Road Test: 2013 Nissan Sentra SR

Story by John LeBlanc Probably like you, I try to eat right, get a little exercise and as much sleep as possible, all in the efforts of staving off the inevitability of old age. But then I drove Nissan’s new Sentra compact sedan, and I felt about 30 years older than what my birth certificate reads. All new for 2013, the Sentra is Nissan’s latest entry in the hotly contested compact car segment in Canada. In a class jammed with hot sellers like the Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra, Mazda3 and Toyota Corolla, the last Sentra was an also-ran (in 2012, only 11,008 units of the Nissan compact were sold, compared to the class-leading Honda Civic, with 64,962 units moved). With an all-new model for 2013, naturally, Nissan is hoping to jump-start Sentra sales, but after spending a week driving it, Nissan seems to have aimed its compact to the old at heart. Despite its previous lack of success, the new Sentra is priced right along with its more popular rivals. Base Sentra S models begin at $17,415, (all prices include transportation and pre-delivery charges). Standard kit includes a six-speed manual gearbox, a 1.8-litre four-cylinder gas engine and six airbags. My mid-level $21,515 Sentra SR tester added a continuously variable automatic transmission and interior upgrades such as “premium” cloth seats, a push-button start, the ability to subscribe to satellite radio and/or connect my iPhone via USB, fancier gauges and leather on the steering wheel and gear shift knob. As such, the Nissan pretty much splits the difference between a comparably equipped $21,140 Honda Civic EX and $22,294 Hyundai Elantra GLS. If the new, front-wheel-drive, five-passenger Sentra SR doesn’t offer much of a cost advantage at purchase time, Nissan is gushing about the money you will potentially save on fuel. All CVT-equipped Sentras score an estimated 6.6 L/100 km in the city and 4.9 on the highway, and what Nissan says is a “best-in-class” 5.8 combined (city and highway) estimate. While that’s great if you’re pinching pennies or don’t like burning fossil fuels, the price is a serious lack of mojo underneath the Nissan’s hood. Don’t be confused by the Sentra’s SR badge. With only 130 horsepower and 128 pound-feet of torque on tap (down 10 and 19 respectively from its predecessor’s 2.0 unit), the 2013 SR won’t remind you of sportier SE-R Sentras from the past. Not only does the lack of juice make the Nissan compact competitively slow (zero to 100 km/h takes 9.5 seconds, about half a second behind the class average) it sounds like it needs its arthritic medicine at anything above half-throttle. The typically whiny Nissan CVT doesn’t help here, either. Once again, with the goal of better fuel economy, Nissan has made the 2013 Sentra lighter than the outgoing model. But the end result is a car that doesn’t feel as solid on the road as some of its rivals. And here’s yet another car that’s struggling to find a natural feel from its newfangled electric (instead of hydraulic) steering. There’s virtually no feel when you turn the Nissan’s tiller, but then it pushes back when you make tight turns. You’ll be further discouraged to attempt sporty driving due to a soft-and-cushy La-Z-Boy masquerading as a driver’s seat that gives about as much support as a cable TV call centre rep and a floaty suspension that creates more roll in the corners than a bakery. Needless to say, you won’t want to drive anywhere too quickly in the 2013 Sentra SR. But if your lifestyle allows you to get around at a more sedate pace — like you don’t need get to work or drop the kids off to daycare in the morning — the new Sentra SR is for you. Seemingly channelling Buick Roadmasters from the past, the Nissan seems better suited for life on the highway (I would suggest the slower, right lane). The combination of its sofa-like seats and generous rear seat leg- and headroom means it makes quite the machine to chauffeur your friends to an afternoon of bingo or all the way to Florida for the winter months. And Nissan has really bumped up the style factor inside the new Sentra. Gone is the last model’s Toys R Us plastics, replaced by swishy-looking, soft-tough materials and fake wood and aluminum bits that will make any buyer feel like they bought a more expensive car. So if you want a sporty, fun-to-drive compact sedan or are looking to gain some street cred with your local Fast and Furious crowd, stay away from the new 2013 Sentra SR. It’s just not that type of car. Nissan’s desire to make it a fuel efficient and comfortable cruiser has sapped the compact sedan of any kind of driving verve. Instead, the new 2013 Nissan Sentra SR seems targeted at the majority of people who can afford new cars: aging Baby Boomers. Buyers who are near or saving for the day when the weekly pay cheque stops coming should appreciate the new Nissan's fuel-efficient ways and easy-on-the-neck acceleration and driving demeanour. THE SPECS Type of vehicle Front-wheel-drive compact sedan Engine 1.8L DOHC four-cylinder gas engine Power 130 hp Torque 128 lb-ft Transmission Continuously variable automatic Brakes Four-wheel disc with ABS Tires P205/50VR17 all-season Price: base/as tested: $14,848/$19,948 Destination charge $1,567 Transport Canada fuel economy L/100 km 4.9 city, 6.6 hwy, 7.2 as-tested Standard features: Six airbags; vehicle dynamic and traction control systems; cruise control; Nissan Intelligent Key; Bluetooth hands-free phone system; 6-speaker AM/FM/CD audio system with 109-mm display and auxiliary audio input jack; illuminated steering wheel audio controls; 17-inch aluminum-alloy wheels; sport front and rear fascias; sport front grille; lower body side sill extensions; rear spoiler with integrated LED brake light;  fog lights and chrome exhaust tip finisher; sport silver interior trim; premium sport cloth seats and driver's seatback pocket; leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear shift knob.

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