2022 Lexus ES vs 2022 Nissan Sentra

The 2022 Lexus ES had a long-standing reputation as a staple in the Lexus lineup, evolving over seven generations since its debut in 1990. Despite a decline in sales since its peak in 2007, the ES continued to attract a respectable number of buyers each year. Lexus faced a challenge with the ES, as it was popular among an aging demographic, which the company needed to balance with the goal of attracting younger buyers without alienating its loyal customer base. This balancing act resulted in a design that was both safe and a bit quirky, as Lexus tried to satisfy diverse preferences.

The latest generation of the ES, launched in 2018, was built on the Global Architecture-K (GA-K) platform, shared with models like the Lexus RX and Toyota Camry. This platform supported a front-engine, front-wheel-drive layout, with an option for all-wheel drive. The ES featured elegant proportions and a sleek roofline, with a prominent "spindle" grille and assertive headlamp shapes. The interior, while precisely assembled, had an asymmetrical dashboard that gave a cockpit feel but appeared jumbled. The F Sport model added bold two-tone leather seating, which seemed sportier than the rest of the car. An analog chronometer in the touchscreen housing aimed to underline the ES's heritage but ended up dating the dash and adding to the clutter.

The 2022 Nissan Sentra, redesigned in 2020, carried over into 2022 with minimal changes. Its exterior resembled a downsized Altima, featuring a low-slung, coupe-like, and modern design. This was a significant improvement over the previous model, which had a more cartoonish appearance. The Sentra's design language was well-executed, with bold color options like blue, burnt orange, and "Scarlet Ember," along with a contrasting black roof option.

The Sentra's interior was a highlight, with a modern yet simple layout that balanced form and function. The controls were user-friendly, and the trio of vents in the center of the dash added an upscale touch. The front cabin featured a touchscreen that served as the visual centerpiece. The Sentra offered three trims: S, SV, and SR, each with increasing levels of features and amenities. The SR trim, in particular, added sporty elements like 17-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, and sport cloth seats with orange accent stitching. The Midnight Edition package for the SR trim added dark accents and unique badging, enhancing the Sentra's overall appeal.

The 2022 Lexus ES came in three models, each distinguished by its powertrain. The base model, the ES 250 AWD, featured a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with an eight-speed automatic transmission, producing 203 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. It achieved an EPA rating of 25 mpg city/34 mpg highway/28 mpg combined. The ES 250 AWD could accelerate from 0-60 mph in 8.6 seconds, with a top speed of 131 mph.

The ES 350, equipped with a 3.5-liter V6 engine, delivered 307 horsepower and 267 pound-feet of torque, allowing it to reach 0-60 mph in 6.6 seconds. It had an EPA rating of 22 mpg city/32 mpg highway/26 mpg combined. The F Sport trim had slightly lower fuel efficiency. The ES 300h hybrid combined a 176-hp four-cylinder engine with a 39-hp electric motor, producing a net 215 hp. It achieved 43 mpg city/44 mpg highway/44 mpg combined and could accelerate from 0-60 mph in 8.1 seconds, with a top speed of 112 mph.

The 2022 Nissan Sentra featured a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine across all models, producing 149 horsepower and 146 pound-feet of torque. It came with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) and front-wheel drive. The engine provided solid low-end acceleration and satisfactory performance on both city streets and highways. The Sentra's steering was well-weighted, and its cornering was sharp for a non-performance car. The suspension handled most road conditions well, though it struggled with harsher bumps and potholes.

The 2022 Lexus ES offered 13.9 cubic feet of trunk space, which remained consistent in the hybrid ES 300h. The second row in the ES 250 and ES 350 folded flat, providing additional cargo space. The ES had a lower center of gravity and ground clearance compared to its SUV counterpart, the Lexus RX, resulting in better handling and fuel economy. Inside, the ES featured ample storage, including big bottle pockets, a center console storage bin, and a large glove compartment. The dashboard layout was functional, with a prominent volume knob for the audio system.

The 2022 Nissan Sentra provided 14.3 cubic feet of trunk space, which was better than many small sedans. The trunk space could be expanded with a 60/40 split-fold rear bench, though the ledge created by the bench could make it difficult to slide larger items through. The Sentra's trunk could be remotely opened via the key fob or a button on the dash. The Sentra had spacious seating in both rows, with plenty of headroom and legroom in the front seats and solid legroom in the rear seats. The front row featured large in-door cargo trays and bottle holders, along with ample cupholders and trays in the center console.

The 2022 Lexus ES came with an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, featuring Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa+Lexus compatibility. It also included a 10-speaker Pioneer sound system, USB audio input connections, Bluetooth, a CD player, HD radio, and SiriusXM satellite radio with a three-month trial. Upper trims upgraded to a 12.3-inch touchscreen, Mark Levinson 17-speaker surround sound, and navigation. The ES used a touchpad interface for the infotainment system, which was challenging to use on rough roads. Upper trims also offered a 10-inch head-up display and a Panoramic View Monitor with Intuitive Parking Assist.

The 2022 Nissan Sentra came standard with a 7-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. The SV and SR trims featured an 8-inch touchscreen. The system had easy-to-follow menu navigation, conventional hard buttons, and volume and tuning dials. However, the graphics needed updating, and it lacked wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which were becoming more common in non-luxury vehicles.

The 2022 Lexus ES received top safety ratings from both the IIHS and NHTSA. It came standard with the Lexus Safety System+ 2.5, which included a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning, road-sign assist, Enhanced Lane-Tracing Assist, adaptive cruise control, and Intelligent High Beam Control. Additional standard safety features included blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and 10 airbags.

The 2022 Nissan Sentra also received high safety ratings, earning five stars from the NHTSA and a "Top Safety Pick" award from the IIHS. It came standard with forward and reverse automatic emergency braking, forward collision avoidance, pedestrian detection, driver drowsiness monitoring, lane-departure warning, and blind spot monitoring. Our test model included additional features like a surround-view parking monitor and adaptive cruise control, though the latter had overly abrupt braking.