Back in 2021, I spent a week with a then-new Nissan Sentra and reflected on the fact that my daughter had just bought a 2010 model as her first car. That brave little toaster is still running, believe it or not, though at this point it’s less “reliable daily driver” and more “dear old lady in a retirement home.” The sort who still wears lipstick and gets her hair done, but one of these nights will quietly go to sleep and not wake up. A noble end.
And now here we are in 2025, with a Sentra that’s gone through a bit of Botox and wardrobe updates but is, underneath it all, still the same person. The face-lift came in 2024—a sharper grille, sleeker lights, new clothes—and it helped. No longer does it look like a rental car parked out back behind the airport. It actually looks… decent. Respectable, even. In a world where “affordable” and “cheap-looking” usually go hand-in-hand, the Sentra continues to punch above its visual weight.
My test car this time was the mid-tier SV trim, which in theory is the sensible sweet spot. It adds useful things like 16-inch alloys, rear disc brakes, and an 8-inch touchscreen. Plus, Nissan now throws in their Safety Shield 360 suite like it’s candy at a parade—adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, the works. That’s commendable.
Mine came with the SV Premium package, which ups those alloy wheels an inch, piles on leather, a sunroof, power driver’s seat, Bose audio, and a surround-view camera system. It also had the All-Weather Package, so I got heated seats, a heated wheel, and even remote start—great for pretending it’s a luxury car before reality slaps you back into place when you floor it and… nothing much happens.
You see, the 2025 Sentra still uses the same 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine making 149 horsepower. That’s not terrible—until you remember it’s married to a continuously variable transmission (CVT), which remains one of my least favorite automotive inventions this side of the Yugo. Nissan says they’ve retuned the CVT to be “smoother” and “more responsive.” And it is—kind of. It no longer sounds like a vacuum cleaner attacking a bag of gravel. Now it sounds like a newer vacuum cleaner attacking a bag of gravel.
Passing on the highway? Possible, but it requires planning, prayer, and a long stretch of downhill road.
The Sentra’s steering is numb, the suspension is oddly firm, and it drives like a car that’s been instructed not to have any fun under any circumstances. It’s not that it’s bad—it’s just that it seems determined to never, ever surprise you. Which is a great quality in an accountant. Less so in a car.
The biggest leap happened in 2024. That year brought the freshened styling, a nicer interior with better materials, and an infotainment upgrade that no longer looks like a Wii startup screen. They also improved the CVT’s behavior and enhanced the safety tech. So in 2025, Nissan wisely didn’t try to fix what wasn’t broken.
What is new for 2025? The SV trim now comes with NissanConnect Services, so you can remote-start your Sentra with your phone, spy on your teenager, or lock the doors from halfway across the country. Also new: Nissan Maintenance Care, which covers three oil changes and tire rotations in the first two years. It’s like getting a free dessert after a mediocre meal. Appreciated, but not life-changing.
In 2021, you could still go to a dealer and find plenty of gas-powered sedans on the lot. Now, they’re an endangered species. Everyone wants an SUV, or worse, a “crossover coupe” that looks like a sneaker melting in the sun. So the fact that the Sentra still exists at all in 2025 is something worth applauding. Or at least nodding at politely.
It remains a safe, affordable, choice. A reasonable one. The sort of car you recommend to a nephew headed off to college or a neighbor looking for a second car that won’t try to kill them. It’s not exciting, but it’s not offensive either. Think of it as the beige cardigan of cars—comfortable, reliable, and never the center of attention.
If you want driving thrills, look elsewhere. But if you want a practical, affordable, decent-looking small sedan with heated seats and enough tech to keep your kid off their phone, the 2025 Sentra SV is quietly waiting for you. Probably in the slow lane.
The 2025 Nissan Sentra SV
MSRP: $22,290
MSRP (as tested): $28,035 (with SV Premium and All-Weather packages)
Engine: 2.0-liter I-4, 149 horsepower @6400 rpm, 146 lb.-ft torque @4400 rpm
Transmission: CVT with overdrive (retuned for smoother acceleration)
Fuel Mileage (EPA): 30 city, 40 highway, 34 combined
Fuel Mileage (as tested, mixed conditions): 36 mpg
Base Curb Weight: 3102 lbs.
Exterior Dimensions (Inches)
Wheelbase: 106.6
Length: 182.7
Width (without mirrors): 71.5
Height: 56.9
Minimum Ground Clearance: 4.7
Interior Dimensions (Inches)
Passenger / Seating Capacity: 5
Total Passenger Volume: 96.1 cubic feet
Front Head Room: 38.9
Front Leg Room: 44.0
Front Shoulder Room: 56.4
Front Hip Room: 53.5
Second Row Head Room: 36.7
Second Row Leg Room: 34.7
Second Row Shoulder Room: 54.5
Second Row Hip Room: 53.3
Trunk Space: 14.3 cubic feet
Warranty
Basic: 3 Yr./ 36,000 Mi.
Drivetrain: 5 Yr./ 60,000 Mi.
Roadside: 3 Yr./ 36,000 Mi.
Maintenance (new for 2025): 2 Yr./ 24,000 Mi. of included oil changes and tire rotations (Nissan Maintenance Care)
Greg has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.