Thread: 2020 Sentra gets independent rear suspension

2020 Nissan Sentra gets more upscale with Maxima cues

Looks better outside and looks great on the interior... But with only one engine "option"...

Where is the manual Si fighter that Nissan should be making?

looks like a mini maxima

I saw a new Maxima when I was down in Florida and it was a pretty looking car. Had no idea it was Nissan until I saw the hamburger logo.

IRS is a step in the right direction.


Did VW stick with their recent shift to a shitty beam on the Jetta in an effort to be the highest selling brand in the world, or did they see the error of their ways?


29 years later and we finally see a gain of 9 HP and 13 TQ. Call the governor!

Looks great, and I appreciate those analog gauges, but this... "The manual transmission bites the dust, all models shifting through the Xtronic CVT."

Gross. Can't say I'm surprised.

No point in even considering the B18 if it's missing the manual.

This segment is in a weird place right now.

-Mazda 3 took a step back with the twist beam
-Honda Civic has some good options, but it's kind of ugly in my opinion. Also the Civic is so huge now!
-Acura doesn't make anything close to this segment anymore
-Nissan Sentra. No manual no care.
-Ford isn't going to sell the Focus in the US.
-GM. The Cruze is same as Sentra. No manual no care.
-Chrysler: Dart is dead.
-Subaru: Impreza is still going and still has the WRX and STI options.
-Mitsubishi: Evo Dead
-Toyota: Corolla gets a independent rear again and has a manual trans option and also comes as a hatchback. They hybrid version is putting up appealing MPG numbers.
-Volkswagen: The GTI/Golf has received good praise in this generation. Also it has some pretty good special versions. It's a shame that modern German cars always make you think of future maintenance costs and overall reliability.
-Audi: No manual no care
-BMW: The 2 series has some good variants but the 3 Series is just plain huge now. There is always the issue of BMW reliability and of course they are $$$.
-Mini: They've become bloated. Also they have those years and years of terrible reliability.


It's strange to think that the most compelling vehicles in the segment are the WRX, ugly yet turbo'd Civics, the Jetta/Golf Variants, and the Corolla.

I think the IDX would have been a hit since it would have been such a stand out against this "meh" competition. Nissan had a gem and didn't know it.

And while technically "still available" they severely limited the availability of the manual trans in the 3.

Great synopsis there.

I think the turbo Kia Forte and Hyundai Veloster N or whatever probably should be in that list, and maybe the Hyundai taking top honors?
Agree the Civic is hideous. Interesting tidbits about the Corolla. Can't believe it is shining brighter than most others.

Frankly, I can't say I fit into the target demographic for hot FWD economy cars anymore. Just like most of us need a manual, I also pretty much need RWD. So my choices for new cars are severely limited. Good thing I'm happy to buy used.
I guess I'd give up RWD for the previous gen Mazda 3. They peaked there, and would make a great car for a new driver. Although Volvo 240s still fill that role quite well IMO plus are RWD and dead-simple to work on.

Early reviews beginning to pile in and most people like the changes done to the Sentra. The interior no longer is a plastic Rubbermaid container grafted into dashboard format and the new rear suspension actually works. As we almost all agree, without a manual, we don't really care.