Compare the2022 Nissan SentraVS 2021 Mazda 3

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Nissan Sentra have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Mazda 3 doesn’t offer pretensioners for the rear seat belts.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Sentra are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Mazda 3 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Sentra has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. Only the Mazda 3 Select/Preferred/Premium/Turbo offers a blind spot warning system.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Sentra has a standard rear cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Only the Mazda 3 Select/Preferred/Premium/Turbo has a rear cross-path warning system.

Both the Sentra and the Mazda 3 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available daytime running lights and around view monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Nissan Sentra is safer than the Mazda 3:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

There are almost 2 times as many Nissan dealers as there are Mazda dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Sentra’s warranty.

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Sentra has a standard 150-amp alternator. The Mazda 3’s 130-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Sentra second among compact cars in their 2021 Initial Quality Study. The Mazda 3 isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Nissan vehicles are better in initial quality than Mazda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Nissan fifth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 31 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mazda is ranked 23rd, below the industry average.

As tested in Motor Trend the Nissan Sentra is faster than the Mazda 3 4 cyl. (automatics tested):

On the EPA test cycle the Sentra gets better mileage than the Mazda 3 Sedan:

On the EPA test cycle the Sentra gets better mileage than the Mazda 3 Hatchback:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Nissan Sentra uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Mazda 3 with the 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder engine requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Sentra has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Mazda 3 doesn’t offer a CVT.

The Sentra stops shorter than the Mazda 3:

The Sentra S/SV’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Mazda 3 2.0/2.5 S’ standard 60 series tires.

The Sentra has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Mazda 3 doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

For superior ride and handling, the Nissan Sentra 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 Mazda 3 has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

The Sentra SR handles at .89 G’s, while the Mazda 3 Premium Sedan AWD pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Sentra SR executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.1 seconds quicker than the Mazda 3 Premium Sedan AWD (27 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 28.1 seconds @ .58 average G’s).

The front grille of the Sentra uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Mazda 3 doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

As tested by Car and Driver while at idle, the interior of the Sentra SR is quieter than the Mazda 3 Premium Hatchback (38 vs. 40 dB).

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the Sentra a Mid-size car, while the Mazda 3 is rated a Compact.

The Sentra has 3.2 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Mazda 3 Sedan (96 vs. 92.8).

The Sentra has .9 inches more front headroom, 1.7 inches more front legroom, .7 inches more front shoulder room, 2.4 inches more rear hip room and 1 inch more rear shoulder room than the Mazda 3 Sedan.

The Sentra has a much larger trunk than the Mazda 3 Sedan (14.3 vs. 13.2 cubic feet).

Insurance will cost less for the Sentra owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the Sentra with a number “5” insurance rate while the Mazda 3 is rated higher at a number “8” rate.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Sentra is less expensive to operate than the Mazda 3 because it costs $91 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost less on the Sentra than the Mazda 3, including $9 less for a muffler, $2 less for front brake pads, $75 less for a fuel pump, $40 less for front struts and $74 less for a power steering pump.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Nissan Sentra and the Mazda 3, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Nissan Sentra outsold the Mazda 3 by over three to one during the 2021 model year.