Nissan Maxima vs Nissan Sentra

The 2021 Nissan Maxima, as a flagship sedan, set the design tone for other Nissan models with its distinctive “floating” roofline and “V-Motion” grille. These styling elements were later adopted by smaller models like the Altima, Sentra, and Versa. The Maxima stood out with its bold design, featuring a steeply-angled front end and a massive grille, giving it an Art Deco locomotive appearance. The 40th Anniversary Edition added a two-tone exterior, Ruby Slate Gray Pearl paint, black roof, and model-specific 19-inch gloss-black alloy wheels, along with a stylish interior featuring red semi-aniline leather upholstery and white gauge faces.

The 2022 Nissan Sentra, redesigned in 2020, carried over its modern, low-slung, coupe-like exterior into 2022. It was a significant improvement over its predecessors, aligning with Nissan’s current design language. The Sentra offered a variety of bold color options, including blue, burnt orange, and “Scarlet Ember,” with some featuring a contrasting black roof. Inside, the Sentra shined with a modern yet simple layout, easy-to-use controls, and a touchscreen that served as the visual centerpiece. The interior design was both functional and upscale, making it a standout in its class.

The 2021 Nissan Maxima was powered by a 3.5-liter V6 engine producing 300 horsepower and 261 pound-feet of torque, paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) and front-wheel drive (FWD). While it wasn’t a “four-door sports car,” the Maxima felt quick and the V6 engine sounded great. The CVT was responsive, and the car handled well in corners, though the steering lacked precision and the front end suffered from torque steer. Despite these issues, the Maxima was comfortable for highway cruising, with a quiet cabin and a fairly stiff suspension that still managed to provide a comfortable ride.

The 2022 Nissan Sentra featured a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 149 horsepower and 146 pound-feet of torque, also paired with a CVT and FWD. While not outstanding, the engine provided solid low-end acceleration and satisfactory performance both in town and on the highway. The Sentra’s steering was well-weighted, and cornering was sharp for a non-performance car. The suspension handled most road bumps well, though it struggled with harsher conditions. Overall, the Sentra was great for commuting, city driving, and occasional road trips.

The 2021 Nissan Maxima offered generous front headroom and legroom, but at the expense of rear-seat passengers, who had limited space. The seats were positioned far inboard, which affected the feeling of spaciousness. Despite this, the Maxima’s cabin was designed around the driver, providing an expansive view of the road and excellent side visibility. The “Zero Gravity” front seats were comfortable, with multiple power adjustments and extra bolstering. However, the Maxima had the least cargo space in its class, with only 14.3 cubic feet.

The 2022 Nissan Sentra provided 14.3 cubic feet of trunk space, 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 loading larger items difficult. The Sentra’s trunk could be remotely opened via the key fob or a button on the dash. Inside, the Sentra offered spacious seating in both rows, with plenty of headroom and legroom in the front and decent space in the rear. The front row featured large in-door cargo trays and bottle holders, along with ample cupholders and trays in the center console.

The 2021 Nissan Maxima came standard with an 8-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto compatibility, along with a built-in WiFi hotspot and both USB-A and USB-C ports. An 11-speaker Bose audio system was also available. However, the infotainment system’s graphics were dated, and small icons made navigation difficult. The notification sounds were also unpleasant. Despite these issues, the Maxima had plenty of analog controls, including shortcut buttons and knobs for climate control and audio.

The 2022 Nissan Sentra featured a 7-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard, with an 8-inch touchscreen available on higher trims. The menu navigation was easy to follow, and the system included conventional hard buttons and volume/tuning dials. However, the graphics could use updating, and the lack of wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto was a drawback. Despite this, the system was user-friendly and functional.

The 2021 Nissan Maxima received a “Top Safety Pick+” rating from the IIHS and a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA. Standard safety features included automatic emergency braking, forward-collision warning, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure warning, automatic high beams, and rear automatic emergency braking. Optional features included adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, a driver-alertness monitor, and a 360-degree camera system.

The 2022 Nissan Sentra came with a solid list of standard driver-assistance features, including forward and reverse automatic emergency braking, forward collision avoidance, pedestrian detection, driver drowsiness monitoring, lane-departure warning, and blind spot monitoring. Additional features on our test model included a surround-view parking monitor and adaptive cruise control. The Sentra earned a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA and a “Good” rating from the IIHS, along with a “Superior” rating for driver-assistance features, earning it a “Top Safety Pick” award.