2019 Nissan Sentra

The volume SV uses the 124-hp 1.8L MRA8DE, among the weakest engines in the compact class; the 188-hp turbo is confined to the SR Turbo and NISMO.

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

Instrumented tests of the B17 1.8L CVT Sentra land 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; adequate only for relaxed commuting.

The Xtronic CVT is smooth at light throttle but drones and lets revs flare under hard acceleration, amplifying the engine's weakness; a 6-speed manual is offered only on the base S.

Front-wheel drive only across every trim; no AWD offered.

Two gas engines (1.8L and 1.6L turbo) with CVT or manual transmissions 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.

Solid highway figure for a non-hybrid compact.

Modest tank limits range despite reasonable economy.

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 final-year 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.

Every test IIHS ran is Good (driver small overlap, moderate overlap, original side, roof, head restraints), but the passenger-side small overlap was never rated and the 2019 model year carries no award — the Top Safety Pick shown on the rating page is the 2018 award, and it required optional FEB plus the LED headlights.

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 package options on the volume SV, and no lane departure warning or lane keeping is offered at all.

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 need the Special Edition package, standard only on upper SR/SL trims.

No lane departure warning, lane keep assist or lane centering was available on any 2019 Sentra trim; lane tech arrived only with the 2020 B18 redesign's Safety Shield 360.

Radar Intelligent Cruise Control is optional (SV Special Edition package, SR Turbo/SL tech packages) and lacks stop-and-go — it cancels at low speed — with no highway-assist steering; most volume-trim cars have conventional cruise only.

No hands-free or even hands-on lane-centering system was offered on the 2019 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-seat compact sedan on every grade.

Generous front headroom for the class without the moonroof.

Class-typical front legroom.

Adequate rear headroom, mid-pack for compact sedans.

Nissan's long 106.3-in wheelbase gives one of the roomier rear seats of the pre-2020 compact class.

Large trunk for a compact sedan, backed by a standard split-folding rear seat.

Ordinary but serviceable storage: door pockets front and rear, a console bin with a sliding armrest, rear armrest with cupholders, and a rear center console on SV and up. Nothing clever beyond that.

Reviewers criticize unsupportive front seats on long drives. The volume SV gets only a 6-way manual driver's seat; power seat and lumbar are SL-only.

The ride is soft and composed on the highway, but the torsion-beam rear axle lets sharp city bumps through.

Road and wind noise are well suppressed for the class. Any real throttle, though, sets off a loud CVT and engine drone.

Dual-zone automatic climate from SV up. Heated front seats are standard only on SL and optional elsewhere. No heated wheel, ventilated seats, rear vents or remote start.

The 2019 Sentra S with the 6-speed manual started at $17,790 before destination, among the cheapest compact sedans of the year; the S Xtronic and higher trims cost more.

The SV Xtronic was the volume trim, and much of its volume went to fleet and rental buyers. At roughly $20,200 delivered it undercut volume Civic and Corolla trims.

The simple 1.8L MRA8DE is cheap to service, but the B17's Xtronic CVT (JF015E) has a documented out-of-warranty failure record that pushes repair expectations above newer Sentras. Estimates vary widely.

The 2019 hit year 5 in 2024 while used prices were still inflated, but the final-year B17 carried a heavy rental and fleet share and a CVT reputation that keep it below Civic and Corolla. KBB values it at about $8,325 at seven years old.

Nissan's New Vehicle Limited Warranty is 3 years or 36,000 miles, the segment floor.

Powertrain coverage is 5 years / 60,000 miles, versus Hyundai/Kia's 10 years / 100,000 miles. Nissan separately extended CVT coverage on earlier B17 years, but not as a standard 2019 term.

There is no complimentary scheduled maintenance, only roadside assistance for the 3-yr/36k basic term, plus a NissanConnect trial on trims with the 7-inch display. That sits at the bottom of the 'basic roadside only' band.

$20,185 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (50% retained, or about $10,093) leaves about $10,093 in depreciation. Add the projected $5,000 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $15,093 in total.

2019 is the final year of the B17 generation (2013–2019), so the design is mature and early bugs are long sorted. The Xtronic CVT still drags down long-term dependability, though: J.D. Power rates the 2019 car 80/100, at the bottom of its 'Great' band and below the 2020 B18's 84. That puts it under the sedan peer p25 (66.5).

Around the 2019 model year Nissan sat in the middle-to-lower half of dependability rankings. It trailed Toyota, Lexus, Honda, Mazda and the Korean brands, and its reputation was weighed down by widespread 2013–2018 CVT failures that forced extended warranties and class-action settlements.

MY2019 carries only two NHTSA campaigns, both broad multi-year fleet actions rather than Sentra-specific engineering flaws. One covers a contaminated brake-light switch, the other a rear-camera display fault. Neither touches the powertrain or fire risk. The CVT has no recall, but it has a long TSB and reflash history for judder and hesitation, which keeps this out of the top band.

The 1.8L MRA8DE four-cylinder is a durable, low-stress engine. It is paired with the JATCO CVT7 (JF015E) Xtronic, a transmission family with a well-documented record of judder, overheating limp mode and out-of-warranty failures in B17 Sentras, and the 2019 car shares that unit. That is a known-problem transmission, even though the 2019 cars benefit from late-run revisions.

The aging B17 cabin is dominated by hard plastics and plain switchgear, and reviewers of the era called it dated and low-rent next to the 2019 Mazda3, Corolla and Civic. The 2020 redesign was praised precisely because it fixed this.

As a seventh-year production car, assembly is well settled, and no widespread panel-gap or rattle pattern attaches to the 2019 model. Scattered owner complaints about interior trim noise and electrical glitches keep it mid-band.

