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10-25-2012, 10:39 AM
Filed under: Budget (http://www.autoblog.com/category/economy/), Sedan (http://www.autoblog.com/category/sedans/), Nissan (http://www.autoblog.com/category/nissan/), First Drives (http://www.autoblog.com/category/driving/)
Nissan Brings A Subtle All-Arounder To The Toughest Block In Town
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/10/2013-nissan-sentra-fd.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2013-nissan-sentra-first-drive/)
Creating a competitive new compact sedan in the US is perhaps the hardest chore that big automakers face today. Shoppers in this slice of the market really do require a single vehicle that will do just about everything for them: get great fuel economy, give a comfortable and confident ride, have a usable back seat with plenty of cargo space, offer an abundance of techy bells and whistles. At the top-spec levels, today's compacts face competition from entry-level midsizers, while at the bottom end they must compete with smaller, often more efficient sub-compacts that are better now than they ever have been in our country.
Further complicating things, this is a segment that still holds a lot of performance promise for Gen X and Gen Y buyers. More than a few of these 20- and 30-somethings found their first motoring thrills at the wheel of a Civic Si (http://www.autoblog.com/tag/civic+si/), Cobalt SS (http://www.autoblog.com/tag/cobalt+ss/), Jetta GLI (http://www.autoblog.com/2011/12/02/2012-volkswagen-jetta-gli-autobahn-review/) or, pertinently, a Sentra SE-R (http://www.autoblog.com/2010/01/18/review-2010-nissan-sentra-se-r-is-a-tall-order/). Being able to feel that warmed-up-performance lineage could be the difference for a section of shoppers here.
Finally, and undoubtedly most important, every one of the new breed of compact competitors must offer easy-to-define value to this ultra-price-sensitive segment. Comparing base-specification MSRPs isn't going to cut it, as a transmission choice here and navigation package there can quickly raise your bottom line from $18,000 to $26,000 and more.Continue reading 2013 Nissan Sentra (http://www.autoblog.com/2012/10/25/2013-nissan-sentra-first-drive-review/)
2013 Nissan Sentra (http://www.autoblog.com/2012/10/25/2013-nissan-sentra-first-drive-review/) originally appeared on Autoblog (http://www.autoblog.com) on Thu, 25 Oct 2012 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds (http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/).
Permalink (http://www.autoblog.com/2012/10/25/2013-nissan-sentra-first-drive-review/) | Email this (http://www.autoblog.com/forward/20359733/) | Comments (http://www.autoblog.com/2012/10/25/2013-nissan-sentra-first-drive-review/#comments)
More... (http://www.autoblog.com/2012/10/25/2013-nissan-sentra-first-drive-review/)
Nissan Brings A Subtle All-Arounder To The Toughest Block In Town
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/10/2013-nissan-sentra-fd.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2013-nissan-sentra-first-drive/)
Creating a competitive new compact sedan in the US is perhaps the hardest chore that big automakers face today. Shoppers in this slice of the market really do require a single vehicle that will do just about everything for them: get great fuel economy, give a comfortable and confident ride, have a usable back seat with plenty of cargo space, offer an abundance of techy bells and whistles. At the top-spec levels, today's compacts face competition from entry-level midsizers, while at the bottom end they must compete with smaller, often more efficient sub-compacts that are better now than they ever have been in our country.
Further complicating things, this is a segment that still holds a lot of performance promise for Gen X and Gen Y buyers. More than a few of these 20- and 30-somethings found their first motoring thrills at the wheel of a Civic Si (http://www.autoblog.com/tag/civic+si/), Cobalt SS (http://www.autoblog.com/tag/cobalt+ss/), Jetta GLI (http://www.autoblog.com/2011/12/02/2012-volkswagen-jetta-gli-autobahn-review/) or, pertinently, a Sentra SE-R (http://www.autoblog.com/2010/01/18/review-2010-nissan-sentra-se-r-is-a-tall-order/). Being able to feel that warmed-up-performance lineage could be the difference for a section of shoppers here.
Finally, and undoubtedly most important, every one of the new breed of compact competitors must offer easy-to-define value to this ultra-price-sensitive segment. Comparing base-specification MSRPs isn't going to cut it, as a transmission choice here and navigation package there can quickly raise your bottom line from $18,000 to $26,000 and more.Continue reading 2013 Nissan Sentra (http://www.autoblog.com/2012/10/25/2013-nissan-sentra-first-drive-review/)
2013 Nissan Sentra (http://www.autoblog.com/2012/10/25/2013-nissan-sentra-first-drive-review/) originally appeared on Autoblog (http://www.autoblog.com) on Thu, 25 Oct 2012 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds (http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/).
Permalink (http://www.autoblog.com/2012/10/25/2013-nissan-sentra-first-drive-review/) | Email this (http://www.autoblog.com/forward/20359733/) | Comments (http://www.autoblog.com/2012/10/25/2013-nissan-sentra-first-drive-review/#comments)
More... (http://www.autoblog.com/2012/10/25/2013-nissan-sentra-first-drive-review/)