2004 Nissan Sentra Review Summary

What reviewers liked most about the 2004 Nissan Sentra:

  • [The SE-R] is just plain fun to drive...a sporty car you can deal with every day.- Road & Track
  • Environmentally conscious people will love the [California-only] Sentra CA...touted as the cleanest gasoline-powered vehicle in the world.- Automobile
  • Nissan's Sentra is a willing sedan with a smoothness that leaves you feeling it's worth more than its price.- New Car Test Drive

What reviewers liked least about the 2004 Nissan Sentra:

  • Throws [of the five-speed manual transmission] are somewhat long and slightly rubbery.- Edmunds.com
  • Rather plain inside and out- Consumer Guide
  • The 'overstuffed' interior crowds rear passengers more than you'd expect.- Car and Driver

2004 Nissan Sentra Comparisons:

  • The SE's firmer suspension tuning provides sportier handling [than XE and GXE trim levels] with a slight loss of ride comfort.- Consumer Guide
  • The Sentra feels bigger and more grownup than a Honda Civic, and it feels more hunkered down and less top-heavy than a Ford Focus ZTS.- New Car Test Drive
  • The Nissan Sentra is now a less-expensive competitor for Volkswagen's hot-selling Jetta. And that's quite a compliment.- New Car Test Drive

Best one-liners about the 2004 Nissan Sentra:

  • 'And I will call it...Mini Maxima!'- Edmunds.com
  • Welcome to the softer side of Nissan...the Buick of the little cars.- Car and Driver
  • The Sentra SE is a triple-digit ride that hardly breaks a sweat in the wide-open sweepers.- The Car Connection
  • Can you say mini-BMW M3?- Motor Trend

2004 Nissan Sentra Introduction

Nissan Sentra gets updated styling and an upgraded interior for 2004. The changes give the Sentra a more contemporary appearance with a toothy grille reminiscent of the 2004 Maxima. New model designations (such as 1.8 S and 2.5 S) indicate which of two engines is under the hood.

The basic product and its mission have not changed, however. The Sentra remains practical and frugal, roomy and comfortable. Sentra offers a good value, starting at just $12,200 (MSRP) with a well-equipped 1.8 S retailing for $14,200.

The SE-R models are solid sport compacts, fun to drive, with a responsive suspension and a strong, 165-horsepower 2.5-liter engine.

For 2004, Sentra models get redesigned front and rear fascia and a newly styled hood. Also receiving changes for 2004 is the Sentra SE-R. New features include a new brake package for SE-R Spec V with Brembo front discs, a new interior charcoal fabric and two new exterior colors ? Volcanic Orange and Sapphire Blue. There are several interior upgrades as well, including a trip computer (standard on 2.5 S, SE-R and SE-R Spec V) and an enhanced Rockford Fosgate sound system.

2004 Nissan Sentra Walkaround

The majority of the enhancements to the 2004 Sentra lineup are in exterior design. For 2004, Sentra features restyled headlamps and rear combination lamps, a new smooth front and rear fascia with a fresh hood design and a distinctive grille. The changes are designed to take the styling of the Sentra to a new level with more flair, making it look more stylish, assertive, and self-confident.

Sentra maintains its flush-mounted, one-piece multi-parabola halogen headlamps as well as its body-color front grille, side moldings and bumpers. Handsome and solid, the basic Sentra design features a low hood line, high rear deck, and strong rear fenders, with a distinct front-to-rear character line. Robust and rounded, the design was penned by Nissan's California styling studio.

The SE-R was designed to evoke the image of the Nissan Skyline, a sports sedan legendary in the Japan market for its performance. For 2004, the sport-inspired Sentra SE-R receives several body enhancements, including new front and rear fascia, new headlamp shapes, and a restyled hood. A rear spoiler and large chrome exhaust tips indicate the intent of the SE-R.

The term compact is relative, as all of these cars seem to grow over time. This is not your father's subcompact. Sentra fits between the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic, with an overall length of 177.5 inches and body width of 67.3 inches, but it's about 2.5 inches shorter than those at a height of 55.5 inches.

2004 Nissan Sentra Interior Features

Sentra offers a roomy interior, both for people and cargo. The interior is designed well from a functionality standpoint and everything seems to fit well.

At first glance the Sentra's front seats look like normal economy car perches, but once you're in them they feel much roomier than they look. In all but the base model, the seats adjust for height with dual lifters. The driver's seat is eight-way adjustable (four-way on the base 1.8 model), with a four-way adjustable passenger seat. Driver and passenger sit relatively high in the hip area, making getting in and out easier.

New for 2004, SE-R gets new charcoal-colored fabric. The seats in the SE-R are supportive, with big side bolsters. They hold you firmly, but comfortably, in place. One knob on the side adjusts the front half of the seat bottom; another knob adjusts the rear half. Leather covers the SE-R's steering wheel and gearshift knob. New fabric upholstery for the SE-R Spec V features silver accents.

Red markings on black gauges are difficult to read on bright days with sunglasses on (there's a surprise), but they look cool at night. Stereo controls are positioned high on the center console, making them easy to adjust, and the metallic trim of the faceplate matches the latest in trendy Continental design. Other controls are straightforward and easy to use. Sentra is equipped with generous cabin storage, including a center-console with lid and a large glove box. A compartment on top of the dash is useful for storing a wallet or sunglasses. The cup holders work well for standard-size cans and cups. For 2004, a trip computer comes standard on all models with the 2.5-liter engine.

