2020 Nissan Sentra

2020 is the launch year of the B18 generation, which replaced the 124-hp 1.8L with a 2.0L MR20DD four making 149 hp on every trim; still near the bottom of the sedan band.

146 lb-ft from the single 2.0L engine, modest for the class.

Slow for the segment; instrumented tests of the 2020 149-hp CVT car range from 8.5 to 9.2 seconds, so a mid value is used.

A clear step up from the 1.8L it replaced and quiet at a cruise, but the 2.0L gets buzzy under hard throttle and has little midrange punch for merging or passing.

The Xtronic CVT is smooth at low speed and simulates steps, but it drones and flares under heavy throttle.

Every 2020 trim is front-wheel drive only; no AWD is offered.

One 2.0L/CVT/FWD powertrain with no turbo, hybrid or electrified option, while the 2020 Corolla offered a hybrid and a second engine.

Competitive economy for a non-hybrid compact sedan in the B18's launch year.

29 MPG city for the volume S/SV trims.

Strong highway figure for a gas compact.

A small tank limits range even though economy is good.

Low running cost on regular fuel at EPA's current price basis.

Runs on regular unleaded on every trim.

The redesigned 2020 (B18) Sentra 4-door FWD earned a 5-star NHTSA overall rating; the frontal sub-score is the weak leg at 4 stars because the front passenger rated only 3 stars.

Crash results are strong (Good in both small-overlap tests, moderate overlap, original side test, roof and seats), but the 2020 Top Safety Pick applies only to cars with the Premium-package LED projectors built after September 2020, so most 2020 model-year cars on the road don't carry the award. The later updated side test rates Acceptable.

The 2020 redesign made Nissan Safety Shield 360 standard on every trim, the S included: AEB with pedestrian detection, rear automatic braking, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning and high-beam assist. Adaptive cruise is missing on the base S (Intelligent Cruise Control from SV) and the volume trims have no lane centering.

The standard system rates Superior vehicle-to-vehicle and Advanced in the daytime pedestrian test. There is no nighttime pedestrian result for this rating set, so it sits in the upper-middle band rather than the top.

Blind Spot Warning and Rear Cross Traffic Alert are standard on every trim, and standard rear automatic braking adds real intervention in reverse. Blind-spot coverage only alerts: there's no steering or braking correction and no safe-exit alert.

Lane departure warning is standard, but the volume SV has no lane centering. ProPILOT Assist steering support is only an upper-trim package option, not part of the core 2020 equipment.

The volume SV includes Intelligent Cruise Control, a capable radar ACC. Combined steer-and-follow highway assist (ProPILOT Assist) is only a package option, and the base S has conventional cruise only.

No 2020 Sentra offers hands-free driving. Nissan's hands-off ProPILOT Assist 2.0 debuted on the Ariya and was never offered on the Sentra.

IIHS rated four headlight variations. The S/SV halogen reflectors, the SR's LED reflectors and the early-build Premium LED projectors all rate Poor. Only the Premium-package LED projectors on cars built after September 2020 (a late sliver of the model year) reach Acceptable. High-beam assist is standard, but no configuration earns Good.

Forward sightlines are clean thanks to a low cowl, but the high beltline, raked rear glass and thick C-pillars limit the rear-quarter view. Standard blind-spot warning helps, and the Intelligent Around View Monitor is available only on upper trims.

IIHS rates the LATCH hardware Good+ with extra LATCH positions, meaning easy-to-reach lower anchors and tethers. Compact-class rear legroom still limits it to two car seats in practice.

Five-seat compact sedan across S, SV and SR.

Competitive front headroom for the class; the moonroof in the Premium packages takes some away.

Generous front legroom, at the top of the sedan band.

The sloping B18 roofline leaves middling rear headroom for the class.

Published rear legroom is below compact rivals like the Civic and Jetta, though testers found it fine in practice.

Trunk is about average for a compact sedan and trails the Civic and Jetta.

Useful everyday cubbies and 60/40 folding rear seatbacks, but nothing inventive.

The Zero Gravity front seats earn wide praise and the rear bench is comfortable. A power driver's seat only comes in the Premium packages.

The new independent rear suspension gives the 2020 a compliant, composed ride that reviewers singled out. The SR's 18-inch wheels firm it up.

Relatively quiet at a cruise. The 2.0L gets loud when pushed and highway noise is about average for the class.

