CHATHAM, Mass. – The 2024 Nissan Sentra SR is a very nice, efficient, comfortable, fun small sedan with an updated look.
Nissan described the visual changes to the 2024 Sentra SR as incorporating “dark chrome trim for the V-motion grille, dark chrome outer finish elements on the front fascia and a body-colored lower trim strip below the grill. Red SR badges are also added, front and rear. In the rear, a new lower fascia graphic design helps make Sentra look lower and wider.”
The results are an attractive compact four-door sedan with, in the case of the tester, a distinctive two-tone ($250 option) look.
Powertrain leans to efficiency
All 2024 Nissan Sentra models are equipped with a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine with double-overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder and aluminum block, putting out a peak 149 horsepower and 146 pounds-feet of torque.
As the numbers indicate, the 2024 Sentra SR is not a pavement burner (Car and Driver recorded a 0-60 time of 9.2 seconds), but it feels peppy when attacking the twisty hills in Wellfleet and the Cape Cod Bay -area roads of rural Truro.
Fuel efficiency is the powerplant’s forte. I pushed the pint-sized black-on-blue sedan hard at times, turned off the fuel-saving start/stop feature (annoying restart at each stop sign and traffic light), yet still saw an excellent overall miles-per-gallon figure of 37.8! This puts to shame the federal Environmental Protection Agency’s rating of 32 mpg (28 urban, 37 highway).
Nissan understands the compact, economy-sedan buyer wants an enjoyable driving experience, but efficiency and fuel economy are more important – and the 2024 Sentra SR delivers the goods in this category.
The rest of the powertrain includes a responsive continuously variable transmission (CVT) which Nissan calls Xtronic.
A sporting platform
Reviewing the description of the suspension with which Nissan’s engineers equipped the Sentra SR provides the reason for the car’s responsiveness on the street.
The company laid out a four-wheel independent setup with struts, coil springs and a 22.2mm stabilizer bar up front and multi-link system with 26.5mm stabilizer bar in the rear. Twin-tube shock absorbers are also part of the mix.
The power-assisted brake system includes anti-lock (ABS), brake assist, electronic brake-force distribution (EBD), and ventilated rotors all around (11×0.9 inches in the front, 10.2×0.31 in the rear).
The Sentra SR gets new 18-inch, 10-spoke aluminum wheels for 2024 which wear 215/45R18 all-season tires. Helping the driver maintain the proper pressure for these tires is a tire-pressure monitor (TPM) which indicates individual tire pressures (such a comprehensive system is unusual in an economy car) and Nissan’s Easy Tire Fill system.
The Easy Tire Fill system indicates with the car’s hazard-warning lights when the driver has inflated a tire to the proper pressure.
Nissan’s ADAS throughout the Sentra range
All 2024 Sentra models, including the SR, come with Nissan Safety Shield® 360, a suite of six advanced driver-assist systems including automatic emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian detection, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure warning, high-beam assist and rear automatic braking.
Other standard ADAS include intelligent forward collision warning and a haptic steering wheel, along with audio cues, which helps provide safety alerts. The top-of-the-range SR also brought Intelligent Cruise Control and Intelligent Around View® Monitor which uses exterior cameras to provide a 360° view around the vehicle (a feature pioneered by Nissan).
Technology, amenities beyond an economy level
Premium features abound in the 2024 Nissan Sentra SR, especially one equipped with the Premium Package ($2,400 option) like our review unit.
Some enhance the interior’s comfort like dual-zone automatic climate control, heated leatherette seats (the driver’s with six-way power adjustment) and heated steering wheel help keep the interior at just the right temperature.
An eight-inch color LCD touchscreen is the control center for vehicle systems including the infotainment system. The SR’s infotainment system includes an eight-speaker Bose® Premium Audio system, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto compatibility and SiriusXM satellite radio.
In addition to the on-screen infotainment controls, the Sentra SR has both steering-wheel and dash-button ones to allow for effortless operation.
This all adds up to an inviting, comfortable interior for up to five occupants (though the middle position in the rear seat will be a bit tight).
Economical, efficient and fun
Nissan introduced the Sentra more than 40 years ago as its subcompact, entry-level sedan. It has matured over time and several generations into the brand’s compact sedan (the Versa is now Nissan’s subcompact entry) with modern technology and features.
The three-model range begins with the well-equipped S at $20,890, moves to the better-equipped SV at $21,820 and tops out with the more premium-like SR at $23,980. The test SR included the Premium Package ($2,400), two-tone paint ($250), floor mats ($270) and destination & handling fee ($1,095) for a total of $28,085.
In today’s world, this represents terrific value for a solid, fun-to-drive, attractive sedan, offering a different driving experience than the common sport-utility vehicle. It is easy to park, maneuver and can avoid most gas stations. In the market for a small sedan, the 2024 Nissan Sentra SR makes a solid choice.
