2013 Nissan Sentra SR

2013 Nissan Sentra SR Review – by MaryAnne Wendt

I have many fond memories of my blue 1993 Nissan Sentra SE-R. It was my first brand new car that I bought it while working in the mortgage industry at my first desk job. Making the Top 10 Best Cars list by Car & Driver, I was quite proud for owning such a great vehicle. For a little four banger, it sure had some spring in its step. I would shift through all five gears with ease, sometimes chirping in every gear because it was fun to do so. Anyone who rode with me knew we were going to get someplace, fast. I drove it hard all the time. That Sentra was so much fun to drive. I remember smiling every time I got behind the wheel. Good times!

Fast forward to twenty years later, and I’m road testing the 2013 Sentra SR. It was the same color, only a brighter blue. I smiled when the fleet guys handed me the keys. Driving this new Sentra around made me feel like I was in my twenties all over again. I zipped around town, getting myself familiar with this much newer version of the Sentra I knew once before.

Under the hood is a 1.8 DOHC engine with Xtronic CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) that delivers 130 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 128 lb. ft. of torque at 3,600 rpm. 6-speed manual is standard. Our test model was an automatic. The CVT assures smooth acceleration and shifting which also results in awesome fuel economy. Can we say MPG? 30 mpg city / 39 mpg highway means you can enjoy yourself all over town and back without sweating it at the pump.

I enjoyed all three drive modes: Eco, Sport and Normal. What’s great is you can push the button and change your drive mode based on how you feel like driving at any given moment. Eco will give you the best fuel efficiency. Sport mode offers more responsiveness under your foot. And normal is a great blend of both worlds. Overall the handling was great.

The safety features are impressive. Nissan’s advanced air bag system includes dual-stage supplemental front air bags, which will inflate at a varied rate, depending on the severity of the crash. If the front passenger seat is empty, a sensor will deactivate that airbag. To make matters even safer, side impact supplemental airbags are installed on the front seats as well as roof mounted curtain side-impact supplemental airbags to protect the front and rear passengers. Other cool safety features are the traction control system, LATCH system to keep child safety seats secure without seat belts, and a tire pressure monitoring system with a warning light on your dash when your tire pressure is low. Nice!

My favorite goodies include the Bluetooth hands free phone system, 6-speaker audio with 4.3-inch color display and USB connectivity for iPods. These options are available with the SR Driver Package for $1,080.00 and for $650.00 more, you can get the Navigation Package with a 5.8 inch color display, voice recognition for audio and navigation, and other cool things like NavTraffic, NavWeather, Point of Interests powered by Google, Pandora radio capability (with your iPhone), and a hands-free text messaging assistant. You may as well go for the Premium Package for $1,200.00 and you’ll get a power glass moonroof with tilt, auto dimming inside mirror with compass, dual lighted vanity mirrors and an 8-speaker Bose Premium audio system.

I couldn’t believe all the features in the Sentra SR for such a nice price. Starting MSRP is $18,870.00 and this test model with all the options loaded was priced at $22,580.00.

Overall, the Sentra SR is a great looking car that drives nice and has tons of cool technology and safety features with a nice price and nice MPG. My only comment to Nissan is “Hey, when are you going to release an SE-R?” Now that would be pretty sweet. I’ll be waiting.

Why This Ride?