Styling

The Sentra's tall stance and short hood and trunklid make the car look a bit stubby in profile. It's not nearly as sleek as the Civic, which is still futuristic looking even though it's been around in its current form since the 2006 model year — an incredible feat. I like the Sentra's design more than the Corolla's, which is about as bland and nondescript a car as you'll find these days. For a side-by-side comparison of the Sentra, Civic and Corolla, click here.

Not everything's right with the Sentra's design. A couple of our editors, myself included, weren't fond of the car's clear-lens taillights. This design cue was a fad a few years ago, and it's time for Nissan to ditch the look.

The Sentra comes standard with steel wheels, but our 2.0 SL had 16-inch alloy wheels with an eight-spoke design. Alloy wheels always dress up a car's exterior, and 2.0 S and 2.0 SL models get chrome door and trunklid accents that serve the same purpose.

    See also:

    Console light (if so equipped)
    The console light will turn on whenever the parking lights or headlights are illuminated. The console light brightness can be adjusted with the instrument brightness control. ...

    Changing engine coolant
    A NISSAN dealer can change the engine coolant. The service procedure can be found in the NISSAN Service Manual. Improper servicing can result in reduced heater performance and engine overheating ...

    Indicators for operation
    The design of the warnings and alerts may differ depending on the model. 1. Door open warning This warning appears if any of the doors are open or not closed securely. The vehicle icon indic ...