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

The B17 Sentra sold in huge volumes for seven model years, so OEM and aftermarket parts are cheap, abundant and serviceable at any independent shop. A $3,000–4,000 CVT replacement outside warranty is the one costly exposure, which keeps it out of the top band.

A 7-inch display audio screen on the volume SV, which is the bottom of the band.

A simple 7-inch display-audio unit that is dated but easy to use. Most of its value is the CarPlay/Android Auto added for 2019, since the unit itself has thin native functions.

New for 2019, wired CarPlay and Android Auto are standard on every grade except the base S. Wireless projection isn't offered.

Siri Eyes Free and Bluetooth phone voice commands only. No built-in navigation is listed on the 2019 grades, so owners rely on phone projection.

The volume SV gets a plain 6-speaker system. An 8-speaker Bose system is standard on SL and optional on SR.

Analog gauges with a 5.0-inch Advanced Drive-Assist color display between them. It is a partial-digital setup, and there is no full digital cluster.

No over-the-air software or map updates. The head unit has no embedded connectivity.

No factory connected-services app with remote lock or start on the 2019 Sentra. The only phone features are phone projection and NissanConnect Mobile Apps on turbo grades.

One front USB-A port plus two illuminated rear USB ports on SV and up, and one 12-volt outlet. No USB-C and no wireless charging.

Intelligent Key proximity entry with push-button start is standard from SV up, while the S uses a conventional key fob. There is no factory remote start and no phone-as-key.

A rear camera is standard on every grade. The 2019 spec table lists no parking sensors or surround-view camera.

No head-up display is offered on any grade.

A roomy rear seat (37.4 in legroom), easy-to-use LATCH and a big trunk make it workable for small-family duty. A compact-sedan door opening and trunk opening limit bulky strollers.

It earns Good IIHS crash scores and has AEB standard on CVT cars. But NHTSA rates it 4 stars overall, the S/SV halogen headlights rate Poor, and blind-spot warning costs extra on the SV.

The rear seat has decent room, an armrest with cupholders and USB ports on SV. There are no rear vents, the front seats get criticized on long trips, and the powertrain drones.

Light steering, a smooth CVT at low speed and a soft ride suit traffic well. Merging and passing are strained with only 124 hp, and the engine gets noisy.

Regular fuel, 32 mpg combined and cheap consumables (16-in tires, rear drums on SV) make it inexpensive to commute in.

A compact footprint, a tight 34.8-ft turning circle and a standard rear camera make it easy in the city. Parking sensors aren't offered.

No tow rating and only a 124-hp FWD powertrain, so it can't do real work beyond carrying small items in the trunk.

It is a common rental and fleet car with a simple chassis. Nissan's Xtronic CVT carries a known durability reputation that argues against hard use.

One 12-volt outlet and a trunk. No work-focused provisions.

A ~420-mile range and a calm cruise help. Criticized seats, engine drone on grades, no lane assist and adaptive cruise only on SR/SL limit its endurance.

It is FWD only with about 6.4 in of ground clearance and has no tow rating or roof rails, so it stays on pavement.

The 15.1-cu-ft trunk and 60/40 split-fold rear seat handle normal luggage. There are no roof rails or hitch, and the sedan trunk opening limits bulky items.

Body roll is controlled and the car feels secure, but it is outclassed by Civic and Mazda3 on a winding road. Active Understeer Control helps a little.

Light, speed-sensitive electric steering suits commuting but gives little feedback.

Adequate brakes. The volume SV uses rear drums (4-wheel discs on SR/SL), and reviewers call the pedal soft and unremarkable.

The CVT's simulated D-Step shifts keep it smooth in town, but the 124-hp engine feels rubbery and slow to respond under load.

The engine and CVT drone loudly whenever you ask for power. It is quiet only at light throttle.

A very tight turning circle for a compact sedan.

Tilt-and-telescoping wheel, simple physical controls and good sightlines. The manual 6-way seat on the volume trim limits fine adjustment and support.

The 1.8L Sentra is an appliance. Only the SR Turbo and NISMO grades add any enthusiasm.

For 2019 Nissan added a 7-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and made automatic emergency braking standard on Xtronic models. Blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert and adaptive cruise were still optional (SV Special Edition package and above), well short of the Corolla's standard Toyota Safety Sense.

It is cheap to buy and heavily discounted, but that money buys a slow 124-hp 1.8L/CVT, a dated cabin and a thin standard safety suite, compared with Civic, Corolla and Mazda3 rivals that feel a generation newer. The SR Turbo adds real performance per dollar.

The range runs S (manual or CVT), SV, SR, SL, SR Turbo and NISMO (manual or CVT), with two engines and an SV Special Edition package. That is a wider ladder than the 2020 redesign offered, though the car is FWD-only and has no hybrid.

The Sentra sold about 184,600 units in calendar 2019, third among compact sedans behind Civic and Corolla, but down from over 200,000 in 2017–2018 and heavily dependent on fleet and rental.

Nissan's image in 2019 was damaged by the Ghosn arrest, discount- and fleet-driven volume and its CVT reliability reputation, and the Sentra was widely seen as a rental-lot car.

Nissan was one of the most incentive-heavy brands in 2019, and as the outgoing final year of the B17, the Sentra routinely carried large cash-back offers and subsidized APR. Deep discounts off MSRP were easy to negotiate.

2019 is the final model year of the seventh-generation (B17) Sentra, launched for 2013 and refreshed for 2016. The all-new B18 was unveiled at the November 2019 LA Auto Show, so 2019 buyers faced imminent replacement.

Reviewers consistently placed the 2019 Sentra near the bottom of the compact class for its sluggish base powertrain, CVT drone and dated interior. Its roominess, value and the SR Turbo/NISMO were the bright spots, and it won no major awards.