Although the wheelbase is unchanged, and wheelbase is usually a determining factor in interior volume, the Sentra's expanded dimensions add up to increased roominess, particularly in the rear seat. If the new engine isn't quite enough for you, the sport SE version offers power that's right near the top of the small car class. Mostly from more structure and various sound-deadening measures. All of the foregoing conspire to make the Sentra SE more fun to drive, but I think the mainstream GXE, with a few add-on creature comforts, is a perfectly acceptable small sedan that won't make its occupants feel they're being penalized for something they did in previous lives. And from the point of view of vehicle dynamics a few other impressions emerge.
Some problems remain First, the rack and pinion power steering needs more feel.
Like many systems, this one diminishes the level of power assist as speed increases, but it just doesn't tell the driver much about how much steering he's going to get at a particular wheel angle until he starts to get it. At high speeds, this tends to make the car feel a bit darty. Second, even on the mostly smooth desert highways in the Las Vegas vicinity, the Sentras I drove felt as if they might be tuned perhaps a tad too stiffly for mainstream tastes. We'll know more about that, of course, when we subject a production Sentra to the joys of roads that have to endure real weather. Finally, even though the new Sentra is quieter than its predecessor, and Nissan claims it's quieter than a Toyota Corolla at idle, I left with the feeling that there's still work to be done on the decibel front.