The 2026 Nissan Sentra Isn’t Enough of an Improvement

The Sentra starts with the S trim at $23,645, including the $1,245 destination fee, and tops out at the fully loaded SL trim for $29,235. There are certainly savings there when compared to a fully loaded Honda Civic (Sport Touring Hybrid trim), our highest-rated sedan, which goes for $33,490. Of course, the Honda is also a hybrid, and the superior fuel economy would help make up some of that pricing gap.

So perhaps the base trim (S) Sentra makes more sense at just under $24,000. Here, too, it loses to higher-rated competition. The 2025 Kia K4 starts at $23,185 (pricing isn’t available for the 2026 just yet) and is our second-highest rated sedan. It also comes with Kia’s generous 10-year powertrain warranty, compared to the five-year warranty offered by Nissan.

If the new Sentra isn’t competing primarily on price, has it been improved enough to fight the competition on its own merits?