The rear seats can accommodate grownups, and all seating positions provide good breathing room. All three rear-seat positions have three-point belts, though three back there is a crowd. The four outboard belts are equipped with automatic pretensioners, an important safety feature for an economy car. This is equipment that many bigger sedans didn't have just five years ago.

The trunk is big, with 11.6 cubic feet of cargo space. The 60/40 split folding rear seatback can be unlatched from the trunk (difficult to figure out without help), making the Sentra a versatile cargo hauler. The available Fosgate subwoofer reduces versatility, taking up space and reducing the size of the passthrough.

The optional Fosgate stereo sounds fantastic with crisp bass and clear highs and no clipping at high volumes, but the controls are on the small side. For 2004, the system has been enhanced for improved sound quality.

2004 Nissan Sentra Driving Impressions

The Nissan Sentra is a terrific car and we love the sporty SE-R and Spec V models.

Sentra 1.8 and 1.8 S models run smoothly and quietly. They feel stable at high speeds, and wind and tire noise are low. The 1.8-liter engine turns a relatively calm 4500 rpm at 100 mph. At the legal limit of 70 mph, the 1.8-liter engine turns just 3100 rpm in fifth gear when equipped with the five-speed manual. With the automatic it revs even lower at this speed. The EPA rates the Sentra 1.8 and 1.8 S at 28/35 mpg city/highway with an automatic transmission, and 28/36 with a five-speed manual. For longer life with less maintenance, the Sentra engine uses a timing chain instead of a cheaper, but quieter, timing belt. You don't notice the extra noise generated by the timing chain, however.

The 1.8-liter engine in the GXE and XE races easily to its 6500 rpm redline, but it was designed to deliver its power relatively low in the rev range, where most Americans shift. (Torque peaks at 129 pounds-feet at a low 2400 rpm.) Most U.S. buyers opt for the automatic transmission. Low-rpm torque and carefully mapped gearing allow 1.8-liter automatic models to accelerate quickly from intersections, yet cruise the highway in a relaxed manner. Big motor mounts isolate the engine, deadening noise and vibration.

The 2.5-liter engine that comes in the 2.5 S, SE-R, and Spec V delivers lots of power. Throttle response is immediate, and strong torque makes for strong acceleration performance. Based on the architecture of Nissan's V6 engines, the SE-R's 2.5-liter inline-4 features variable valve timing, silent-chain cam drive and a compact balance system to reduce vibration. The power band is very linear. The automatic transmission in the 2.5 S and SE-R works well with the 2.5-liter engine.

The Spec V adds to the fun with even more power and it sounds really cool with the low-restriction exhaust. Weighing in at 2,708 pounds, the Spec V weighs only 15.5 pounds per horsepower, compared to 16.4 for the standard SE-R. Nissan claims the Spec V will squirt from 0 to 60 mph in less than 7 seconds. The Spec V's six-speed manual shifter tends to be notchy. Fifth gear can be almost hard to find. Fortunately, the gearbox isn't nearly as balky in second, third, and fourth, which is where this car is the most fun to drive.

Handling is even more impressive with the sports suspensions found on the SE-R and Spec V. We instantly felt comfortable in them, feeling like we could drive them right to the limit the first time we climbed in. It's easy to rotate the SE-R in corners using the throttle, making it a lot of fun to drive. Tossable is the word that comes to mind. The rack-and-pinion steering provides quick and direct control. Handling is aided by larger front and rear stabilizer bars and front suspension tower bracing. The high-performance tires offer good grip in the dry. We've noticed inconsistent grip in the wet, however, requiring care when driving aggressively in the rain. Overall, the Sentra feels a little bigger than some of the other compacts, including the Mazda Protege.

Spec V builds upon the SE-R's handling capabilities, with tighter shock tuning and spring rates 15 percent stiffer in front, 16 percent stiffer in back. High-performance 215/45ZR17 tires on special 17-inch wheels complete the suspension package and give Sentra a tough, sport-compact look.

Big disc brakes slow the SE-R quickly. Whether we were lapping Laguna Seca Raceway or blasting along the cliffs on Pacific Coast Highway, we found the brakes easy to modulate. The SE-R's front rotors measure a full 11 inches, larger than in many so-called sporting machines. A four-channel, four-sensor anti-lock braking system is also available. For 2004, a high-performance Brembo Brake Package is offered on the SE-R Spec V model. The exclusive package includes gold-painted Brembo four-piston front calipers, 12-inch Brembo vented front discs, and 10.9-inch rear discs.

Thanks to its torque-sensitiv

2004 Nissan Sentra Final Word

Nissan Sentra continues to be a compelling choice among compact sedans. It's no longer the newest product in the class, but styling revisions freshen it up.

Sentra drives like it's worth more than its price. The 1.8 S model comes well-equipped and the 1.8-liter engine provides peaceful and comfortable highway cruising with good acceleration performance.

The available 2.5-liter engine propels these cars to the front row in terms of acceleration performance. The racy SE-R and SE-R Spec V deliver sports car performance on an economy car budget.