2018 Nissan Sentra

The volume SV uses the 124-hp 1.8L four, one of the weakest engines in the 2018 compact class; the 188-hp turbo is limited to the low-volume SR Turbo and NISMO.

125 lb-ft sits at the very bottom of the sedan band.

Instrumented tests of the B17 1.8L CVT Sentra, whose powertrain did not change from 2013 to 2019, put it in the mid-9-second range, near the slow end of the class.

The 1.8L is coarse and strained when pushed and feels underpowered on highway merges and passes. It is adequate only for relaxed commuting.

The Xtronic CVT is smooth at light throttle but drones and lets revs flare under hard acceleration, which amplifies the engine's weakness. A 6-speed manual is offered on the S and on the turbo NISMO.

Front-wheel drive only on every trim; AWD is not offered.

Two gas engines (1.8L and 1.6L turbo), each with a CVT or a manual, give some choice, but there is no hybrid or electrified option.

Competitive but not class-leading economy for a gas compact sedan.

29 MPG city for the volume CVT trims.

A solid highway figure for a non-hybrid compact.

The small tank limits range despite reasonable economy.

A mid-pack annual fuel cost on regular gas.

The volume 1.8L runs on regular unleaded; only the low-volume SR Turbo/NISMO turbo is listed on premium.

The 2018 B17 Sentra carries a 4-star NHTSA overall rating; frontal (4/4 driver/passenger) and rollover (11.8% risk) hold it back from 5 stars.

The 2018 Sentra earned an IIHS Top Safety Pick (2018 criteria) with all tested crashworthiness results Good, but the award applies only to cars with optional front crash prevention and the LED headlights, and the passenger-side small overlap was never rated.

Only automatic emergency braking is standard, and only on CVT cars (not the S manual or NISMO); blind-spot, rear cross-traffic and adaptive cruise are options on the volume SV, and no lane departure warning or lane keeping is offered on any 2018 trim.

IIHS rated vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention Superior, but the radar-only system has no pedestrian detection, so it misses the pedestrian and nighttime capability later rivals added.

Blind Spot Warning and Rear Cross Traffic Alert are alert-only and absent from the S; on the volume SV they are package options, standard only on the top SL.

No lane departure warning, lane keep assist or lane centering was available on any 2018 Sentra trim; lane tech arrived only with the 2020 B18 redesign's Safety Shield 360.

Radar Intelligent Cruise Control is standard only on SR Turbo/SL and optional on SV, and lacks stop-and-go with no steering assist; most volume-trim cars have conventional cruise only.

No hands-free or even hands-on lane-centering system was offered on the 2018 Sentra.

The halogen reflectors on the S and volume SV trims rate Poor; the LED projectors on SR, SR Turbo, SL and NISMO rate only Acceptable, and no auto high beam was offered.

A conventional upright compact-sedan greenhouse with typical rear-quarter blind zones; a rearview camera is standard and the SL could add a 360° Around View Monitor, but most volume trims have the basic camera only.

IIHS rates the LATCH hardware Good, and the B17's generous rear legroom helps rear-facing seats fit, though only two positions have full lower anchors (center has a tether only).

Five-passenger compact sedan on every grade.

Generous front headroom for a compact; the SL's moonroof trims it.

Front legroom is about average for a compact sedan.

Rear headroom is adequate but tighter than the class-best sedans.

37.4 in of rear legroom was among the roomier figures in the 2018 compact class, ahead of the Corolla and Mazda3.

The 15.1 cu ft trunk is large for a compact sedan, and the rear seatback folds 60/40 on SV and above.

Storage is ordinary: a center console bin, a sliding front armrest on SV, door pockets, and a rear center armrest with cupholders. There's nothing clever beyond that.

The cloth seats are acceptably comfortable but flat and short on support over long drives, and the SV has a manual driver's seat. Power adjustment with lumbar support comes only on the SL.

The ride is soft and absorbs bumps well on the SV's 16-in wheels, but the body floats and leans. The SR/SL's 17-in wheels make it busier.

Road and wind noise are moderate, but the 1.8L/CVT drones loudly under acceleration. Rivals like the Civic and Elantra are quieter.

Dual-zone automatic climate control is standard from SV up, and heated front seats come on the SL or with packages. There's no ventilated seating or remote pre-conditioning on the volume trim.

The 2018 Sentra S with the 6-speed manual started at $16,990 before destination, one of the cheapest compact sedans of the year. The S CVT that most buyers took cost about $1,000 more.

The SV is the volume trim. It adds AEB, dual-zone automatic climate, alloy wheels, push-button start and a 5-inch display for about $20,000 delivered, which undercut the volume Civic and Corolla trims.