Dual-zone automatic climate and remote start come standard on the volume SV. Heated front seats need a Premium package, and a heated wheel is SR Premium only.

The redesigned 2020 Sentra S launched at $19,090 before destination, making it one of the cheapest compact sedans of the year and cheaper than the 2020 Civic LX, Corolla L and Mazda3.

The SV is the volume trim, adding an 8-inch touchscreen, alloy wheels, dual-zone climate and ProPilot Assist availability; at about $21,200 delivered it undercuts volume Civic and Corolla trims.

The naturally aspirated 2.0L MR20DD is cheap to service and routine costs sit near the compact-car average; the Xtronic CVT is the main out-of-warranty risk. Sources disagree widely, so a mid-range estimate consistent with later Sentra years is used.

The 2020 Sentra's residuals were lifted by the 2021–2023 used-car price spike, and KBB now values it around $11,850 at six years old (~56% of the SV's delivered price), though heavy rental/fleet volume keeps it below Civic and Mazda3.

Nissan's New Vehicle Limited Warranty covers 3 years or 36,000 miles, the segment floor shared with 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, 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 a NissanConnect services trial on equipped trims, which is the 'basic roadside only' band.

$21,195 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (55% retained, or about $11,657) leaves about $9,538 in depreciation. Add the projected $4,600 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $14,138 in total.

2020 is the launch year of the B18 Sentra: new platform, new MR20DD engine and new independent rear suspension, all in their first year. J.D. Power still rates it in its 'Great' band, but first-year teething problems show up in the recall record and in CVT judder/hesitation complaints, so it sits a few points below the more mature 2023. That puts it just under the sedan peer p25–median range.

Around the 2020 model year Nissan was a mid-to-lower-pack dependability brand. It trailed Toyota, Lexus, Honda, Mazda and the Korean brands in Consumer Reports rankings, sat below the industry average in J.D. Power's VDS, and was still carrying the widespread 2013-2018 CVT failures and the warranty extensions that followed.

MY2020 carries four NHTSA campaigns, the most of any B18 year. Two cover bent tie rods that can cause loss of steering control (repeated, safety-critical, >370k combined units across years), one the rear-camera harness and one LED headlight aim. The same tie-rod defect was also recalled in Mexico. Add CVT judder/reflash bulletins, and this is typical-to-heavy activity for a first-year car, though nothing touches powertrain or fire.

The 2.0L MR20DD is a low-stress engine with no durability red flag, but in 2020 it was new to the Sentra, and it is paired with the Xtronic CVT, the weakest-reputed transmission family among mainstream compacts. Owners of 2020-2023 cars report shudder, surge and hesitation, some with full transaxle replacements, and law firms are investigating those model years. That is better than the 2013-2018 population, but a real tail risk.

The redesigned 2020 cabin was the headline improvement: reviewers praised upscale-looking materials, turbine-style vents, available quilted leatherette on SR/SV premium packages and solid switchgear, which puts it ahead of the plastic-heavy Corolla and Elantra of the time. The volume S/SV trims still use hard plastics in low-touch zones.

No widespread rattle, squeak or panel-gap pattern attaches to the 2020 car, but it is a first production year. The bent-tie-rod and misaimed-headlight recalls point to launch-year manufacturing and supplier consistency slips, so it lands slightly below the more mature 2023.

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

A high-volume US compact that shares parts with Nissan's MR-engine/Xtronic lineup, so OEM and aftermarket parts are cheap and widely stocked, and any independent shop can work on it. The four-figure cost of a CVT replacement, if it falls outside warranty, keeps it out of the top band.

The volume SV gets the 8-inch screen, small against rivals' newer displays.

Simple, logical interface with physical audio knobs. The graphics are dated, and climate adjustments go through repetitive push buttons.

For 2020, wired-only Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are limited to SV and SR; the base S has no phone projection at all. Nothing is wireless.

Basic Bluetooth voice with Siri Eyes Free and Google Assistant pass-through, a hands-free text assistant on SV, and no factory navigation offered.

Adequate four-speaker base system, six speakers on SV, and 8-speaker Bose on SR Premium only.

Analog gauges flank a 7-inch color Advanced Drive-Assist Display on SV/SR (4.2-inch on S). It is partial-digital, not a full screen.

No over-the-air software update capability is advertised for the 2020 Sentra.

Limited connected services for 2020. Remote start runs off the key fob, and a Wi-Fi hotspot and broader NissanConnect features did not arrive until 2021.

