2024 Nissan Sentra vs 2024 Cadillac CT5

The 2024 Nissan Sentra saw various updates from its predecessor. Launched initially for the 2020 model year, the Sentra received a major facelift for 2024. Nissan designers introduced a wider grille that seamlessly blended with the headlights, which now featured black interior bezel elements. The updated front fascia with pseudo-air vents at the edges gave it a more imposing look. This design adhered to the age-old automotive motto of "longer, lower, wider."

Previously not a bad-looking car, the redesigned Sentra balanced its features well, such as the available black roof and rear-quarter panels, which created a wider impression at the back, complementing the wider front grille. Among competitors, it managed to avoid the quirky designs of cars like the Hyundai Elantra and Toyota Corolla but still retained more flair than sedans like the Honda Civic or Volkswagen Jetta.

The trim structure remained unchanged in 2024, mirroring the 2023 lineup with S, SV, and SR grades. The Sentra S was equipped with 16-inch steel wheels, while the SV boasted 16-inch alloy wheels with a fresh design. The SR trim sported 18-inch wheels along with model-specific styling elements. For 2024, the SR included darkened chrome trim and a reshaped lower rear fascia. The SR also came with a black roof option, which could be paired with vibrant color choices like Monarch Orange Metallic or Electric Blue Metallic.

Inside, the Sentra's interior was accentuated by large, round air vents inspired by the Z sports car, and a dashboard design that nicely framed the central touchscreen. The SR model showcased red-orange accent stitching for its standard cloth seats, with leather upholstery available on the SV models, which also offered a moonroof. A flat-bottom steering wheel was a new styling element shared across many new Nissan models. While the material quality was average for an entry-level car, these design touches gave the Sentra’s interior a distinctive look.

The 2024 Cadillac CT5 had its origins as the successor to the Cadillac CTS, which had been a staple sedan for Cadillac throughout the 2000s. While the CTS was known for its bold styling, the CT5 chose a more restrained yet confident design. Absent were the chrome accents and geometric surfacing of its predecessor, replaced by a front fascia that sported a distinctive and confident look. The car's elongated wheelbase gave it a stately appearance, especially compared to the smaller Cadillac CT4. The roof arched at the back, giving it a hint of a fastback silhouette.

The CT5 was older than much of its competition, while the Audi A6 had been around since 2019, and both the BMW 5 Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class were redesigned for 2024. Yet, the CT5 still managed to look contemporary with a cleaner design compared to its German counterparts.

The trim levels for the CT5 consisted of the base Luxury, Premium Luxury, and Sport. The more performance-focused CT5-V and CT5-V Blackwing models were positioned separately. While the Premium Luxury and Sport trims shared similar equipment levels, the Sport trim featured specific styling elements like a rear spoiler and alloy pedals.

Inside, the CT5 presented a mixed bag. While its exterior was distinctly Cadillac, the interior felt like a mix of different car components. The surfaces on the door panels and dashboard did not blend well, and the feeling of luxury mostly came from features like massaging front seats rather than visual appeal. Even with optional two-tone semi-aniline leather upholstery and carbon-fiber trim, the cabin still managed to look somewhat inexpensive.

The 2024 Nissan Sentra was available with just one engine—a 2.0-liter four-cylinder that produced 149 horsepower and 146 pound-feet of torque, powering the front wheels. Since its debut in the 2020 model year, the Sentra had come with a continuously variable transmission (CVT). However, for 2024, the CVT was reengineered for smoother operation and improved fuel efficiency, and an engine start-stop system was added to enhance mileage further.

Although Nissan had a history of offering performance versions like the SE-R, SR Turbo, and NISMO, the 2024 Sentra didn't follow this path. Despite an emphasis on efficiency, the Sentra offered a pleasant driving experience. The steering provided good feedback and precision, with a suspension setup balanced between comfort and responsiveness. Nonetheless, the reworked CVT occasionally displayed inconsistent acceleration, specifically during our test drives above 45 mph.

The 2024 Cadillac CT5 offered several powertrains for different tastes. Base models came with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 237 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, using premium fuel. A more powerful 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 was also available, delivering 335 hp and 405 lb-ft of torque. Both engines were paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission, and buyers had choices between the standard rear-wheel drive (RWD) and optional all-wheel drive (AWD). Higher trims included alloy paddle shifters for manual gear changes.

Performance enthusiasts could opt for the CT5-V, which had a tuned twin-turbo V6 capable of producing 360 hp and 405 lb-ft of torque. The high-performance CT5-V Blackwing came with an even more robust supercharged 6.2-liter V8, producing 668 hp and 659 lb-ft of torque, available with either a six-speed manual or the 10-speed automatic transmission.

Our test model, an AWD CT5 Premium Luxury, provided an enjoyable driving experience, even without the V-Series upgrades. Handling was neutral, and despite the AWD system, the understeer was minimal. Equipped with the twin-turbo V6, the CT5 Premium Luxury reached 0 to 60 mph in 5.1 seconds for AWD and 4.9 seconds for RWD models. The ride quality was more aligned with a sports sedan rather than a luxury car, but it remained acceptable given the car’s agility.

