Nissan's designers, while doing a fine job with trucks and SUVs recently, seem to have lost their flair with cars. The second-generation Altima, to my eye, isn't nearly as appealing as the first. The new Maxima has that bizarre back end. On the inside, the car is comfortable and well designed. Gauges are easy to read.
Controls are easy to use.
For the first time, the Sentra is designed exclusively for North America. Whether this Sentra will be able to break out from the second rung of small cars into the pack of leaders that's full of popular models with names like Civic, Corolla, Saturn and Focus remains doubtful. The car has lost momentum in recent years, even falling behind the Kia Sephia in sales among subcompact in 1999. Instead, it's likely to reward buyers looking for a bigger small car at a good price. 2001 Knight Ridder Inc. and may not be republished without permission.