2009 Nissan Sentra

While this car comes from a noble heritage of solid cars, it is not quite as good as its predecessors. The ride, handling and interior noise levels are not as good as the 2002 I still drive. While I rate this one highly for styling, its reliability will need to be proven. More than likely, this car will become every bit as good as previous Sentras in most points except one fatal flaw. Nissan has abandoned the conventional automatic for its continously veriable transmission. While some hail the CVT as the transmission of the future, the facts are not impressive. CVT's cost more than twice as much to replace and have a life expectancy of 2/3 that of the conventional automatic. With that in mind, the Sentra might not be a bad choice as long as you are willing to drive a manual transmission. The history of Audi and the Nissan Murano should convince anyone that a CVT is not a good investment.