Nissan North America, Inc. today announced pricing on the 2009 Nissan Sentra and Sentra SE-R, which are on sale now at Nissan dealers nationwide. For 2009, both the Sentra and Sentra SE-R receive a new rear trunk lid design, MP3 playback capability and a new Premium Audio Package. SE-R models offer a new optional SE-R Upgrade Package with power sliding glass moonroof and Nissan Intelligent Key. Every 2009 Sentra includes a long list of standard convenience and safety equipment. Estimated fuel economy is 33 mpg Highway/25 mpg City (Sentra 2.0-liter with CVT).

The starting Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) for the 2009 Nissan Sentra 2.0 with Xtronic CVT™ is $16,730. The Sentra 2.0 S is $16,960 with the 6-speed manual transmission and $17,760 with Xtronic CVT™. The Sentra 2.0 SL with Xtronic CVT™ is priced at $19,660. These four models are equipped with a fuel-efficient 140-horsepower (135 hp CAL emissions) 16-valve 2.0-liter DOHC inline 4-cylinder engine.

The Sentra SE-R is offered in Sentra SE-R and Sentra SE-R Spec V models – both featuring sporty styling, enhanced performance and additional standard equipment versus non-SE-R models. The 2009 Sentra SE-R with standard 177-horsepower 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine and Xtronic CVT™ with paddle shifters has an MSRP of $20,660.

The Sentra SE-R Spec V, which features a high-output version of the SE-R’s 2.5-liter engine – rated at 200 horsepower and 180 lb-ft of torque – and a 6-speed manual transmission, is priced at $21,160. The SE-R Spec V also includes unique suspension tuning, larger diameter brakes and an optional Helical Limited Slip Differential.

[Nissan]

Suitability Parameters:
Speed Merchants: Yes
Fashion Victims: No
Treehuggers: No
Mack Daddies: No
Tuner Crowd: Yes
Hairdressers: No
Penny Pinchers: Yes
Euro Snobs: No
Working Stiffs: No
Technogeeks: No
Poseurs: Yes
Soccer Moms: No
Nascar Dads: No
Golfing Grandparents: No

Also Consider:
• Volkswagen GTI
• Honda Civic SI
• Mazdaspeed3
• Subraru WRX
• Chevy Cobalt SS
• Dodge Caliber SRT-4
• Nissan Sentra SE-R, if you don't think the LSD, larger brakes, red seatbelts, 23 extra horses and stiffer chassis Spec V brings are worth $500.

Vitals:
• Manufacturer: Nissan
• Model year: 2008
• Base Price: $20,470
• Price as Tested: $21,660
• Engine type: 2.5-Liter NA I4
• Horsepower: 200 @ 6,600 RPM
• Torque: 180 @ 5,200 RPM
• Transmission: 6-speed Manual
• Curb Weight: 3,048 lbs
• LxWxH: 180.1" x 70.5" x 59.1"
• Wheelbase: 105.7"
• Tires: P225/45WR17
• 0 - 60 mph: 6.7 Seconds
• EPA Fuel economy city/highway: 21/29 MPG
• NHTSA crash test rating: *****

Also see:
• 2008 Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V, Part One
• 2008 Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V, Part Two

Acceleration: ***
Though the 2.5-liter QR25DE engine doesn't quite relive the turbocharged glory of Nissan's famous SR20DE, it does provide reasonably quick off-the-line performance. Pumping out 200 horsepower and 180 lb-ft of torque, the Sentra achieves a claimed 0-60 mph time of 6.7 seconds, on par with a Cooper S and just ahead of the Civic SI. Also, they fixed the problem that made them burst into flames. Victory!

Braking: ****
The base Sentra still has drum brakes, but the SE-R gets disc brakes at all corners, providing ample stopping while requiring little stomping despite the little sedan's big curb weight of 3,048 pounds. In Spec V trim the massive 12.6" vented front discs bring the party to an end before you have a chance to get your coat.

Ride: ***
Even with the lowered height and sport-tuned shocks there's not the expected rough ride over bumps. It would have been easy for the Nissan engineers to sacrifice a bit of smoothness for improved handling, but they managed to achieve both. While lacking the staccato nature of other cars in this class, I wouldn't perform a bris in the backseat or anything.

Handling: ***
The "V" in Spec V is, presumably, the same as the V in GT-R V Spec, which stands for victory. And given the stiff suspension it isn't unreasonable to believe it could claim victory... against any base model economy car out there. All the 'ring tuning in the world can't change the fact that the Sentra platform puts a priority on space, meaning it requires a bit of effort to fight the laws of physics.

Gearbox: ***
The shifter sits up high on the dash, within easy reach for anyone not sitting on the floor of the car (though drivers that do sit low may have to contend with an awkward angle). Shifts are quick and clutch action is pretty easy. Gear selection is a bit vague, especially when downshifting diagonally from sixth to fourth. Though a bit buzzy, sixth gear still helps the SE-R achieve a respectable 31 mpg highway.

