Auto Review: The Cruel Tyranny of the 2010 Nissan Sentra

Even though I eventually grew to become a car reviewer, my mother always taught me to find the best in everyone. She said that if I focused hard enough and long enough I could find something beautiful in everything and everyone. All I know is that if she was hoping for me to become Mother Theresa or Ghandi she was no doubt very disappointed.

With that same sentiment in mind, I wonder if she would still teach such a noble concern to a youngster while standing in front of a 2010 Nissan Sentra? Come on, that thing is a monster with no redeeming characteristics from a styling, engineering, reliability, power, pricing, roominess or fun to drive perspective. It is worse than mediocre, it's nothing special.

To call this compact car a dog is to besmirch the character of canines. At least dogs are cute and have nice personalities, neither of which is true of the deplorable 2010 Sentra. The exterior looks like Nissan deliberately sucked any style or fashion from it with a giant liposuction tube. The proportions are all wrong much like is true for those victims of too many plastic surgeries.

For 2010 Nissan tried to move the Sentra up-market a bit by adding optional in-dash navigation and light cream leather with "almost wood-like" trim liberally displayed around the cabin. But by adding all of these extras you are left with two huge problems.

First, a well equipped and much larger Altima is not much more expensive and if you do option out an Altima it actually feels more expensive. Dressing up the Sentra's interior is like putting the proverbial lipstick on a pig. The interior plastics feel like they are made from recycled Happy Meal boxes and the seat fabric has the durable consistency of Kleenex tissues.

If you want faux carbon fibre on your dashboard remember to put your hat on backwards when you arrive at the Nissan dealership. Then you can test drive the performance SE-R Sentra variant all the hip kids want nowadays! Oh wait, they want Subarus and Mitsubishis.

This 2010 model is the truedeath of a once revered icon, the first generation Sentra SE-R. Do you remember when "SE-R" was held aloft among auto enthusiasts with "CR-X," "GTI" and even "911" as symbols of truly pure automotive joie de vivre?

The plain SE-R now comes with Nissan's frightfully whiny CVT automatic and the larger 177 horsepower 4-cylinder from the Altima. A hotter SE-R Spec V version has a manual transmission and 200 horsepower but it starts at over $20,000. Save a little and buy a VW GTI or spend the same and have just as much fun in a 2011 Honda CR-Z.

Basic Sentra models all the way to the leather lined SL come with a 2.0 liter 140 horsepower 4-cylinder that returns 27 city/34 highway. If you had a horrific brain injury and are planning to buy a 2010 Sentra you will no doubt find that the $17,450 S model is the pick of the range as it adds the CVT auto, alloy wheels, a USB port for iPod connectivity as well as air conditioning, power windows and door locks and a 4-speaker audio system.

But for $17,000 you can get a nice Honda Civic, Mazda3, VW Golf, Kia Soul or even a Mitsubishi Lancer that will make you much happier in the long run. Those cars have soul whereas the current Sentra is about as endearing as a Chevy Cobalt. Sorry, had to get one last knock on the Cobalt since Chevy is finally building a great small car-the 2011 Cruze.

I might say the Sentra is worse than even a Corolla but at least the Corolla knows its audience. Corolla buyers like their vehicles to be easy to use, conservatively styled and to reliably transport them from point A to point B. But Nissan is supposed to be different.

Nissan gave us the Z, the GT-R and the entire Infiniti lineup. Nissan is supposed to be the stylistic risk taker because if they aren't they run to risk of having no identity to separate them from everyone else crowding the market. Creating a cool impression with young people is also vital to long term longevity and the 2010 Nissan Sentra is not a car a young person would choose.

If you want a terrific and affordable Nissan, check out either the Cube or the upcoming Juke. You won't regret owning a wacky Nissan. That's the way Nissan is supposed to do business. The 2010 Nissan Sentra may have no redeeming characteristics or traits but at least there's hope. With enough time, energy and creativity I have no doubt Nissan can turn the Sentra brand into a winner again.