Compare the2020 Hyundai VelosterVS 2019 Nissan Sentra SR Turbo

The Veloster (except N) has a standard Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, which uses forward mounted sensors to warn the driver of a possible collision ahead. If the driver doesn’t react and the system determines a collision is imminent, it automatically applies the brakes at full-force in order to reduce the force of the crash or avoid it altogether. The Sentra SR Turbo doesn't offer collision warning or crash mitigation brakes.

The Veloster (except N)’s lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. The Sentra SR Turbo doesn’t offer a lane departure warning system.

The Veloster (except N)’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Sentra SR Turbo doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

The Veloster Premium/R-Spec/Turbo/Turbo Ultimate/N has a standard Blue Link, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to get turn-by-turn driving directions, remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in, help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Sentra SR Turbo doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the Veloster and the Sentra SR Turbo have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front-wheel drive, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems and rear cross-path warning.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, with its optional vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, with its optional vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its available headlight’s “Acceptable” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Veloster the rating of “Top Pick” for 2020, a rating granted to only 30 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Sentra SR Turbo has not been fully tested, yet.

The Veloster comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Sentra SR Turbo’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years and 24,000 miles sooner.

Hyundai’s powertrain warranty covers the Veloster 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Nissan covers the Sentra SR Turbo. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Sentra SR Turbo ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The Veloster’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the Sentra SR Turbo’s (7 vs. 5 years).

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Veloster for 3 years and 30,000 miles. Hyundai will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Nissan doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Sentra SR Turbo.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Veloster’s reliability 37 points higher than the Sentra SR Turbo.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Veloster second among compact sporty cars in their 2019 Initial Quality Study. The Sentra SR Turbo isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2019 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are better in initial quality than Nissan vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in initial quality, above the industry average. With 15 more problems per 100 vehicles, Nissan is ranked 7th.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2019 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai 8th in reliability, above the industry average. With 13 more problems per 100 vehicles, Nissan is ranked 15th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ December 2019 Auto Issue reports that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Hyundai 5 places higher in reliability than Nissan.

The Veloster Turbo/R-Spec’s standard 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder produces 13 more horsepower (201 vs. 188) and 18 lbs.-ft. more torque (195 vs. 177) than the Sentra SR Turbo’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder. The Veloster N’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 62 more horsepower (250 vs. 188) and 83 lbs.-ft. more torque (260 vs. 177) than the Sentra SR Turbo’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder. The Veloster N’s optional 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 87 more horsepower (275 vs. 188) and 83 lbs.-ft. more torque (260 vs. 177) than the Sentra SR Turbo’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the Veloster Turbo/R-Spec 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the Nissan Sentra SR Turbo (manual transmissions tested):

On the EPA test cycle the Veloster gets better fuel mileage than the Sentra SR Turbo:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Hyundai Veloster uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Sentra SR Turbo requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Veloster offers an available sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is more internally efficient than a CVT but just as easy to drive. The Sentra SR Turbo doesn’t offer an SMG.

The Hyundai Veloster N manual has a downshift rev synchronizer that automatically raises engine speed to make downshifts perfectly smooth. This keeps the car from lurching during downshifts, preventing loss of control during cornering. The Sentra SR Turbo doesn’t offer a downshift rev synchronizer.

For better stopping power the Veloster N’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Sentra SR Turbo:

The Veloster N’s optional front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Sentra SR Turbo are solid, not vented.

The Veloster stops shorter than the Sentra SR Turbo:

For better traction, the Veloster has larger standard tires than the Sentra SR Turbo (215/45R17 vs. 205/50R17). The Veloster N’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Sentra SR Turbo (235/35R19 vs. 215/45R18).

The Veloster 2.0’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Sentra SR Turbo’s standard 50 series tires. The Veloster N’s optional tires have a lower 35 series profile than the Sentra NISMO’s 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Veloster N offers optional 19-inch wheels. The Sentra SR Turbo’s largest wheels are only 18-inches.

For superior ride and handling, the Hyundai Veloster has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Nissan Sentra SR Turbo has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

The Veloster has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Sentra SR Turbo’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The Veloster offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads. The Sentra SR Turbo’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Veloster is 1 inch wider in the front and 1.5 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Sentra SR Turbo.

The Veloster N handles at .97 G’s, while the Sentra NISMO pulls only .88 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Hyundai Veloster may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs up to about 300 pounds less than the Nissan Sentra SR Turbo.

The Veloster is 1 foot, 3.6 inches shorter than the Sentra SR Turbo, making the Veloster easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Veloster has .1 inches more front legroom, 3.2 inches more front hip room, 1.3 inches more front shoulder room and .4 inches more rear shoulder room than the Sentra SR Turbo.

To allow full utilization of available cargo room, the Veloster’s hatch uses gas strut supported hinges that don’t intrude into the cargo area. The Sentra SR Turbo’s useful trunk space is reduced by its intrusive beam hinge.

A maintenance reminder system is standard on the Veloster to save the owner time and money by calculating maintenance intervals based on odometer mileage. This takes the guesswork out of keeping your vehicle in top condition and helps it last longer. Nissan doesn’t offer a maintenance reminder on the Sentra SR Turbo.

The Veloster Premium/R-Spec/Turbo/Turbo Ultimate/N Auto has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The Sentra SR Turbo doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The Veloster Turbo Ultimate has a standard heads-up display that projects speed and other key instrumentation readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Sentra SR Turbo doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The power windows standard on both the Veloster and the Sentra SR Turbo have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Veloster is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Sentra SR Turbo prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Veloster’s driver power window, power lock and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Sentra SR Turbo’s power window (except driver window) and power lock switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The Veloster Turbo Ultimate’s standard wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield. The Sentra SR Turbo’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Veloster has a standard rear wiper. The Sentra SR Turbo doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

While driving with high beams on, sensitive light sensors standard on the Veloster R-Spec/Turbo/Turbo Ultimate detect other vehicles which could be blinded and automatically switch to low beams. The Sentra SR Turbo doesn’t offer automatic dimming high beams.

The Veloster’s power mirror controls are mounted on the armrest for easy access. The Sentra SR Turbo’s power mirror controls are on the dash where they are possibly hidden by the steering wheel and are awkward to manipulate.

To keep a safe, consistent following distance, the Veloster Turbo Ultimate has a standard Smart Cruise Control, which alters the speed of the vehicle without driver intervention. This allows the driver to use cruise control more safely without constantly having to disengage it when approaching slower traffic. The Sentra SR Turbo doesn’t offer an adaptive cruise control.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Hyundai Veloster, based on reliability, safety and performance.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Veloster second among compact sporty cars in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Sentra SR Turbo isn’t in the top three.

The Veloster N was chosen as one of Automobile Magazine’s “All Stars” in 2019. The Sentra SR Turbo has never been an “All Star.”