2023 Toyota Prius vs 2024 Nissan Sentra

Toyota gave the 2023 Prius a complete makeover, transforming it from a purely efficient vehicle to an appealing and efficient one. The new Prius had a sleek exterior with a combination of curves and sharp edges, giving it a futuristic yet accessible look. The wheels were pushed further into the corners, improving handling and giving the Prius a more planted and athletic stance. Moreover, the car was longer, lower, and wider compared to its predecessor, contributing to its modern aesthetic.

Built on an excellent platform, the 2023 Prius delivered a solid, stout driving feel over rough surfaces, moving away from the lightweight, cheap feel that sometimes characterized hybrids. The doors closed with a reassuring thunk, and inside, the materials and fit and finish were top-notch, offering a premium feel. Two screens greeted the driver: an instrument panel and a dashboard-mounted infotainment screen, a welcome departure from the previous center-mounted display.

The cabin emphasized function over form, with few decorative trim pieces or forward-looking materials. Despite this, the cabin was comfortable and a pleasant place to spend time.

For the 2024 model year, Nissan refreshed the Sentra’s styling with a wider grille, chrome trim, and vertical elements designed to look like air vents, giving the car a wider appearance. The refreshed elements seamlessly integrated with existing features like the available black roof and pronounced rear-quarter panels, balancing out the car’s front and rear. This made the Sentra a small sedan with more flair compared to the Honda Civic or Volkswagen Jetta but without the eccentricity of the Hyundai Elantra and Toyota Corolla.

The trim levels remained unchanged from 2023—S, SV, and SR—each with distinct styling elements. The base Sentra S came with 16-inch steel wheels, the SV had standard 16-inch alloy wheels, and the SR sported 18-inch wheels plus subtle model-specific styling elements. The chrome trim was darkened for 2024, and the lower rear fascia was reshaped. The SR's standout feature was the optional black roof, pairable with vibrant exterior colors like Monarch Orange Metallic and Electric Blue Metallic.

Inside, the Sentra’s large round air vents drew inspiration from the Z sports car. The plunging dashboard shape framed the central touchscreen nicely. The SR models featured red-orange accent stitching for the standard cloth seats (available in leather on the SV), along with a flat-bottom steering wheel typical for recent Nissan models. While the material quality was typical for an entry-level car, the overall design felt distinct.

The 2023 Prius employed a new 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, an upgrade from the previous 1.8-liter unit. Combined with a more powerful electric motor and lithium-ion battery, this setup delivered 194 horsepower in front-wheel-drive (FWD) models and 196 horsepower in models with optional all-wheel drive (AWD). This was a significant jump from the previous model’s 121 total horsepower. The engine was paired with a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT).

In everyday driving, the new Prius felt more athletic and responsive, with no noticeable lag. Acceleration was ample, making the car feel appropriately powered without being excessive. Notably, the 0-60 mph acceleration time dropped significantly to 7.1 seconds from the previous 10.5 seconds. Road and wind noise were well-isolated, except when drivers pushed hard for acceleration, causing the engine's loud droning to intrude briefly.

The revised suspension and longer wheelbase contributed to agile and athletic handling. The Prius handled harsh roads and unexpected bumps with ease, although the brakes had a slight squishiness typical of hybrids.

The 2024 Sentra featured an adequate 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine producing 149 horsepower and 146 pound-feet of torque, paired with FWD. The mandatory CVT was reengineered for smoother operation and improved fuel efficiency for 2024. An engine start-stop system was also added to further boost mpg.

Despite the focus on efficiency, the Sentra provided a pleasant driving experience. The steering offered precise feedback and quick response, striking a balance between responsiveness and ease of control. The suspension was designed for a comfortable ride, minimizing body roll in corners without being overly firm.

One issue with the updated CVT was noticed during testing: it allowed an unexpected surge of acceleration around 45 mph. However, pre-production nature meant dealer models might perform differently.

The 2023 Prius's interior was slightly smaller in terms of headroom compared to the previous model, but legroom increased, providing comfortable seating for taller passengers in the rear. Opting for the fixed glass roof on the mid-grade XLE trim (standard on the Limited) significantly improved the cabin's spaciousness, although the glass panels did not open.

