Overview & Reviews

The base model is now simply called "Base" instead of S. Nissan works to quiet the Sentra's interior by using a bigger muffler and reducing the number of suspension-mounting points.

• Relatively powerful engine, nice interior ergonomics, and good fuel economy.

• Boring styling.

User Reviews:

Showing 1 through 10 of 43.00

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  Nissan Sentra - 1997 Nissan Sentra
  By runchamp - November 25 - 10:30 am

  Reliable. Very strong exterior I have been in an accident that involved the back bumper and you cant even tell. you should see the other car!

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  Like it - 1997 Nissan Sentra
  By tata201037 - October 10 - 7:06 pm

  I love my Sentra, I got it for my 16th birthday. It gets great gas mileage, about 35 mpg, when on empty it only takes $25 to fill it up. It has pretty good get up and go for a four cylinder, faster than a honda civic off the go. The seats are kinda stiff but other than that its a nice interior. It has power everything, and even keyless remote entry. There pretty nice cars for their year. I personally like it better than its Toyota or honda competitors. Fun cars to play with and customize. One thing i dont like about it is that its not very safe, no ABS, no side-compact airbags, very light design, and poor stability on the road. Great car, fast for what it is, and attractive for what it is.

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  Failed Transmission - 1997 Nissan Sentra
  By Saqib - March 17 - 10:00 am

  Owned it since 1997. In 2001, automatic transmission started giving transmission problems. Car would jump into a higher gear with RPM screaming high.. and it just wouldnt go into overdrive. Had it repaired from St. Louis dealership after I moved to Missouri in 2001. Transmission worked fine for 1 year.. then same problem again. Had tramission repaired yet again (spent another $500+ including ordering cable wire), car has been fine since then (8 months ago).

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  Buy what you really want - 1997 Nissan Sentra
  By New Dad - March 11 - 10:00 am

  This is a smart, practical choice for a low-budget commuter with a small family. Gas mileage experienced was 3- 4 MPG above EPA estimates. Repairs were infrequent and inexpensive. You can put 4 tires on this car for $100! That being said, all 5-speed Sentra / 200SX have a design flaw in the gearbox. Third gear is notoriously weak, even in the SE-R. A new replacement transmission can run as high as $2,200. You may be able to get a used transmission installed for as little as $800, but thats on a car whose trade-in value is only $1,800.

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  Good car for the money - 1997 Nissan Sentra
  By mholly99 - October 29 - 10:00 am

  Bought my Sentra used with 94000 miles on it. Good reliable little car with GREAT gas mileage. No problems so far and I got a great deal on it. Perfect for a college student like me.

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  1997 Nissan Satisfaction - 1997 Nissan Sentra
  By Mel J. - April 21 - 10:00 am

  trouble free durable body and paint durable mechanically durable interior make up

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  Great Workhorse! Fuel Efficient! - 1997 Nissan Sentra
  By Raj - October 21 - 2:53 pm

  Ive been the original owner of this impressive & amazingly reliable car. Its taken me through school, camping, and long road trips accumulating 232,000 miles. Apart from the routine tires, battery, and brakepads Ive only had to replace the alternator & starter within the last 30,000 miles. That means this baby took me 200,000 miles before I had to do anything more than replace the oil!! Ive outgrown it now and need a truck for the stuff I like to haul around, but I sure wish I could keep it for my routine commutes as the gas mileage is fantastic getting 30-33mpg in city. Nissan did good when they sent this one off the production line.

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  Shell Be Missed - 1997 Nissan Sentra
  By Long-time driver - October 16 - 5:20 pm

  After 12 years and 208,000 miles, the old girl finally gave up the ghost (timing chain and more - would have cost almost three times the cars worth to fix). But over that time, I only had two major repairs - one involving the oxygen sensor right after the warranty expired (of course) and another a few years ago. And I drove this car everywhere. The visors fell off, the headliner was drooping, the bumper was dinged and a tail light had electrical issues - and still she drove like a dream. No get-up-and go, but thats not what this cars about. If you find one in good cosmetic shape, buy it for your kid - great starter car, even 12 years later.

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  "Old Reliable" - 1997 Nissan Sentra
  By dustnh - October 4 - 10:16 pm

  I got this car when I was 17 after my car was totaled an accident. I always thought it was a good car as a teenager but after my husband & I slowly got new cars, the Sentra ended up just sitting for about a year. My newer car bit the dust after 7 months of a 100 mile round trip commute every day. My husband & I got the Sentra tuned up & it is as good as new (with 167,000 mi)! We did have to do some regular repairs while we drove it in the early 2000s, with one repair costing approx. $600. However, the car is a gem that is well worth doing a few minor repairs to in order to avoid a car payment while we save up for a new one. I would definitely buy another Nissan, no doubt about it.

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  My Nissan Sentra - 1997 Nissan Sentra
  By Yaasika - April 1 - 2:00 am

  For a little car, it does really well. Ive owned it for about 4.5 years and my car has treated me more than great. I bought the car used from a dealer with almost 17K miles. I kept up routine maintenance, but I didnt get my first tune up until 106K miles. I just put in a new alternator at about 120K miles. I still have the same muffler, all the power windows/locks still work. I havent had any major repairs. Driving this car has been a joy & surprisingly low maintenence. I would definately buy another Nissan product (Ive out grown the Sentra). All in all, I love my little car!