2024 Acura Integra vs 2024 Nissan Sentra

The 2024 Nissan Sentra underwent a facelift, garnering updated styling and design refinements. Introducing a wider grille that seamlessly merged with the headlights (featuring black interior bezel elements), the front fascia now boasted vertical elements simulating air vents positioned on the edges, contributing to a broader stance. The aesthetic restyle echoed the "longer, lower, wider" mantra, which Nissan designers evidently embraced.

The Sentra, previously already a decent-looking car, seamlessly integrated the new changes with legacy features such as the black roof and pronounced rear-quarter panel shoulders. This balance prevented it from falling into the oddities seen with the Hyundai Elantra and Toyota Corolla, and instead offered more flair than the Honda Civic or Volkswagen Jetta.

The trim levels for 2024 remained consistent with the 2023 offerings, encompassing S, SV, and SR grades, with the latter two eligible for the Premium Package. The entry-level Sentra S was equipped with 16-inch steel wheels, while the Sentra SV brought in 16-inch alloy wheels featuring a new design for 2024. The sportier Sentra SR featured 18-inch wheels and distinct styling details, including darkened chrome trim and a restructured lower rear fascia. The SR could also flaunt a black roof paired with striking colors like Monarch Orange Metallic or Electric Blue Metallic.

Inside, the Sentra showcased a distinctive design with Z sports car-inspired round air vents and a plunging dashboard encircling the central touchscreen. The Sentra SR models were distinct with red-orange accent stitching on standard cloth seats, whereas leather upholstery was available on SV models, which could also come with a moonroof. Additionally, Nissan outfitted the Sentra with a flat-bottom steering wheel, a signature touch across its lineup. While the material quality was on par with an entry-level car, the varied styling elements added a unique flair.

The 2024 Acura Integra Type S was a significant upgrade with its widebody appearance and aggressive detailing. Derived from the hardware of the Honda Civic Type R, the Type S featured enhancements across drivetrain, suspension, steering, and brakes, underscoring its performance focus.

The Type S distinguished itself from other Integras with a redesigned front, accommodating a broader front track width with 19-inch wheels, aerodynamic enhancements to mitigate high-speed lift, and cooling adaptations for the engine and brakes. The rear track, likewise widened, harmonized visually with the glued-on rear fender flares and lower body kit. The rear end concluded with a subtle yet effective lip spoiler, a pronounced diffuser panel, and a recognizable triple-outlet exhaust system.

Acura marketed the Type S in a single specification, permitting various paint colors (excluding Lunar Silver) and offering trendy dealer-installed accessories like Gloss Copper wheels and carbon fiber accents. Our test model, featuring Apex Blue paint and a carbon fiber rear spoiler, brought the MSRP to $53,785, including destination charges.

Inside, the Type S mirrored the Integra A-Spec, with additions like Type S emblems and Ultrasuede seat inserts matching the Black, Red, or Orchid interior options. The unique digital instrument and infotainment displays tailored to the sporty ambiance. Material quality remained on par with the standard Integra, which could feel underwhelming given the Type S’s price, particularly in rear seating. Front passengers, however, enjoyed a more premium experience.

The 2024 Nissan Sentra offered a single powertrain option, reflecting Nissan’s pivot away from performance-focused variants like the SE-R, SR Turbo, and NISMO of yesteryears. The Sentra was powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine generating 149 horsepower and 146 pound-feet of torque, coupled with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) and front-wheel drive. The reengineered CVT for 2024 aimed to enhance fuel efficiency and provide smoother operation. Additionally, the introduction of an engine start-stop system further aimed to boost mpg.

Despite focusing on fuel efficiency over performance, the Sentra delivered a surprisingly pleasant drive. The steering exhibited excellent feedback and precision, maintaining stability without needing constant adjustments. The suspension struck a balance, avoiding sharp jolts that would disturb passengers during normal driving while providing sufficient comfort.

However, an issue emerged with the CVT’s power delivery; it performed optimally until around 45 mph, where an abrupt surge in acceleration was noticeable. As the test car was a pre-production model, the final production units might have displayed different behavior.

The 2024 Acura Integra Type S, however, delivered a performance-oriented experience akin to the Honda Civic Type R. The Acura’s turbocharged and intercooled 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine paired with a six-speed manual gearbox, equipped with downshift rev matching and a helical-type limited-slip differential, provided exhilarating performance.

Sharing the Civic Type R's front strut and rear multi-link suspension with adaptive damping, variable-ratio steering, and ventilated front disc brakes with Brembo calipers, the Integra Type S also rode on 19-inch wheels with high-performance Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires. Though the power output of 320 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque was marginally higher than the Civic Type R, the Integra Type S added sophistication to the power delivery.

