In the 1990s, the Nissan Sentra SE-R not only looked a little like a BMW 3-Series, it performed quite a bit like one, too. Sentra SE-Rs from that era remain hot on the used-car market, an excellent example of a “pocket rocket” that not only performed but cheerfully served as reliable, inexpensive day-to-day transportation.
But after that model died, Nissan sort of lost the thread with inexpensive factory hot rods — the company built them, but they never caught on with the budget performance crowd. With the redesigned Sentra, Nissan likely thought it had found the formula again, with the SE-R model introduced in March, as well as an even hotter SE-R Spec V.
The difference: The SE-R has a 2.5-liter, 177-horsepower four-cylinder engine and a continuously variable transmission (CVT), which acts like an automatic. The Spec V has that same engine, but with 200 horsepower, and it has a manual transmission. The Spec V lists for about $500 more than the regular SE-R.
On the outside, Nissan certainly got it right: The new Sentra resembles a scaled-down Altima, a quantum leap in styling from the last-generation Sentra. The SE-R and Spec V models have mild body cladding, a rear spoiler and handsome 17-inch tires and wheels, so they certainly look the part.
On the inside, the test SE-R had special charcoal cloth-covered bucket seats that looked and felt as though they belonged in much more expensive car. Instruments and controls look similarly upscale. Rear seat room is passable; trunk space is generous.
The SE-R and Spec V seek to compete with other Japanese-brand performance compacts, such as the Honda Civic Si and Mazdaspeed3. The SE-R is closer to the Honda, with above-average power and crisp handling, while the Spec V is more like the Mazdaspeed3, which trades comfort for some performance.
The SE-R’s CVT transmission robs a little of the car’s sportiness. A CVT operates like a regular automatic transmission, but instead of having four or five or six set gears, it has an unlimited number of ratios. Take off from a standing start, and it’s like a speedboat: You go faster and faster, but the engine sound remains the same. You can use little shifter paddles on the steering wheel to change gears manually, but it feels a bit artificial.
The base-model Sentra starts at $14,750; the SE-R starts at $19,400. With several options including an upgraded stereo and a sunroof, plus shipping, the test car listed for $22,075. That isn’t bad, but it isn’t a bargain, either. Nissan still hasn’t quite captured the magic of that original Sentra SE-R. But they’re a lot closer than before.