Audio: **
The 340-watt Rockford Fosgate, eight-speaker system has a large display, robust sound and the crucial auxiliary port. This should be a knockout. But they put said port in the dead center of the dash RIGHT ABOVE THE DAMN SHIFTER. If your friend wants to drop that hot new remix from their iPod you're going to have to tell them you'd like to, but you're going to have decline because the choice you have to make is between sweet jamz and shifting gears.

Toys: ***
In addition to the G-meter, the bright orange display will present trip info such as average speed, average fuel economy and trip time. The sunroof isn't really necessary but is large enough to enjoy sunny days. Navigation would have been nice, as well as satellite radio, but HD radio for this class is good enough.

Value: ****
The SE-R Spec V starts at $20,470 with nearly every feature you'd want, including the sport-tuned suspension, 23 horsepower bump over the SE-R and helical limited-slip differential. Though more can be had for a bit more, there's not much that can be had for less. If there's one value complaint I have, it's that it makes the SE-R, at just $600 less, a horrible relative value.

Overall: ***
KRS-One said a real thug is a thug that's hush and the Spec V is pretty hush, certainly even more so in black. Even in its currently ugly state, it's an improvement over the previous generation and, we hope, the sign of better things to come. Performance is on par with cars at the lower end of the sporty-yet-economical segment, but so is the price.

Also see:
• 2008 Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V, Part One
• 2008 Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V, Part Three

Stealth is key in Chicago's underground city as I hoped to avoid attention both from the police and those they've pledged to protect me from. Did anyone know Nissan still makes an SE-R version of the Sentra? Did anyone remember they still make a Sentra? Despite the paint, body kit, spoiler and split five-spoke wheels, the SE-R looks like any other econobox.

Another key to survival here is a car quick enough to keep up with your reflexes. Lower Whacker, the main underground pathway, feels like a Driver's Ed video made real. Delivery trucks and commodity traders late for lunch with the mistress randomly dart out of alleys and into the narrow, concrete-edged roadway. The small Sentra, despite its unimpressive origins, handles itself with impressive poise. The speed-sensitive power steering is so quick I had to pause and remind myself what I was driving, right before my brain turned back on and I narrowly avoided one of the many pieces of construction equipment left, as an obstacle, in my path.

I pulled off onto a side street, only to catch a red near one of the underground city's biggest traps: the transient cartographers. Conventioneers staying at any of the area's finer hotels often get lost down in the catacombs, sometimes never to be found again. These homeless men appear to the misplaced orthodontists, emerging from the ether to offer help. At a price. But I was here to expose secrets and they rely on confusion. I was their sworn enemy.

The red light snapped to green and I put pedal to floor, escaping what could have been a trap. The Sentra's normally aspirated fourbanger springs to life with only a minor squeak of the tires, power instantly available from the high compression engine. Unlike the Caliber SRT4 and MS3 there's no hint of torque steer, meaning there's no chance I'll nick a curb as I delve further into the darkness.

With its thick concrete walls, steel girders and a layout similar to the inside of a church organ, this world beneath worlds tends to amplify sounds. This works to my disadvantage as the SE-R Spec V whines with an unpleasant high-pitch buzz as the needle sweeps across the tach, alerting those in the area. There's no need to slow down, though, as the Sentra absorbs the bumps of uneven concrete competently enough for a souped-up econobox.

I finally make it to the lowest levels of Randolph, hoping to find the market. There are mysterious stairwells, unmarked cop cars and parking garage entrances galore. But no market. Unlike its competitors, the SE-R doesn't even offer navigation as an option, so I've got nothing but my wits to help me find this enchanted locate. And my wits fail me.

Maybe the market closed. Maybe it never existed. Maybe those lurking below the pizza joints and coffee shops were alerted to the presence of a nosey surface dweller and concealed it from view. Of course, even if I'd found it I wouldn't be able to haul that much treasure home. The V-brace in the trunk invalidates the possibility of pass-through storage.

And just like my quest, the Sentra SE-R Spec V doesn't quite measure up to expectations. An unexpectedly enjoyable platform with usable power and predictable handling is somehow ruined by its own gimmicks, namely the dyed-red seatbelts and boost-gauge wannabe G-meter stolen from the Z that both look obnoxious in this sedan.

No worry. Unlike some if its overpowered and oversized competitors, the SE-R isn't a chore to drive in urban areas, making the journey equally as fun as anything I was likely to find. Maybe between here and there is truly better than either here or there.

Also See:
• 2008 Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V, Part Two
• 2008 Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V, Part Three

While there was no sign of Ghosn, Nissan announced that sales are up, up, up! And while the SE-R and SE-R Spec V will only account for 15% of Sentra sales, they are no doubt the hotness Nissan desperately needs to fight Honda. The Spec-V's close-range, short throw shifter is even mounted in the dash Aoyama style. It also sports a g-meter gauge, which while fanciful, is exactly what the car needs. Hotter in our eyes was the Altima Coupe and its gun pockets!! If there is anything we love half as much as Caminos and Starions, it is an OEM spot to stow your Glock. Nisssan is pulling an Audi with this two-door, as it features a nicer interior than exterior. And we like the exterior.

Related:
LA Auto Show Preview: Nissan SE-R, SE-R Spec V [Internal]

Spy Photos: 2007 Nissan Altima Coupe [Internal]