Cargo space saw a reduction, with XLE and Limited models offering 20 cubic feet and the LE at 24 cubic feet. Forward visibility was good, but the loss of the split rear window hampered rear visibility. The cabin featured numerous organizational touches, including cupholders, a center console pocket with wireless charging, a dashboard tray with hidden storage, and USB-C charging ports for both front and rear occupants. The rear cargo section had underfloor storage cubbies and a flexible cargo cover for added privacy.

The 2024 Sentra provided decent interior space for its size, especially up front. It matched rivals in first-row headroom and front-seat legroom but lagged behind in second-row legroom. The driver and front passenger benefitted from Nissan’s Zero Gravity seats, offering segment-leading comfort, and the slim, low dashboard provided excellent forward visibility. Despite thick rear roof pillars, rearward vision was better than expected.

Storage solutions included two generously-sized cupholders, an angled phone slot, and a small change slot between the front seats. An All-Weather Package available on SV and SR grades added heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, heated exterior mirrors, remote engine start, and dual-zone automatic climate control. Cargo capacity was 14.3 cubic feet, surpassing the Mazda 3 and Hyundai Elantra but trailing the Kia Forte and Honda Civic. The 60/40 split-folding rear bench seat offered additional versatility.

The 2023 Prius LE and XLE models came with an 8-inch color touchscreen infotainment system featuring wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The XLE could be upgraded to a 12.3-inch touchscreen, standard on the Limited trim, for $735. This larger, responsive, and intuitive screen was highly recommended. The navigation system required a $160 annual subscription to Toyota’s Drive Connect system.

All models had a 7-inch digital instrument cluster, which was overly busy despite being an improvement over the previous center-mounted display. XLE and Limited trims included standard wireless smartphone charging, and all trims featured an AT&T Wi-Fi hotspot requiring a subscription.

Additionally, three subscription-based connectivity bundles were offered: Remote Connect, Safety Connect, and Drive Connect, each providing varying levels of vehicle control, safety features, and real-time guidance.

The 2024 Sentra’s tech offerings felt a step behind rivals. The base S model had a 7-inch touchscreen and 4.2-inch instrument cluster display with analog gauges. Standard features included Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (though not wireless), Bluetooth, a single front USB port, and a four-speaker audio system.

SV and SR models upgraded to an 8-inch touchscreen and 7-inch instrument cluster display, maintaining analog gauges. These trims had a six-speaker audio system and SiriusXM satellite radio compatibility, along with additional front USB-C and charge-only USB-A ports. The Premium Package added an eight-speaker Bose audio system and Wi-Fi connectivity for the SR model.

Although the Sentra SR’s larger screens were nicely integrated, their graphics looked dated compared to the Hyundai Elantra and Kia Forte offerings. The system was easy to use but lacked the sophistication seen in competitors’ setups.

The 2023 Prius included Toyota’s Safety Sense 3.0 suite, featuring radar-based adaptive cruise control, pre-collision braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane-departure alerts with steering assist, lane-tracing assist, and Proactive Driving Assist. These features provided minimal intrusion and were easy to adapt to, with the option to disable them for a more analog driving experience.

Standard across all trims were eight airbags, stability and traction control, and blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alerts. The Limited trim could be optioned with hands-free automatic parallel parking, known as Advanced Park.

Neither the IIHS nor NHTSA had crash-tested the 2023 Prius at the time of this review.

The 2024 Sentra’s safety ratings were incomplete at the time of publication. It received a "Good" rating in the IIHS’ original side-impact test but only an "Acceptable" in the updated version. Its front crash prevention received an "Advanced" score in daytime vehicle-to-pedestrian tests but a "Basic" rating in nighttime scenarios. The Sentra also had a "Poor" headlight rating.

NHTSA awarded it five stars in rollover and side crash tests, but frontal crash-test and overall safety scores were unavailable.

Standard safety features included Nissan’s Safety Shield 360 with forward collision warning, front and rear automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure warning, and automatic high beams. Adaptive cruise control and a 360-degree camera system were available on SV and SR models through the Premium Package.