2026 Nissan Sentra SR: New car reviews

Remember when cars were shaped like cars? Picture me drawing a hood, a roof and a trunk with my hand.

Despite the proliferation of truck-shaped cars, Nissan still offers five: the Versa, the Altima, the Sentra, the Z and the soon-to-depart GT-R. (The Maxima left us back in 2023.)

Nissan isn’t forgetting those of us who appreciate car-shaped cars: It has redone the Sentra for 2026. The styling looks a little bolder, the interior feels a little more upmarket.

Nissan doesn’t mention major updates regarding the chassis or drivetrain for this ninth-generation Sentra, however, with power still coming from a 149-horsepower, 2.0-liter engine paired with a CVT.

That CVT, Nissan adds, has been retuned for 2026 “to deliver a more natural, smooth acceleration feel.”

The Sport drive mode, standard on our Sentra SR test car, “was tuned in the U.S. for sharper throttle responses and more thrilling shifting patterns that help give the car a sporty feel.”

Spoiler alert: The transmission felt sporty. It had more life than the automatic in the Mustang that we recently tested. The engine revved up and down. It almost didn’t feel like a CVT.

The rest of the Sentra SR? Roomy front and back, supportive seats, clear sightlines. The switches delivered a reassuring click. I’m always happy to see a traditional, mechanical shifter instead of buttons or a knob.

Nissan proudly mentions a standard 12.3-inch touchscreen. It’s big but doesn’t seem large or out of place.

The 2026 Nissan Sentra starts right around $25,000. Options then pushed ours to nearly $32,000.

Even though the Sentra SE-R is long gone–I owned one of the OG models–the latest Sentra SR was good at being a car. It’s peppy. You can easily get in and out of it. It looks good. The cabin is quiet with soft, upmarket touch points. Just remember to toggle the transmission into the Sport mode.

This isn’t a replacement for the SE-R of yore, but the latest Sentra is good at being a car-shaped car.

Comments

Noddaz GRM+ Memberand UltimaDork
1/22/26 1:18 p.m.

When do we see the full test?

David S. Wallens Editorial Director
1/22/26 1:24 p.m.

In reply to Noddaz :

This one didn’t go to the track.

Colin Wood Associate Editor
1/22/26 1:52 p.m.

In reply to Noddaz :

Spend enough time on I-4, and you can get a pretty good idea of how they handle on track.

David S. Wallens Editorial Director
1/22/26 1:53 p.m.

In reply to Colin Wood :

True, good point. We did take this one up towards St. Augustine, though.

For a drive-around car, I enjoyed it.

Do I wish Nissan would bring back an SE-R? Of course.

Coniglio Rampante GRM+ Memberand Dork
1/22/26 2:13 p.m.

Nissan has a world of problems documented elsewhere, but how much would it cost the corporation to develop a true SE-R from what seems to be this generically good-enough platform? Having a legitimate contender against the Honda Si or a base VW GTi could lead to more foot traffic at the dealerships. I’m thinking of something like 80-85% of a Hyundai Elantra N and under cutting it accordingly on price could be a very good car.

David S. Wallens Editorial Director
1/22/26 2:15 p.m.

So, a little BTS.

The top photo was taken at a boat ramp along the Intracoastal up near St. Augustine. My wife and I stopped there to photograph the sunset.

While we were there, a dude in a not-stock Mustang parked behind us–wing, big tires, etc. He just sat there. Was he also taking in the sunset?

Then another dude on a sport bike stopped there. He also hung for a bit.

Then they both left, but not together.

Colin Wood Associate Editor
1/22/26 2:16 p.m.

Coniglio Rampante said:
Nissan has a world of problems documented elsewhere, but how much would it cost the corporation to develop a true SE-R from what seems to be this generically good-enough platform? Having a legitimate contender against the Honda Si or a base VW GTi could lead to more foot traffic at the dealerships. I’m thinking of something like 80-85% of a Hyundai Elantra N and under cutting it accordingly on price could be a very good car.

I like this idea. I agree that it doesn't have to be on par with something like the Si or Elantra N, but being close could attract some buyers–or at least more interest.

EDIT: The easy-ish button could be to drop a larger, more powerful engine from somewhere else in the lineup into the Sentra, like something from the Altima.

David S. Wallens Editorial Director
1/22/26 2:27 p.m.

Coniglio Rampante said:
Nissan has a world of problems documented elsewhere, but how much would it cost the corporation to develop a true SE-R from what seems to be this generically good-enough platform? Having a legitimate contender against the Honda Si or a base VW GTi could lead to more foot traffic at the dealerships. I’m thinking of something like 80-85% of a Hyundai Elantra N and under cutting it accordingly on price could be a very good car.

So back in 1992, I cross shopped the SE-R and Si.

The Si cost more.

The SE-R had more power, alloy wheels plus the (sorta) LSD.

I bought the SE-R.

Several years later, though, I did get my EG Civic Si.

TravisTheHuman MegaDork
1/22/26 2:28 p.m.

Colin Wood said:
Coniglio Rampante said:
Nissan has a world of problems documented elsewhere, but how much would it cost the corporation to develop a true SE-R from what seems to be this generically good-enough platform? Having a legitimate contender against the Honda Si or a base VW GTi could lead to more foot traffic at the dealerships. I’m thinking of something like 80-85% of a Hyundai Elantra N and under cutting it accordingly on price could be a very good car.

I like this idea. I agree that it doesn't have to be on par with something like the Si or Elantra N, but being close could attract some buyers–or at least more interest.

EDIT: The easy-ish button could be to drop a larger, more powerful engine from somewhere else in the lineup into the Sentra, like something from the Altima.

They don't have a manual or even a DCT in the lineup though, right? A CVT is a non-starter in a performance car.