One front and one rear USB, plus a USB-C on SV and up. There is no wireless charging or AC outlet.

Intelligent Key proximity entry, push-button start and remote engine start are standard on the volume SV and SR. The S uses a conventional key, and there is no phone-as-key.

Rear camera and Rear Automatic Braking are standard. The Intelligent Around View Monitor comes only in the SR Premium Package.

No head-up display on any 2020 Sentra trim.

LATCH access is excellent, but rear legroom and the 14.3 cu ft trunk limit bulky strollers and rear-facing seats.

5-star NHTSA overall and IIHS Top Safety Pick, with Safety Shield 360 standard on every trim. The award only applied with certain headlights, and ProPILOT costs extra.

Comfortable seats and a compliant ride, but there are no rear vents, only one rear USB, and the trunk is average.

Easy and relaxing in traffic. The CVT is smooth at low speed, the ride is compliant, and adaptive cruise is standard on SV.

33 MPG combined on regular fuel is decent, but it trails the Corolla and Civic and there is no hybrid.

Compact footprint, but the turning circle is only average and thick C-pillars hurt rear visibility. The surround camera is SR Premium only.

Not tow-rated, and the 14.3 cu ft trunk is the only cargo space. It is not a work vehicle.

A common fleet and rental car, but concerns about Xtronic CVT durability and a light-duty build make it a poor fit for hard use. 2020 was also a first-year redesign.

No AC outlets, tie-downs or upfit ecosystem.

Zero Gravity seats and ~409 miles of range make it a decent tourer. The engine drones when pushed, and ProPILOT Assist is Premium-package only.

Front-wheel drive only, 4.8–4.9 in of ground clearance, and no tow rating. It is pavement-bound.

60/40 folding rear seatbacks help, but the trunk is modest and there are no roof rails or hitch provision.

The new independent rear suspension made the 2020 far more composed than the B17. It is secure and tidy but not engaging.

Accurate enough and nicely weighted for commuting, but numb.

Reviewers of the B18 describe firm, confidence-inspiring brakes; there is no 2020-specific instrumented figure.

The new 149-hp 2.0L and CVT are smooth and responsive in daily use, with a rubber-band feel and modest thrust when pushed.

Quiet at a cruise, but the engine becomes coarse and loud under hard acceleration.

Average turning circle for a compact sedan.

Simple, well-placed controls and supportive seats, but a manual driver's seat on volume trims and thick C-pillars limit rear sightlines.

A big step up from the prior rental-car Sentra, but still appliance-like against the Mazda3, Civic and Elantra N Line.

Every 2020 Sentra gets Safety Shield 360 (front and rear automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning, high beam assist), push-button start and a 7-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, all at $20,015. The SV adds an 8-inch screen, alloys and dual-zone climate, although the S rides on steel wheels.

The redesigned Sentra delivers a roomier, much nicer cabin and standard safety suite for less money than Civic, Corolla or Mazda3 trim for trim. The trade-off is its 149-hp 2.0L/CVT, which is slower than the Civic and Mazda3, and no hybrid is offered.

Three trims (S, SV, SR) with SV/SR Premium packages, one engine, one CVT and front-wheel drive only. That is a narrow ladder with no performance, hybrid, manual (US) or AWD option, compared with Civic's much broader 2020 lineup.

Sentra sold roughly 150,000 units in calendar 2020, down from about 184,000 in 2019 amid the pandemic and the changeover to the new generation. It stayed third among compact sedans behind Corolla and Civic, but volume leans heavily on fleet/rental.

In 2020 Nissan's image was at a low ebb after the Ghosn scandal, years of fleet-heavy, discount-driven volume and its CVT reliability reputation. It lacks the loyal following of Toyota, Honda or Mazda.

Nissan was among the most incentive-heavy brands in 2020, and during the spring 2020 pandemic shutdown it offered 0% financing for up to 84 months on much of its lineup along with payment deferrals. Sentra cash-back and subsidized APR remained common through the model year.

2020 is the launch year of the all-new eighth-generation (B18) Sentra, with a new platform, the new 2.0L MR20DD engine and an independent rear suspension replacing the torsion beam. Buyers get the freshest design in the class with no near-term redesign risk.

Critics hailed the 2020 redesign as a huge leap over its predecessor, praising its styling, Zero Gravity seats, ride and standard safety tech, and it earned an IIHS Top Safety Pick. It still rarely beat the Civic or Mazda3 in comparisons because of its middling powertrain.