The 1.8L MRA8DE is simple and cheap to service, but the B17-era Xtronic CVT has a documented failure history that raises out-of-warranty repair risk. The figure is a mid-range estimate a little above the B18 Sentra's.

A 2018 Sentra reached five years old in 2023, at the peak of the used-car price spike, which propped up its residuals. Heavy rental/fleet volume and the CVT's reputation kept it below Civic and Corolla.

Nissan's New Vehicle Limited Warranty covers 3 years or 36,000 miles. That is the segment floor, matching Toyota and Honda and well behind Hyundai/Kia's 5 years / 60,000 miles.

Powertrain coverage, including the CVT, runs 5 years / 60,000 miles. That is the segment minimum, versus Hyundai/Kia's 10 years / 100,000 miles.

No complimentary scheduled maintenance is included. Owners get roadside assistance for the 3-yr/36k basic term and little else, since the 2018 Sentra had no connected-services trial of note. That sits at the bottom of the 'basic roadside only' band, behind ToyotaCare's 2 yr / 25,000 mi of included maintenance.

$19,980 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (52% retained, or about $10,390) leaves about $9,590 in depreciation. Add the projected $4,800 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $14,390 in total.

2018 is the sixth year of the B17 generation (2013–2019), a carry-over year after the 2017 addition of the SR Turbo and NISMO trims. J.D. Power's Quality & Reliability figure for the 2018 car is weak and trails the 2019 car's 80. The Xtronic CVT is the main owner complaint, so the model lands well below the sedan peer p25 (66.5).

Around 2018 Nissan ranked in the middle-to-lower half of dependability studies. It trailed Toyota, Lexus, Honda, Mazda and the Korean brands, and its reputation suffered from widespread CVT failures in its 2013–2018 models.

MY2018 has only two NHTSA campaigns. Both are broad multi-year actions, one for a contaminated brake-light switch and one for a rear-camera display fault. Neither involves the powertrain or fire risk. There is no transmission recall, but the CVT has a long history of judder and hesitation reflash TSBs, which keeps this item out of the top band.

The volume-trim 1.8L MRA8DE four-cylinder is durable and lightly stressed. It is paired with the JATCO CVT7 (JF015E) Xtronic, which has a well-documented record of judder, overheating limp mode and out-of-warranty failures in B17 Sentras. The 2018 car falls inside the model years covered by the CVT warranty extension and class-action settlement, so it counts as a known-problem transmission.

The B17 cabin, refreshed in 2016, is dominated by hard plastics and plain switchgear. Reviewers called it dated next to the 2018 Civic, Mazda3 and Corolla, and the 2020 redesign was praised largely because it fixed this.

In its sixth production year, assembly is settled, and no widespread panel-gap or rattle pattern is attached to the 2018 car. Scattered owner complaints about trim noise and electrical glitches, together with the weak J.D. Power quality score, keep it mid-band.

Nissan has one of the larger US franchised dealer networks, so service is easy to find almost anywhere. Its service-satisfaction scores are mid-pack, behind Toyota and Honda.

The B17 Sentra sold in very high volume, so OEM and aftermarket parts are cheap, plentiful and serviceable at any independent shop. The one costly exposure is a $3,000–4,000 CVT replacement once the extended coverage lapses.

The volume SV gets a small 5.0-inch non-touch color display. The only touchscreen is 5.8 inches, on the SL or in packages.

The small, dated NissanConnect interface drew consistent criticism against rivals' larger, more modern screens in 2018.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto weren't offered in any form on the 2018 Sentra. They arrived for 2019.

Siri Eyes Free and basic Bluetooth voice commands are available, but native navigation is limited to the SL's small 5.8-in screen and there's no phone projection to fall back on.

The base 4- or 6-speaker systems are weak. An 8-speaker Bose premium system is available on upper grades.

The gauges are analog with a small monochrome/color trip display. The 5.0-in Advanced Drive-Assist Display is limited to the performance grades.

It has no over-the-air software updates. Map updates are done by the dealer or by USB.

NissanConnect Services telematics (remote lock and start through the app) came only with the navigation system on upper grades and needed a subscription. The volume SV has no remote app functions.

The front USB-A port, two illuminated rear USB ports on SV and above, and a 12V outlet are adequate. There's no USB-C or wireless charging.

Intelligent Key proximity entry with push-button start is standard from SV up. The S uses a conventional key, and phone-as-key isn't offered.

A rear camera is standard on every grade for 2018. Around View Monitor is limited to the SL package, and there are no parking sensors on the volume trim.