Acura refined the Integra Type S suspension for more compliant everyday driving, making it more comfortable than the track-ready Civic. The car’s performance was further showcased on scenic routes around Ojai, California, demonstrating its impressive handling and satisfying driving dynamics, despite occasional torque steer under specific conditions.

The 2024 Nissan Sentra offered adequate interior space, mainly benefiting front-row occupants. Front-row headroom was comparable to rivals like the Kia Forte and Mazda 3, though slightly less than the Honda Civic and Hyundai Elantra. However, rear-seat legroom lagged behind all these competitors. Although the Sentra excelled in front-seat legroom, its rear seats were more cramped in comparison.

Comfort was enhanced by Nissan’s Zero Gravity seats, providing superior support and comfort for the driver and front passenger. Low window sills and a slim dashboard design allowed for good forward visibility, while the thick rear roof pillars surprisingly didn’t impede rearward views as much as anticipated.

In terms of storage, the Sentra managed to incorporate two sizable cupholders, a phone slot, and a change compartment between the front seats. It also catered to cold-weather comfort with an All-Weather Package offering amenities like heated seats, a heated steering wheel, heated mirrors, remote start, and dual-zone climate control on selected trims.

Cargo space stood at 14.3 cubic feet, which placed it above the Mazda 3 and fractionally ahead of the Hyundai Elantra but behind the Kia Forte and Honda Civic. A 60/40 split-folding rear bench seat provided flexibility for carrying longer items.

The 2024 Acura Integra Type S equipped its interior with front sport seats featuring more aggressive bolsters compared to standard Integras, fostering comfort for daily driving while lacking sufficient upper body support. Though driver’s seat adjustments included 12-way power customization, the front passenger seat had limited adjustments.

The Integra Type S’s cabin was restricted to four passengers, with the rear seats furnishing acceptable legroom and foot space yet falling short on thigh support and backrest comfort. Additionally, rear seat amenities were sparse, without air conditioning vents or USB ports.

The standout of the Integra Type S was its sportback body style. The large liftgate and 24.3 cubic feet cargo area, expandable with folded rear seats, offered utility akin to small crossover SUVs but maintained a sports car’s dynamic driving character.

The 2024 Nissan Sentra provided functional but somewhat outdated tech compared to competitors. The base Sentra S model had a 7-inch touchscreen paired with a 4.2-inch instrument cluster display, offering standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (though not wirelessly), Bluetooth, a front USB port, and a four-speaker audio system.

The Sentra SV and SR trims moved up to an 8-inch touchscreen and a 7-inch instrument cluster display, enhanced with a six-speaker audio system and SiriusXM radio compatibility. Additional USB ports included a front USB-C and a charge-only USB-A port. An eight-speaker Bose audio system and Wi-Fi connectivity were available with the Premium Package on these trims.

However, the Sentra’s tech, despite being functional with large volume and tuning knobs, appeared dated against the graphical interfaces of cars like the Hyundai Elantra and Kia Forte.

The 2024 Acura Integra Type S housed a more advanced 10.2-inch digital instrumentation display and a 9-inch infotainment screen. Although not graphically superior to some rivals, the displays were customizable and user-friendly. Absent of Acura’s True Touchpad Interface, the infotainment system employed a touchscreen with straightforward controls high on the dashboard, emphasizing usability.

Standard features included Bluetooth, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, HD Radio, and SiriusXM radio, accompanied by a 16-speaker Acura/ELS Studio 3D surround-sound system. Though the native navigation system was unavailable, pairing and using Apple CarPlay, Siri, and other features remained seamless. Unfortunately, the wireless charger’s inconsistent performance detracted from the otherwise solid tech package.

Despite the Integra Type S’s loud cabin environment, affecting audio quality, its driving tech and feature set remained commendable, with a responsive head-up display adding further convenience.

The 2024 Nissan Sentra didn't provide a full safety rating suite from the IIHS at the time of assessment. The partial ratings indicated a mixed picture: a “Good” rating in the original side-impact test, an “Acceptable” rating in the newer side-impact test, and middling scores in front crash prevention and headlight ratings. The NHTSA ratings were similarly incomplete but showed five stars in rollover and side crash tests.

Standard safety features on the Sentra, under Nissan’s Safety Shield 360, included forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning, and automatic high beams. SV and SR trims added adaptive cruise control and an optional 360-degree camera system within the Premium Package.

The 2024 Acura Integra Type S was better equipped with AcuraWatch, featuring adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning with pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping and centering assist, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. However, due to the manual transmission, the system lacked certain adaptive functionalities.

Additionally, the Integra Type S benefited from ten airbags, a rear-seat reminder system, automatic high-beam headlights, and front and rear parking sensors. Although model-specific crash tests weren’t available, the standard Integra’s top NHTSA and IIHS ratings indicated robust safety performance.