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:

    Checking bulbs
    With all doors closed, apply the parking brake and turn the ignition switch to the ON position without starting the engine. The following lights will come on: The following lights come on bri ...

    Audio main operation
    VOL/ON·OFF control: Place the ignition switch in the ACC or ON position and push the VOL/ON·OFF control knob while the system is off to call up the mode (radio or CD) that was playing immedia ...

    Secondary trunk lid release
    To open the trunk lid from the rear seat: (1) - Fold down the center arm rest. - Insert the mechanical key into the trunk compartment access lid lock. Fold down the trunk compartment access l ...