2008 Nissan Sentra 2.0

2008 Nissan Sentra 2.0 Quick Facts

Base Price:	$16,780
Price as Tested:	$18,560
Horespower:	140 Hp @ 5100 rpm
Torque:	147 lbs.-ft. @ 4800 rpm
0 to 60:	N/A
ABS Brakes:	Standard
Side Curtain Airbags:	Standard
EPA Fuel:	22/27 m.p.g. city/highway
Towing Capability:	No
Off-Road Capability:	No
First-Aid Kit:	Not available
Notes/Additional Info.:	Base price does not include a $625 destination charge. Floor and trunk mats cost $165 extra.

The simplest way to save money at the gas pump is to drive a car rather than a truck. Cars have a lower coefficient of drag than trucks: they are slipperier in the airstream and have a lower center of gravity.

Here's an example of how big a difference aerodynamic efficiency can make. The Nissan Rogue crossover vehicle I drove last week and this week's Sentra sedan are built on the same platform with an identical wheelbase. Both have a four-cylinder engine, though the Rogue's is slightly larger to compensate for about 300 pounds of extra vehicle weight, and both have a continuously variable transmission.

The Sentra averages 29 miles-per-gallon city/highway versus 25 for the Rogue. While differences in engine size and curb weight account for some of the difference, the Sentra's lower coefficient of drag, and lower center of gravity contribute as well.

Assuming the average driver puts 12,000 miles on his vehicle per year, the Rogue will consume about 480 gallons of gas compared to 414 for the Sentra. If gas costs three dollars per gallon, the Sentra driver finishes off the year two hundred dollars richer. Two hundred dollars is not chump change.

Both vehicles hold five passengers: head, leg and shoulder room for both rows of passengers is almost identical. The Rogue has more cubic feet of cargo space due to its two-box design, but both vehicles meet our bicycle friendly standards.

The Sentra's ace in the hole is an exceptionally large pass-through designed to accommodate snowboards, hockey sticks and bicycles. Second-row seat cushions flip forward so the seatbacks can fold completely flat. The test car also has an optional divide and hide trunk system: a removable divider wall with hooks on the outside surface for securing grocery bags.

Tuned for Fun

The Sentra comes in three grades: a base model, S and upscale SL. The mid-grade 2.0 S (tested) has sixteen inch wheels compared to fifteen on the base Sentra, an upgraded audio system, remote keyless entry, cruise control and antilock brakes. Base price is $16,780, not including a $625 destination charge.

Like the Rogue, the Sentra is no barn burner, but it's a fun car to drive. Engineers made ninety percent of peak torque available at 2400 rpm: average highway cruising speeds. So the Sentra has excellent pickup for merging into traffic, or making the occasional emergency evasive maneuver.

The larger wheels, combined with standard front and rear stabilizer bars makes it a fun car to toss around in the corners. The independent front and torsion beam rear suspension do a good job of providing a compliant but not overly soft ride.

Though the wheelbase on the sixth generation Sentra is almost six inches longer than the model it replaces, the sedan still handles like a compact car: easy to weave through traffic, and capable of squeezing into a small parallel parking spot. Overall length increases by just over two inches.

Engineers moved the wheels closer to the corners of the car, and made the Sentra slightly wider and taller to enhance interior space. The passenger cabin on the new model is 9.2 cubic feet larger: a noticeable improvement for the second-row seats.