Interior noise levels were also well-controlled, providing comfort without muting the engine's growl during acceleration. Our test car's 19-inch wheels might have impacted the ride quality minimally, while the optional 20-inch wheels could have resulted in even less comfort.

In terms of interior space, the 2024 Nissan Sentra offered decent room for front passengers but fell short for rear occupants. Front-row headroom was comparable to rivals such as the Kia Forte and Mazda 3, and only slightly behind the Honda Civic and Hyundai Elantra. However, second-row legroom was less than all these competitors. Conversely, the Nissan excelled in front-seat legroom but trailed in the back.

The Sentra’s front seats featured Nissan's Zero Gravity design, which offered exceptional comfort, and the vehicle's low window sills and dashboard ensured excellent forward visibility. The rear roof pillars, although thick, did not significantly hinder rearward visibility.

The center console was well-planned, with ample space for two large cupholders, a phone slot, and a small change slot. The Sentra lacked AWD but compensated with an available All-Weather Package (on SV and SR trims) that included heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, heated exterior mirrors, remote engine start, and dual-zone automatic climate control.

The 2024 Sentra provided 14.3 cubic feet of trunk space, surpassing the Mazda 3 and matching the Hyundai Elantra, albeit lagging behind the Kia Forte and Honda Civic. A 60/40 split-folding rear bench seat also allowed for accommodating longer items.

The 2024 Cadillac CT5 offered competitive interior space among luxury sedans. It had better front headroom than the Audi A6 and the outgoing Mercedes E-Class, as well as nearly matching the BMW 5 Series. However, the CT5 had the least second-row headroom among its peers but led in legroom for both rows. The trunk capacity stood at 11.9 cubic feet, the smallest in its category.

The CT5 provided a commendable driving position, with good outward visibility and ample headroom and legroom. The base Luxury model offered 12-way power-adjustable front seats for the driver and 10-way for the front passenger, though only manual steering-column adjustment. Premium Luxury and Sport models came with 14-way and 18-way power adjustments, respectively, for both front seats, along with heated and ventilated options.

Cadillac utilized the available center console space effectively, incorporating decent-sized cupholders, a well-sized wireless phone charger, and ample door storage with inclined armrests.

The 2024 Nissan Sentra offered functional but somewhat outdated technology. The base Sentra S came with a 7-inch touchscreen and a 4.2-inch instrument cluster display with analog gauges. The system included Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (both wired), Bluetooth, a single front USB port, and a four-speaker audio system.

On SV and SR models, the touchscreen was upgraded to 8 inches with a 7-inch instrument cluster display, plus a six-speaker audio system and SiriusXM satellite radio compatibility. These models also included a front USB-C port and a charge-only USB-A port within the center console. An eight-speaker Bose audio system was available with the Premium Package. While the larger screens looked good, the graphics seemed dated compared to rivals like the Hyundai Elantra and Kia Forte. However, physical volume and tuning knobs were effective controls for the audio system.

The 2024 Cadillac CT5 came with a standard 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Premium Luxury and Sport trims offered a Technology Package that included a 12-inch digital instrument cluster and head-up display. Other standard features included three USB ports and wireless phone charging, with a 15-speaker Bose Performance Series audio system as an option.

Cadillac had improved its infotainment offerings significantly from its earlier CUE system days. The current system was user-friendly, featuring large, simple icons that gave it a smartphone-like feel. Though the touchscreen occasionally suffered from glare and the native voice-recognition wasn’t top-tier, the combination of a rotary controller and traditional analog controls for audio and climate made for easy navigation.

Luxury tech features like dashboard-spanning screens offered by German competitors were absent, but the CT5 excelled in everyday usability with its intuitive interface.

As of the last update, the 2024 Nissan Sentra had mixed safety ratings. The IIHS gave it a "Good" rating in the original side-impact crash test but an "Acceptable" in the updated version. It scored "Advanced" for daytime vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention and "Basic" for the nighttime test. The Sentra also received a "Poor" rating for its headlights. NHTSA’s incomplete ratings showed five stars in rollover and side crash tests, but frontal crash-test and overall ratings were pending.

Standard safety features on the Sentra included Nissan Safety Shield 360, which encompassed forward collision warning, front and rear automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure warning, and automatic high beams. Higher trims (SV and SR) offered additional features like adaptive cruise control and a 360-degree camera system through the Premium Package.

The 2024 Cadillac CT5 earned a comprehensive five-star rating from NHTSA, including five stars in frontal, side, and rollover crash tests. IIHS ratings were unavailable. The CT5’s standard safety features included forward-collision warning, rear cross-traffic alert, rear park assist, lane-keep assist, lane-departure warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, and a rear-seat reminder. It also featured a Safety Alert Seat that vibrated to provide warnings.

Optional safety features included adaptive cruise control, reverse automatic emergency braking, front park assist, a 360-degree camera system, and an automatic parking assistant. Premium Luxury and Sport models could also be equipped with Super Cruise, a hands-free driver-assist system capable of handling most highway driving tasks, making it a standout option in its segment.