Review - 2007 Nissan Sentra

The Sentra has served its purpose as Nissan entry level sedan for over a decade well. With the latest update, the car follows the rest of Nissans line up towards big. It appears that the car maker's trend is moving towards sharper lines, larger bodies and more rakish, angular styling.

Nissan knows what Americans like, big cars and spending less time at the pump, so they tried a really unique approach with the new car. Sit down in the supportive bucket and you notice a modern attractive interior. Start down the road, and the cars flaws start to appear. The car feels sluggish to turn and lacks the horsepower of cars in its class. If you're over six foot the lack of head room forces you to lean the seat back farther than comfort allows or bend forward. The back seat offers even less movement than the front, kids and small adults only in the back. Most of the space exists in the trunk, where you can throw several golf club bags in.

The car feels out of place, like its not sure if it's a car or truck. That's right, the ride height, boxy shape, even the shifter are reminiscent of the Armada or Titan.

The ride quality isn't bad, but handling suffers under any hard use. The car won't jostle you around, but it lacks any feeling through the corners. The brakes feel soft and the stock tires lack grip.

The top of the line SE-R Spec V model offers a more powerful engine, racy body work and alloy wheels, yet falls victim to many of the base models traits. Soft suspension, horrible ergonomics and weak tires. It has more flash than the base model Sentra, but once again lacks the refinement and the driving excitement that other available cars in its class now offer.

Nissan took a gamble with the styling of the new Sentra, and it hasn't paid off. Some may take to the new look after a while, but the cars lack of refinement and lack of a niche in the market will hurt sales severely. Most people that will consider the Sentra will be forced to look at the competitors or move up to the Nissan Altima. Nissans bet to move more Americans from the SUV segment to the small sedan market could jeopardize the sales of what was once one of their best sellers, the Sentra.