar A Day Insurance
      • Auto Insurance For SSI Recipients
      • Car Insurance Rates After A Suspended License
      • Auto Insurance For Salvage Vehicles
      • Average Cost of Dodge Ram 1500 Car Insurance
      • Car Insurance Florida
      • Full Coverage Auto Insurance
      • GrubHub Insurance
      • Amazon Delivery Auto Insurance
      Shipping
      • Car Shipping Companies
      • uShip Reviews
      • Auto Shipping From California To Hawaii
      • Montway Auto Transport Reviews
      • Cheap Car Shipping
      • Easy Auto Ship Reviews
      • Auto Shipping Miami
      • Auto Shipping To Alaska
      • Car Shipping Cost
      • Auto Shipping Hawaii
      • Auto Shipping Puerto Rico
      • Sherpa Auto Transport Reviews
      • Auto Shipping Atlanta
      • Auto Shipping Boston
      • Auto Shipping. Chicago
      About
      • About Us
      • Contact Us
      • Terms of Use
      • Privacy Policy
      • Affiliate Disclosure
      • Sitemap
      TheDetroitBureau.com

      More than just “another” place to find news, reviews, spy shots, commentary, features, and guides about the auto industry. TheDetroitBureau doesn’t stop with the press releases or confuse a few lines of opinion with insightful, in-depth reporting.

      Contact Us

      Like what you see? Have some ideas for making The Detroit Bureau.com even better? Let us know, we’d love to hear your voice.

        Media
        Listen Now
        • Headlight News: All Episodes
        More from TheDetroitBureau
        • Guides
        • Latest News
        • Auto Reviews
        • Podcasts
        Headlight News

        TheDetroitBureau.com’s Headlight News offers a look at the past week’s top automotive news stories, as well as what’s coming up in the week ahead. Check out the week’s top story and our latest review…along with a dive into the past with this week in automotive history.

        home > reviews > A Week With: 2021 Nissan Sentra SR

        A Week With: 2021 Nissan Sentra SR

        Good looking, but not sporty, the 2021 Nissan Sentra offers compelling value.

        Larry Printz
        Larry Printz , Assistant Managing Editor
        June 18, 2021

        Remember when everyone called Target, “Tar-Jay?”

        2021 Nissan Sentra front
        The new 2021 Nissan Sentra SR offers high-end technology for a economy-class price.

        It earned the nickname by offering well-designed products at affordable prices. So maybe we should start calling the 2021 Nissan Sentra SR, the Sen-traaaahhhh, for it offers the technology one might associate with a luxury car without a hefty price tag. 

        Better yet, Nissan’s compact sedan is a real eyeful, competing in a class brimming with worthy, and less stylish, competitors. 

        Overview

        Redesigned for 2020, the Nissan Sentra returns in ascending S, SV and SR trim levels, and now comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration and Android Auto on all trim levels. Other changes come on the top-of-the-line SR model, which is available with NIssanConnect and a Wi-Fi hotspot and a new two-tone paint combination — Electric Blue Metallic with Black roof. Otherwise, the Sentra remains unchanged from its revision last year, offering the sort of technology once reserved for far pricier cars.

        Exterior

        2021 Nissan Sentra rear
        The Nissan Sentra SR breaks the mold, offering an appealing exterior design.

        Walk around the 2021 Nissan Sentra and you’ll find its design is striking, especially when ordered with two-tone paint — a $595 option. It’s as if you left a Nissan Altima and Maxima in the dryer too long. Usually, cars in this class are dowdy and inconspicuous — just check out a 2016 Sentra. But the current model makes a strong case for being among the most stylish in its class, a reminder that good design doesn’t have to cost more. 

        Interior

        Certainly luxury is an overused word, but you could be excused for thinking you climbed into a compact luxury sedan when you climb into the Sentra SR, particularly when equipped with the $2,270 SR Premium Package. 

        This adds all the yummy stuff your inner-hedonist craves: thin LED headlights, power glass moon roof, pleather seat trim, 6-way power driver’s seat, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, 8-speaker Bose premium audio system, an around view monitor and NissanConnect with Wi-Fi hotspot. There’s no navigation system, but most folks use their smartphones for that anyway.

        2021 Nissan Sentra dashboard
        The interior the Sentra is spacious, yet filled with plenty of impressive touches like an 8-speaker Bose audio system.

        The cabin is roomy, and it’s detailing looks upscale, with stitching on the flat-bottom steering wheel, shifter cover, along the instrument panel seams, center console and seats. Soft-touch materials offset the hard plastic used elsewhere, while round air vents add a distinctive design touch.

        Seats proved comfortable, but support proves lacking over longer drives. There was a surprising amount of legroom both front and rear. While the trunk at nearly 15 cubic feet, provides plenty of schlepping space.