No head-up display was offered on any 2018 Sentra.

Good rear legroom (37.4 in), LATCH rated Good by IIHS, and a large trunk make it family-friendly for a compact. The sedan opening still limits strollers and bulky gear.

It was an IIHS Top Safety Pick with the optional headlights and front crash prevention, and AEB is standard on CVT models. But it earns only 4 NCAP stars overall, and blind-spot warning and lane departure warning are unavailable or cost extra.

The rear seat and trunk are roomy for the class, but the rear has no rear vents on US SV spec and no amenities beyond USB ports, and the cabin gets noisy at highway speeds under load.

The soft ride, light controls and smooth CVT make traffic easy. Weak acceleration makes merging and passing a chore.

32 MPG combined on regular fuel, cheap tires and brakes, and low running costs. Only the Corolla and Civic did meaningfully better.

A tight 34.8-ft turning circle, good sightlines and a standard rear camera make it easy to park.

It isn't meaningfully work-capable: Nissan publishes no tow rating, and it has a 124-hp engine and a sedan trunk.

The simple 1.8L is durable, and the car was common in fleets and rental lots, but the Xtronic CVT's reliability record undermines it for hard use.

It has almost no work provisions: no onboard power beyond 12V and no upfit ecosystem.

Highway economy of 37 MPG and a soft ride help. A 13.2-gal tank (~420 mi), engine drone, and ICC only on SR/SL with no lane assist limit it as a long-distance car.

It's front-wheel drive only, with low ground clearance, no tow rating and no factory roof rails, so it's bound to the pavement.

The 15.1 cu ft trunk is large for a compact, and a 60/40 split rear seatback helps. But the sedan opening, pass-through and lack of rails or hitch limit bulky gear.

It's secure but soft, with noticeable body lean and modest grip on SV tires. It's well behind the Civic and Mazda3, and only the SR Turbo/NISMO sharpen it.

The steering is light and numb, with little feedback. It's fine for commuting but vague when pushed.

Stopping power is adequate, but the S/SV use rear drum brakes (discs arrive on SR) and the pedal feels soft.

The CVT is smooth but saps response. The 124-hp 1.8L feels strained and slow to react to throttle.

The engine drones coarsely under load as the CVT holds high revs, a common complaint in reviews.

The turning circle is tight for a compact sedan.

A tilt/telescopic wheel, simple physical controls and good outward visibility make it easy to use. The manual seat without lumbar on SV limits adjustment.

The volume 1.8L/CVT drives like an appliance. The SR Turbo and NISMO add spark but are niche.

For 2018 Nissan made automatic emergency braking standard on CVT Sentras and added a standard 5-inch color display with Bluetooth audio, while dual-zone auto climate became standard above the S. Manual and NISMO cars still lack AEB, and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto only came with the optional 7-inch NissanConnect unit, so the Sentra trailed the 2018 Corolla's standard Toyota Safety Sense.

It is cheap to buy, roomy in the back and comes with AEB for about $20,000, and heavy discounts made transaction prices lower still. Against that, the 124-hp 1.8L/CVT is among the slowest in the class and the cabin materials and dynamics trail the Civic, Mazda3 and Elantra, so it is fair value rather than a bargain.

Six trims span a $17,000 manual S through SV, SR, SL, a 188-hp SR Turbo and a NISMO with a 6-speed manual, giving an unusually wide price and performance ladder for the segment. It is sedan and FWD only, with no hybrid.

The Sentra sold about 213,000 units in calendar 2018, down roughly 2.5% year over year, keeping it in the top four compact cars behind Civic and Corolla. That volume leaned heavily on fleet and rental sales.

Nissan's image in 2018 suffered from years of fleet-heavy, incentive-driven volume and growing CVT reliability complaints, and the Ghosn arrest landed in November 2018. It lacks the loyal following of Toyota, Honda or Mazda.

In 2018 Nissan was one of the industry's biggest per-unit incentive spenders, and the Sentra regularly carried thousands in cash back, subsidized APR and cheap lease offers. That makes it highly negotiable for buyers.

2018 is the sixth model year of the B17 generation, which launched for 2013 and was facelifted for 2016. The all-new B18 arrived for 2020, so a 2018 buyer got an aging platform with a torsion-beam rear and an old 1.8L powertrain two years before replacement.

Reviewers credited the 2018 Sentra's price, rear-seat room and new standard AEB but routinely ranked it near the bottom of the compact class for its sluggish powertrain, noisy CVT, dull handling and dated cabin. It won no major awards; the SR Turbo and NISMO drew only modest praise.