Used 2018 Nissan Sentra Buyer’s Guide

In the market for an efficient and roomy compact? Here’s what you need to know if the 2018 Nissan Sentra is on your ‘maybe’ list.

A Brief History of the 2018 Nissan Sentra

The Nissan Sentra was an icon of the American highway in the ’80s and ’90s, a zippy, charming, distinctly-Japanese little compact.

These cars were pretty hot in their day. In 1985, Nissan moved 219,024 units in the U.S. alone, then 247,109 in 1988, setting an all-time record. Towards the late ’90s, those sales tapered off as attention shifted to SUVs, but by 2017 the Sentra was back on top, with 218,451 sales in the U.S., and then 213,046 for the 2018.

So, why the renewed interest all of a sudden?

In part, it comes down to simple supply and demand. SUVs and pickups have been the dominant vehicles in the American market for the last 20 years or so. That means a lot of brands are dropping their sedans and compacts from the lineup. The automakers who stay in the car game have a lot more to gain by doing so.

That’s not going to save a lousy car, so what specifically made the late-seventh-generation Sentras so appealing?

The mid-generation redesigns may have helped. In 2012, the Sentra looked like a car from the mid-’90s (pictured above). In 2015 and 2016, the car was given a visual overhaul, with a slicker grille and headlights, and some crisp, clean edges around the hood. The car managed to sell over 200,000 units in the U.S. for the first time since 1989. Sometimes, all it takes is a fresh coat of paint to remind drivers of what they loved about a car back in the day.

For 2017, the Sentra also saw a pair of turbocharged trim levels added to the lineup, the SR Turbo and the Nismo, climbing up to 188 horsepower, proving that Nissan hadn’t forgotten about those drivers who love the Sentra for its sportier leanings. While 188 hp isn’t quite a Dodge Demon, you can feel every one of those horses in a car with a curb weight under 3,000 pounds.

2018 Nissan Sentra Trim Levels

The 2018 Nissan Sentra has six trim levels available, ranging from the base S model to the sporty SR Turbo, the cushy SL, and the best-of-both-worlds Nismo. Let’s start from the bottom and work our way up the list:

Nissan Sentra S

The basic starter-level Sentra, the S trim starts you out with a four-cylinder 1.8L DOHC 16 engine with one-speed continuously variable transmission and front wheel drive. It lacks the oomph of the Nismo, and it’s not as luxurious as the cushier SL, but it’s still a slick little fun-to-drive city car.

A lot of you are probably done reading the list right now, right? For many Nissan fans, the attraction to the Sentra comes down to economy. Even the priciest 2018 Sentra comes in at under $21,000 in the Kelley Blue Book, so you might as well check all the options before settling on the cheapest one.

• FOB controls, including cargo access
• Trip computer
• Engine immobilizer
• Remote keyless entry

Nissan Sentra SV

Functionally, the SV is the same car as the S. It has the same engine, same transmission, and the same basic stats from mpg to horsepower to physical dimensions. The difference comes down to a few minor but noticeable comfort and style upgrades.

• Dual-zone automatic air-conditioning
• Valet function
• Perimeter alarm

Nissan Sentra SR

Like the SV, the SR is a minor, but noticeable step up from the S, featuring a handful of style and comfort upgrades.

• Heated side mirrors
• Lip spoiler
• Front fog lamps
• Heated bucket seats

Nissan Sentra SR Turbo

While not exactly a Mustang, the SR Turbo is a surprisingly potent little 1.6L Direct Injection front-wheel-drive compact. Sporty and light on its feet, it has 188 horsepower and 177 lb.-ft. of torque. Most of what you’re paying for with the Turbo is under the hood, but you get a few interior and exterior upgrades with this trim level, as well.

• Front fog lamps
• Rocker panel extensions
• Express open/close and tilting glass sunroof
• Machined accents on the wheels

Nissan Sentra SL

The SL is the luxury-light trim level. The Sentra is very much a budget-minded car, so the sporty trim isn’t competing with Dodge, and the comfy one isn’t competing with BMW. In either case, you may be surprised at what you get. The SL shares the same basic specs with the S, but with some quality-of-life upgrades and plenty of heated leather.

• Automatic projector-beam LED headlamps
• Front fog lamps
• Express open and tilting glass sunroof
• Heated front bucket seats

Nissan Sentra Nismo

The power of the SR Turbo with the comfort of the SL, the Nismo is the top-of-the-line Nissan Sentra for 2018, the best of both worlds in an affordable package. Basically, you get everything you’re getting in those trim levels, with a few extra style upgrades to give the Nismo a signature look.

• Synthetic suede seat trim
• Heated front sport seats
• Lip spoiler
• Power heated side mirrors

What’s a 2018 Nissan Sentra Going to Cost You?

Here’s one of our favorite things about the 2018 Nissan Sentra: The difference between an S trim and a Nismo is only a couple of thousand dollars. The base S trim will save you a few bucks if you want to get on the road right away, or you can save up a little extra and treat yourself to the cushy interior and sporty performance of the Nismo. Regardless, with four more trims offered between the base and the top-end, there’s sure to be a Sentra in your price range.

Here’s what you can expect to spend on a used 2018 Nissan Sentra, broken down for each trim level:

• S: $14,318 – $17,325
• SV: $17,439 – $20,756
• SR: $17,352 – $20,697
• SR Turbo: $17,111 – $20,746
• SL: $15,975 – $19,446
• Nismo: $15,859 – $19,350

Powertrain Options in the 2018 Nissan Sentra

Nissan kept the engine lineup simple for the 2018 Sentra. You have two options, and they’re locked by trim level. The S, SV, SR, and SL come with the standard 1.8L DOHC 4-cylinder engine, while the Nismo (pictured above) and SR Turbo pack the 1.6L Direct Injection engine. No matter your trim level, that’s going to be coupled with a one-speed Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) with overdrive.

CVT is an acquired taste and may be a deal breaker for some of you reading this. There are drivers who love the feel of smooth, shiftless transmission, and there are drivers who feel that it lacks a certain tactile joy that comes with driving conventional manual and automatic transmissions. Not to mention, there are drivers who just don’t trust CVT, and with good cause, as they’re notorious for early failure.

Nissan CVTs may not be quite as lousy as their detractors would have you believe, but if you don’t like CVTs, the 2018 Sentra probably isn’t going to make you a convert.

The engines may surprise you, though.

The 1.8L DOHC is a pretty basic 16-valve, 4-cylinder engine. It delivers 124 horsepower and 125 lb.-ft. of torque. Nothing that’s going to set records on the drag strip, but thanks to the CVT, it has a surprising amount of get-up-and-go, hitting 60 mph in just over 10 seconds, and finishing the quarter-mile in just under 18. Basically, you’re not going to lose that opening in traffic to a zippy little Hyundai. The base engine isn’t a powerhouse, but it’s tough enough for a little Nissan compact. And as seen in Auto Fast Magazine‘s point-of-view test-drive video, it seems like quite a smooth ride.

With that out of the way, let’s get to the fun part: If you’re a gearhead on a budget, you want the 1.8L direct injection. Car and Driver will tell you that it’s not quite, “a competitive sport compact,” and it’s hard to disagree. Still, it does deliver a lot more than you expect for under $20,000.

At 188 horsepower with 177 lb.-ft. of torque, the SR Turbo and Nismo hit 0-60 in just seven seconds, and they clear the quarter-mile in 15.4 seconds. These stats put the Sentra within fractions of a second of the Civic Sport and VW Golf.

How Fuel Efficient is a 2018 Nissan Sentra?

No big surprises here: Japanese compacts are about as efficient as a car can get outside of hybrids and electrics, and the 2018 Sentra is no exception.

The 1.8L engine averages 29 miles to the gallon in the city, and 37 on the highway. You might expect a noticeable downgrade with the 1.6L Direct Injection engine, as it gets an extra 60 hp, but that horsepower upgrade comes surprisingly cheap, with the 1.6L averaging 27 miles per gallon in the city, and 33 on the highway.

Regardless of trim level, you have a fuel capacity of 13.2 gallons, which combined with the car’s efficient fuel consumption, means you’ll be averaging at least 400 miles between fill-ups. If you’re looking for a compact road-trip machine, this is it.

How Does a 2018 Nissan Sentra Perform?

The 2018 Sentra performs nicely, but only if you have realistic expectations for what you can do in a front-wheel-drive, CVT compact.

Front-wheel drive delivers tight control in a broad range of conditions. If you’re driving on blacktop, the 2018 Sentra has a nice snappy feel to the steering. The car has an advantage in light snow and mud, as more of the weight is on the steering wheels upfront, giving you increased traction as you make your turns. The front-wheel drive also makes the Sentra a beast at climbing hills, especially if you’re packing that 188 hp 1.6L Direct Injection engine.

While compacts are designed to be nimble little city cars, with a decent set of off-road tires, they’re actually pretty darn solid at maneuvering unpaved dirt roads and trails, too. Unfortunately, you can forget about any serious towing. The car’s towing capacity tops out at just 1,000 pounds, which basically amounts to zero pounds when you consider how heavy most trailers are. Having said that, if you live in a rural area, and you’re tired of burning all that extra gas taking the Silverado into town for work every morning, consider a 2018 Sentra for your grocery-getter.

How Big is a 2018 Nissan Sentra?

If we’re talking compacts, the answer to, “Will it fit in my garage?” is usually, “Yes, of course.” However, it’s worth knowing that there’s been a bit of confusion surrounding the size of the Sentra. The nameplate was a subcompact up until the 2000 models, when it was reclassified as a compact, and then as a midsize by the EPA in 2006.

Even the biggest Sentra is pretty small, but if you’re replacing a late-’90s or mid-’00s Sentra, you don’t want to assume that the 2018 will be the same size. You might need to move that weight bench over by a few inches.

• Length: 182.1″
• Width: 69.3″
• Height: 58.9″

For interior dimensions, the EPA puts the total cargo volume at 110 cubic feet. That’s if you completely gut the interior and leave your Sentra looking like a really tiny van. Actual, usable cargo space without pulling the backseats out measures 15.1 cubic feet.

As for how much space you and your passengers will be enjoying:

• Front head room: 39″
• Rear head room: 37″
• Front leg room: 42.5″
• Rear leg room: 37.4″

Passengers come in all shapes and sizes, but at these numbers, you should expect that your Sentra will comfortably seat five average-sized adults.

How Safe is a 2018 Nissan Sentra?

We generally feel safer in bigger vehicles: SUVs, full-size pickups, anything with a little bit of extra steel and aluminum between us and the other car. This isn’t just a misconception; larger vehicles don’t just feel safer, they are probably safer.

That doesn’t mean that small cars are necessarily unsafe, however. With advances in safety technology and car design, vehicles in general are getting safer every year, and compacts are no exception.

Case in point: The 2018 Sentra took home a Top Safety Pick award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), with an overall rating of “Superior.” The only IIHS honor higher than that is the Top Safety Pick Plus.

Scan through the IIHS crash ratings, and you’ll see almost nothing but G for “Good,” their highest rating. The only areas where the car fell short of perfection were in the structure and safety cage, where it earned an A for Acceptable, an A for driver-side pelvis/leg injuries in a side-impact collision, and headlight scores ranging from A to P for Poor, depending on trim level.

Worth noting if you’re comparing the Sentra to an SUV: The Sentra landed a perfect score for roof strength. As SUVs usually fall short on roof/rollover ratings, this is one area where the compact beats the SUV.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) backs the IIHS up on the stellar safety ratings, awarding the car an overall score of four out of five possible stars, with four for front and rollover, and five for all side crash ratings.

Technology Features in the 2018 Nissan Sentra

The Sentra is designed from the ground up to be budget-friendly, but in 2018, that didn’t mean that it skimped on the creature comforts and technological conveniences. A 2018 Sentra isn’t the same as the bare-bones Nissans you might have seen back in the ’80s and ’90s.

Entertainment features in the S, SR, SR Turbo and SV models include a pair of LCD monitors upfront, hands-free text messaging assistant, Siri Eyes-Free, steering-wheel-mounted audio controls, and music provided by USB, Bluetooth, or a good old-fashioned AM/FM/CD player.

The SL and Nismo feature all of that, plus NissanConnect with voice recognition and all the mobile apps that come with the feature, plus real-time traffic display and a nice set of Bose speakers.

On top of the entertainment features, there are your standard conveniences like power controls for the trunk, and all the basic safety tech like Electronic Stability Control, ABS and traction control, low tire pressure warning and a backup camera.

Even in the higher trim levels, the onboard tech is kind of basic. Still, basic is a lot more generous in 2018 than it was in 1998, so there’s not too much to complain about on this front.

2018 Nissan Sentra: Exterior Color Options

The color options available on the 2018 Sentra cover some of the more popular options, the deep reds and blues, plus white, gray and black tones. You may find the selection a little disappointing if you were hoping for something flashier. Don’t expect any lime greens, cherry reds or lemon yellows unless you’re willing to pay for a brand-new paint job.

Most of these colors are available on most trim levels. Let’s break it down:

• The SL isn’t available in Deep Blue Pearl.
• The Nismo is only available in the monochromatic colors: Aspen White, Brilliant Silver, Gun Metallic, or Super Black.
• The S is available in Brilliant Silver, Gun Metallic, Deep Blue Pearl, Fresh Powder and Super Black.
• The SV, SR, and SR Turbo are available in every color except for Fresh Powder.

2018 Nissan Sentra: Interior Color Options

The stock interior color for every single Nissan Sentra, no matter your trim level, no matter your options, is Charcoal.

On the one hand, it’s too bad they don’t have more to choose from. On the other hand, that’s one less decision you have to fret about. You always can throw some purple floor mats down or pop a green seat cover on there for a splash of color.

Retro Reviews of the 2018 Nissan Sentra

Based on everything we’ve listed above, and most of what we’re listing below, the 2018 Nissan Sentra sounds like a pretty solid budget option if you’re in the market for a front-wheel-drive compact.

Sometimes, all that boils down to is a car that sounds good on paper. If you want to know what you’re getting into, you’ve got to take your new used car for a test-drive, and you’ve got to check the opinions of people who have driven and owned the car, starting with the professional reviews from the year the car was released.

First: What was the overall consensus when car writers first got their hands on this car? Kind of mediocre, actually.

Overall, critics didn’t hate the car, but they weren’t blown away by it, either. The 2018 Sentra was scoring what you might call a C+ average. The car scored a 7.4/10 from U.S. News & World Report and a 6.9/10 from Edmunds, and a 5/10 from Car & Driver, with the review praising the roomy interior and “zippy” engine, but ultimately concluding that it, “lacks the character of most rivals.”

Michael Cantu of Motor Trend praised the performance of the SR Turbo and Nismo and the luxurious heated leather seats of the SL, but at the same time suggested that the car might not be, “worthy of a Nismo badge considering its performance didn’t improve much over its predecessors from 10 years ago.”

The bottom line from magazine and website reviewers is that the car is nothing to write home about. It is not exactly a piece of junk, nor is it the best thing they’ve ever driven, either.

YouTubers, on the other hand, have been a little more positive about the 2018 Sentra.

One glowing review comes from 100 Rental Cars, a YouTube review channel devoted to rental cars. It gave the 2018 Sentra a four-star review, praising its efficient size and fun handling, but withheld that final star, owing to the car, “missing some of the updated tech features that I personally really love to play around with.”

Zack Pradel for Shooting Cars had a positive review of the car, citing moderately-comfortable seating and inoffensive visual design, concluding that while there’s nothing too exciting about the 2018 Sentra, it may be “one of the best” budget cars available. “For how cheap you can get these things, I’m actually not complaining. It really doesn’t feel like I’m in a very, very cheap car.”

The most positive review on YouTube comes from Driveway Demons, which suggests that, “many kids today may look at the Nissan Sentra as being grandma’s car,” before taking us back to the sporty SRV trim released in 2002.

Driveway Demons is quick to admit that the new Sentra isn’t, “the car it used to be,” and suggests that a little more horsepower in the base S model would have been appreciated. He concludes that it beats the Versa by a wide margin if you want a zippy budget car, thanks to the superior interior, and an “astonishingly good” stereo system for the price.

Driveway Demons uses that phrase a lot, “for the price,” and that really sums it up.

In the grand scheme of things, the 2018 Sentra is nobody’s dream car. There are faster compacts, there are more luxurious compacts, and there are more stylish compacts, but for the price, the car delivers excellent value in terms of sheer bang for your buck.

It’s hard to find any reviewers who really hate the car, and there aren’t many reviewers who love it, either. That makes perfect sense. The 2018 Nissan Sentra wasn’t designed to be an amazing car, but that doesn’t mean Nissan cut any corners. The Sentra just wants to be a really good car for the price.

That may be a modest goal, but the car does succeed to that end. By producing something that’s just a little more comfortable, a little sportier, and a little more fun than you’d expect for the price, Nissan developed a solid compact that feels a few thousand dollars better than its price would suggest.

If you were one of those SRV kids back in the early ’00s, you might just love the SR Turbo for the nostalgia factor, now that you’re in the market for a safe, affordable family car.

Recent Reviews of the 2018 Nissan Sentra

It’s always worth looking at newer reviews on older cars. Sometimes a car is released to thunderous applause, and it turns out to be a dud after you’ve put a little wear on the tires. Other times, a car is met with underwhelming fanfare on release, only to become a cult classic later on.

Did the 2018 Nissan Sentra ever manage to shake those disappointing early reviews to become an underappreciated favorite? No, at least, not in the professional car review community.

The fact that there aren’t that many second-look reviews is telling. If a website or magazine is taking a look back at a car from a few years ago, they’re either reassessing a favorite, or a failure. The 2018 Sentra is neither of those.

The car continued a four-year hot streak for the brand, selling at least 200,000 units each year in the U.S. from 2015 to 2018, so it wasn’t a flop. It never made an impact on the sports scene, either. Nor was it ever featured in a hit action movie.

One of the few second-look reviews we can find is a 2021 Motor Biscuit review by Leigh Fields, which states that driving the car is, “rather dull,” and concludes that while the car “isn’t all bad … its classmates were considerably better for this model year.” Fields recommends a Honda Civic or Mazda3 if you have a few extra bucks to spend on the marginal price bump.

Vehicle History‘s Real Owner Reviews

Vehicle History currently has 533 user reviews of the 2018 Sentra, with a 4.41-star average. That’s 55% five-star reviews, 33% four-star reviews, 10% three-star reviews, and 1% each for one-star and two-star reviews.

Starting with the least favorable reviews, a number of drivers have had issues with the CVT. Tammy, in a one-star review posted April 26, 2021, calls her SR Turbo a lemon, citing her blown transmission and serious suspension issues. JC, in a two-star review posted September 23, 2020, states that the car is, “not very comfortable for long car rides,” and that it, “shakes and vibrates.”

A handful of disappointed buyers aside, the reviews are generally quite positive, with the most frequent remark being that it has, “great gas mileage,” according to drivers like Lou D.

Another common remark: It’s a great car for first-time car owners. Sienna H. states in a five-star review from May 2021 that it’s a, “very good starter car for teens and young adults.” Maddie O. backs that up in a four-star October 2019 review with, “This is my first car and definitely the best vehicle I have driven.”

To sum up opinions from owners, we’ll turn to Kelly D., who says in a four-star review from June 19, 2021, “I wish it was faster, had better interior design, didn’t fog up so much after it rains, had better breaks, and a different color. Overall, I love it.” That just about sums it up. Drivers who like their Nissan Sentras aren’t blind to the car’s shortcomings; they just feel that, for the price, the positives outweigh the negatives.

This is a mid-tier car, neither a lemon nor a future classic, just a decent car at a great price. Of course professional car reviewers would rather be test-driving Porsches and Teslas. For the average buyer, it’s hard to find a better ride in this price range.

Is a 2018 Nissan Sentra Easy to Maintain?

It’s been clearly established that a 2018 Nissan Sentra is a cheap car to get into, and a cheap car to fill up with gas. That’s not the whole of a vehicle’s price. We have to add in things like insurance, repairs, and maintenance, as well.

While the Sentra is cheap to buy, is it cheap to fix?

Repair Pal puts the average annual maintenance cost for a 2018 Nissan Sentra at $368. The site gives the car a rating of four stars out of a possible five, or “excellent,” and they rank the car in 14th place out of the 36 compact cars they cover.

Repair Pal evaluates the average repair cost for a 2018 Sentra to be in the range of $332 to $405, with the most expensive repairs being AC condenser replacements, at up to $712, and the cheapest being battery cable terminal end service, starting at $26.

As always, you can save money by doing some of the more basic repairs at home. However, with the low cost of maintenance on a Sentra, most fixes might cost you less at the shop than it would just to buy the tools to do it yourself.

The actual cost of maintenance will vary wildly by owner. If you’re proactive about fluid changes and tire rotations, if you treat your car like your baby, you’re going to be spending a lot less each year than someone who neglects oil changes, runs the car on fumes, and slams their foot on the gas the second the light turns green.

Known Issues in the 2018 Nissan Sentra

Alright, let’s talk about the elephant in the room: Continuously Variable Transmissions.

Some drivers have had such a bad time with CVTs that Nissan actually has been sued over it. A 2018 class action lawsuit saw drivers complaining that their Sentras would lose power when coming out of a stop, take way too long to speed up to 30 miles per hour, shake and rattle at highway speeds, and die at stop signs, sometimes with under 50,000 miles on the odometer.

It is true that Nissan still is working out some of the kinks in the CVT system. However, it should be noted that in many of these cases, the problem simply was that the transmission fluid was not being changed as often as it should be. One driver’s transmission fluid was described as, “almost black,” with a, “burned odor,” when the technician changed it out.

By and large, Nissan Sentras are low-maintenance vehicles. They’re not like BMWs, where you can only get them fixed at the dealer; they don’t require specialty parts and training, or anything like that. Still, you can’t neglect the CVT transmission fluid.

In a typical automatic or manual car, you change the transmission fluid every 30,000 to 100,000 miles, depending on your make and model. Your owner’s manual usually will recommend something right in the middle, like every 60,000 miles.

In a CVT, that number is more like 25,000. That means that you’ll be flushing and changing your transmission fluid almost twice as often as you would with a conventional transmission.

This is not to say that there are no legitimate issues with the CVT, only that many drivers may not be aware of the additional maintenance required to keep a CVT running.

Beyond the CVT issues, the 2018 Sentra has two recalls on file with the NHTSA.

The first concerns a lack of image in the backup camera display. This recall was issued on September 12, 2019, with 1,228,830 affected Nissan owners being notified to contact Nissan for free repairs. The next recall, issued March 3, 2021, affected 807,376 units. This recall had to do with rear brake lights failing to illuminate.

Overall, the Nissan Sentra has proven to be among the more reliable compacts on the market, and the 2018 is no exception.

2018 Nissan Sentra vs. the Competition

If you’re considering a 2018 Sentra, then chances are that you’re shopping for a very specific type of vehicle: a streamlined compact car for under $20,000. Nothing fancy, but hopefully something reliable, safe, and fun to drive.

With that in mind, three of the Sentra’s nearest competitors would be the Kia Forte, Chevy Cruze, and Mazda3. How does each of these compare to the Sentra?

2018 Nissan Sentra vs. 2018 Kia Forte

There are plenty of reasons to pick a Kia Forte over a Nissan Sentra. At 147 horsepower, the Forte’s 2.0L I4 engine packs a bit more punch than the base Sentra, the starting price is comparable at around $14,000, and if you hate the CVT, the Forte LX’s six-speed automatic transmission may be the tiebreaker.

The Forte’s sporty trim level is the SX, which costs about $1,000 less than the SR Turbo, and delivers an extra 13 horsepower.

The Forte also has fewer recalls with the NHTSA, and has about the same safety rating as the Sentra.

On paper, all of this makes the Forte the clear winner between the two, but it’s worth taking the time to test-drive both, as there’s a lot to be said for the actual feel of the car.

To see a more detailed side-by-side comparison between these vehicles, check out this Vehicle History coverage.

2018 Nissan Sentra vs. 2018 Chevrolet Cruze

The 2018 Sentra S trim starts at $14,318. The Cruze L starts at $13,137. The Sentra S starts at 124 horsepower, and the Cruze packs 153. The Sentra gets 29/37 miles to the gallon city/highway, the Cruze gets 27/40. They’re both front-wheel drive with continuously variable transmission, so the drive-feel is pretty similar between the two cars.

In terms of pure numbers, the Cruze is marginally better than the Sentra in every way that counts. The Cruze has one more recall than the Sentra, but basically the same safety ratings across the board.

The Cruze does not offer a sporty trim level to compete with the SR Turbo, and that makes all the difference to a certain kind of driver.

To see a more detailed side-by-side comparison between these vehicles, check out this Vehicle History coverage.

2018 Nissan Sentra vs. 2018 Mazda3

The 2018 Mazda3 starts off at $17,202, a few thousand dollars higher than the Sentra. It gets 28/38 miles to the gallon city/highway, and the car’s 2.0L Skyactive engine cranks out a nice 155 horsepower. The car comes with six-speed automatic transmission and has comparable NHTSA stats to the Sentra, with two recalls and crash test ratings at four and five stars.

Overall, the Mazda3’s base Sport trim level is superior to the base Sentra, but at $3,000 more, it had better be. The Mazda3 is great, but it’s not quite the budget car the Sentra is.

The Mazda3’s sporty options, on the other hand, the Touring and Grand Touring trim levels, top out at 184 horsepower, four horses shy of Nissan’s SR Turbo, in spite of a similar price bump to around $17,000.

To see a more detailed side-by-side comparison between these vehicles, check out this Vehicle History coverage.

Picking a Winner

Just looking at the numbers, the best budget compact appears to be the Kia Forte. The Forte delivers the highest horsepower for the lowest price with MPG, performance, and safety ratings all comparable to the Sentra.

The differences here are pretty marginal, which means that it really comes down to personal preferences. Don’t make the call based strictly on our conclusion. Give them each a test-drive, and see which compact suits you.

Does a 2018 Nissan Sentra Hold its Value?

When buying a new car, it’s not a bad idea to see how the vehicle’s resale value charts. You don’t want to buy it at a nearly-new price only to find that you could have saved several grand by waiting just one year. On the other hand, a car that loses its value a little too quickly is troubling in its own right. So, how do Sentras typically depreciate?

According to Car Edge, you can expect a Nissan Sentra to lose about 49% of its value after the first four years, and 73% after a decade. The 2018 is considered to be one of the better-value Sentras available right now, holding around 62% of its sticker price at present, with Car Edge putting the vehicle at $12,789. The Kelley Blue Book lists the Nissan Sentra at a starting price of $15,162 as of the time of this writing, awarding the car a 4.1-star rating out of a possible five.

Comparing this to the Sentra’s nearest competitors, a 2018 Chevy Cruze is valued at $15,393, or around 71% of its price, the Mazda3 holds 74% at $16,093, and the Kia Forte holds 67% at $12,714.

Because the 2018 sold 213,046 units in the U.S. alone, finding certified pre-owned models should be no problem, and because compact owners tend to be safe, careful drivers, you should be able to find one in good shape.

That said, because of the aforementioned CTV issues, you will want to take the car for a comprehensive test-drive before making the purchase. If the previous owner has been neglecting regular fluid changes, you’ll likely feel some rattling and shaking on the highway, letting you know that you need to walk away from that deal and find a Sentra in better condition.

In Conclusion

At the end of the day, the 2018 Nissan Sentra is an A-to-B-mobile. It’ll get you to work, it’ll get the kids to school and back, and it’ll pick up the groceries. If you make sure to change your transmission fluid every 25,000 miles, you should be able to depend on it for a good five to 10 years, or at least a quarter-million miles.

Within the same price range, you might prefer the Kia Forte. If you’re willing to spend a little extra, you might have more fun with a Mazda3. The tight, sporty feel of the 2018 Sentra, the spacious interior, and the top-notch fuel efficiency add up to a safe, sensible car that’s a little better than the early reviews would have you believe.

If you’re looking for something affordable, efficient, and sensible, but not boring, you should look into a 2018 Nissan Sentra.

Why Trust Vehicle History?

At Vehicle History, we’re pretty far from being the only source on the internet for information on used vehicles, and we know it. So, why trust us?

We try to be as comprehensive as possible. Much of the information collected above is taken from a variety of sources from around the web. We’ve taken the time to collect the most important data for you and filter out the junk. Add to that some original research and user input from our own site, and we hope we’ve delivered the most concise and comprehensive guide to the 2018 Nissan Sentra you’re going to find online.

We’re unbiased. We’re not salespeople; we’re not trying to collect a commission by getting you into a 2018 Sentra. There’s a lot to love about this car, but we’re not going to shy away from pointing out what Mazda and Kia do better. We’re not selling cars; we’re providing information. That’s our one and only objective, so we have nothing to lose by being completely honest.

Put that together with decades of combined experience in every corner of the automotive industry, and we hope you’ll consider us your go-to source of information when shopping for a new used car.

Photos: Nissan, Kia, Chevrolet, Mazda