        Powertrain

        This front-wheel-drive sedan comes with one driveline: a double-overhead cam 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine mated to a continuously variable automatic transmission. It produces 149 horsepower, 20% more than the engine in the 2019 Sentra.

        Safety and Technology

        The Sentra’s list of standard safety equipment is extensive, including automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, forward-collision warning, rear automatic braking, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure warning, high-beam assist and a rear-view monitor.

        2021 Nissan Sentra seats
        The seats in the Nissan Sentra are pleather lined and very comfortable.

        Technology is equally impressive with an 8-inch color touchscreen with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, SiriusXM Radio and Bluetooth. The SR trim level also comes with a front USB-A and USB-C ports, as well as a rear USB-A port. 

        Best of all, the Bose 8-speaker audio system provides impressive sound quality. A 7-inch touchscreen is standard on the Sentra S, while SV and SR trims get the 8-inch touchscreen. Its new operating system is a revelation, far easier to use than the cumbersome system used on its siblings. NIssanConnect’s app allows you to remotely lock or unlock your car, receive roadside assistance, or remotely start your vehicle from your smartphone.

        Driving impressions

        Don’t expect the driving fun you might experience behind the wheel of a Mazda3 or a Honda Civic, this is no sports sedan. Still, it’s a satisfying small sedan to drive thanks to its nicely weighted steering that returns some road feel. 

        Yes, there’s some body lean in corners, but body motions are very well controlled. The new independent rear suspension does a decent job of absorbing most bumps, although the worst shocks do pound through. The cabin is astonishingly quiet, more so than cars at twice the price. Only the engine gets vocal when pushed. 

        2021 Nissan Sentra SR Specifications:

        DimensionL: 182.7 inches/W: 71.5 inches/H: 57 inches/Wheelbase: 106.6 inches
        Weight3,084 pounds
        Powertrain2.0-liter DOHC 4-cylinder engine; CVT and front-wheel drive
        Fuel Economy28 mpg city/37 mpg highway/32 mpg combined
        Performance Specs149 horsepower and 146 pound-feet of torque
        PriceBase price: $21,750; As tested: $25,910 including $925 destination and delivery charge
        On-Sale DateAvailable now

        Wrap Up

        Considering the average price in April was $40,768, according to the analysts at Kelley Blue Book. The 2021 Nissan Sentra is a compelling value. It offers so much at half the cost. Stylish and solid, the car’s value proposition is strong, as long as you’re not expecting anything remotely sporty. So it begs the question: is luxury dead, or is it merely being democratized?

        How to Care for Your Car

        Cheap Car Warranty

        Editor's Choice

        Best Extended Car Warranty

        Editor's Choice
        Recently Published
        2023 Genesis G90 4

        A Week With: 2023 Genesis G90 3.5T

        Dec. 29, 2022
        2022 Lexus ES 250 F Sport AWD front 3-4 REL

        A Week With: 2022 Lexus ES 250 F Sport AWD

        Dec. 20, 2022
        2022 Mazda3 sedan best REL

        A Week With: 2022 Mazda3 AWD

        Dec. 13, 2022

        What Are You Looking For?

        See More
        Buying a Sedan? See our recommended reviews and guides.
        Buying a Sedan? See our recommended reviews and guides.
        Reviews and Resources When You Are Looking For a New Car
        Collection
        Car Reviews and Guides
        Collection

        Car Reviews and Guides
        Recommends
        The Best Car Insurance Companies in 2022 (with Costs)
        Recommends

        The Best Car Insurance Companies in 2022 (with Costs)
        Recommends
        Best Car Warranties – 2021 Comparison (Factory & Extended)
        Recommends

        Best Car Warranties – 2021 Comparison (Factory & Extended)
        Recommends
        7 Best Car Shipping Companies: Consumer Guide (2022)
        Recommends

        7 Best Car Shipping Companies: Consumer Guide (2022)
        Close
        Reviews and Resources When You Are Looking For a New Car
        Collection
        Car Reviews and Guides
        Collection

        Car Reviews and Guides
        Recommends
        The Best Car Insurance Companies in 2022 (with Costs)
        Recommends

        The Best Car Insurance Companies in 2022 (with Costs)
        Recommends
        Best Car Warranties – 2021 Comparison (Factory & Extended)
        Recommends

        Best Car Warranties – 2021 Comparison (Factory & Extended)
        Recommends
        7 Best Car Shipping Companies: Consumer Guide (2022)
        Recommends

        7 Best Car Shipping Companies: Consumer Guide (2022)
        Close
        Share this article:
        © The Detroit Bureau 2023
        • Guides
        • Privacy Policy
        • Terms of Use
        • Affiliate Disclosure
        • Contact Us
        • Sitemap
        Follow Us: