2020 Nissan Sentra S 4D Sedan

2020 Nissan Sentra review: Our expert's take

One of the traps that’s easy to fall into when reviewing cars is to flatter the redesigned car in comparison with the older model. Sometimes something is improved and competitive again, but little more. I was aware of this potential trap when stepping into the redesigned 2020 Nissan Sentra because the outgoing Sentra generation was … not good.

Related: 2020 Nissan Sentra Brings Altima Looks to Compact Class

Not to speak too ill of the dead, but there wasn’t much of a case to be made for the Sentra; a subpar driving experience, awkward styling and a lack of safety features on lower trim levels will do that. The new Sentra seems not only to have fixed those problems, it also swings the needle back in the other direction — the 2020 edition is not just improved, it’s good.

How It Drives

The Sentra rides on a new platform with a new engine under the hood, and we’ll start with what works well: the platform. The first thing I noticed when the Sentra got moving was sterling ride quality. Seriously, it glides along the road and even hitting every bump I could find on Malibu, Calif.’s well-paved roads failed to upset it. And it doesn’t just ride comfortably, it also feels sharp in curves. A multilink independent rear suspension, replacing the old semi-independent torsion beam, is very much a change for the better.

The canyon roads near the Pacific Coast Highway provide a challenging environment for any vehicle, but the Sentra held up well. Body roll is controlled and even when pushed, the nose turns in quickly and the rest of the car marches in sync. Helping this along is a good dose of steering feedback: The wheel has proper weight and does an excellent job of communicating what the front wheels are doing. It’s a shocking turn of events for a car that used to be sloppy and unpleasant in this regard.