Compare the2023 Mazda 3VS 2023 Nissan Sentra

Safety
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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The Mazda 3 has standard Whiplash Reducing Headrests, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash Reducing Headrests system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Sentra doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The Mazda 3 offers all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Sentra doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

Both the Mazda 3 and Sentra have Rear Cross Traffic Alert, but the Mazda3 Turbo Premium Plus has Rear Cross Traffic Braking (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic.

Both the Mazda 3 and the Sentra have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, 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 blind spot warning systems and around view monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Mazda 3 is safer than the Nissan Sentra:

	Mazda 3	Sentra
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	89	292
Neck Injury Risk	17%	29%
Neck Stress	214 lbs.	351 lbs.
Neck Compression	27 lbs.	87 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	205/212 lbs.	330/261 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	3 Stars
HIC	153	495
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.6 inches
Neck Injury Risk	30%	53%
Neck Stress	191 lbs.	296 lbs.
Neck Compression	20 lbs.	93 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	178/201 lbs.	318/391 lbs.

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

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 Mazda 3 is safer than the Nissan Sentra:

	Mazda 3	Sentra
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	112	162
Chest Movement	.9 inches	1.1 inches
Hip Force	239 lbs.	422 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	10 inches	12 inches
Spine Acceleration	30 G’s	36 G’s
Hip Force	527 lbs.	660 lbs.

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

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Mazda 3 Sedan is safer than the Sentra:

	3	Sentra
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Structure	ACCEPTABLE	ACCEPTABLE
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	122	387
Head Peak Forces	no contact	84 G’s
Neck Tension	245 lbs.	379 lbs.
Torso	ACCEPTABLE	ACCEPTABLE
Pelvis	ACCEPTABLE	ACCEPTABLE
Pelvis Force	1004 lbs.	1071 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	MARGINAL
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	156	182
Neck Tension	112 lbs.	178 lbs.
Neck Compression	22 lbs.	112 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	GOOD
Shoulder Deflection	.87 in	1.1 in
Shoulder Force	268 lbs.	290 lbs.
Pelvis	GOOD	GOOD
Pelvis Force	335 lbs.	848 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, and daytime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Mazda 3 the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2023, a rating granted to only 53 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Sentra last would have qualified as a “Top Safety Pick” in 2022.

Reliability

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 Mazda 3’s reliability 49 points higher than the Sentra.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Mazda vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Mazda above average in long-term dependability. With 13 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Nissan is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Mazda vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Mazda fourth in overall reliability. Nissan is ranked 15th.

Engine

The Mazda 3’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 42 more horsepower (191 vs. 149) and 40 lbs.-ft. more torque (186 vs. 146) than the Sentra’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Mazda 3’s optional 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 101 more horsepower (250 vs. 149) and 174 lbs.-ft. more torque (320 vs. 146) than the Sentra’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the Mazda 3 is faster than the Nissan Sentra (automatics tested):

	3 4 cyl.	3 turbo 4 cyl.	Sentra
Zero to 60 MPH	7.2 sec	5.6 sec	9.2 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	19.6 sec	14.3 sec	26.3 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	7.7 sec	6.4 sec	9.4 sec
Quarter Mile	15.6 sec	14.1 sec	17 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	91 MPH	99 MPH	83 MPH
Top Speed	131 MPH	134 MPH	120 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the Mazda 3 (except Turbo)’s fuel efficiency. The Sentra doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Mazda 3 offers an optional system to automatically turn off the engine when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The Sentra doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Mazda 3 AWD’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Sentra:

	Mazda 3	Mazda 3 AWD	Sentra
Front Rotors	11.02 inches	11.61 inches	11 inches
Rear Rotors	10.43 inches	10.43 inches	9” drums
Opt Rear Rotors			10.2 inches

The Mazda 3 has standard four-wheel disc brakes for better stopping power and improved directional control in poor weather. Rear drums are standard on the Sentra. Drums can heat up and make stops longer, especially with antilock brakes that work much harder than conventional brakes.

The Mazda 3 stops much shorter than the Sentra:

	Mazda 3	Sentra
70 to 0 MPH	164 feet	174 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	115 feet	121 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	134 feet	138 feet	Consumer Reports

Suspension and Handling

The Mazda 3 Premium Sedan handles at .86 G’s, while the Sentra SR pulls only .85 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Mazda 3 Premium Sedan executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Sentra SR (26.7 seconds @ .65 average G’s vs. 27.5 seconds @ .61 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Mazda 3’s turning circle is 3.3 feet tighter than the Sentra’s (34.8 feet vs. 38.1 feet).

Chassis

The Mazda 3 Sedan is 7.1 inches shorter than the Sentra, making the Mazda 3 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

As tested by Car and Driver while under full throttle, the interior of the Mazda 3 Premium Hatchback is quieter than the Sentra SR (74 vs. 76 dB).

Passenger Space

The Mazda 3 Sedan has 1.1 inches more front hip room, .6 inches more rear headroom and .4 inches more rear legroom than the Sentra.

Cargo Capacity

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier, especially for short adults, the Mazda 3 Turbo Hatchback has a standard power trunk, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button. The Sentra doesn’t offer a power trunk.

Ergonomics

When two different drivers share the Mazda 3 Preferred/Carbon/Premium/Turbo, the memory seats and mirrors make it convenient for both. Each keyless remote activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position and outside mirror angle. The Sentra doesn’t offer a memory system.

The Mazda 3 Premium/Turbo has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, warning and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Sentra doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Mazda 3’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Sentra’s parking brake has to be released manually.

The Mazda 3’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Sentra’s passenger windows don’t open or close automatically.

On a hot day the Mazda 3’s driver can lower all the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Sentra can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Mazda 3’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Sentra’s intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

The Mazda 3’s LED headlights produce a whiter, brighter light (up to 3x) using five times less power than the Sentra’s standard halogen headlights. LED lights also light instantly and last over twenty times longer than halogen.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Mazda 3’s headlights were rated “Good” to “Acceptable” by the IIHS, while the Sentra’s headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Poor.”

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Mazda 3 Premium/Turbo has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Sentra doesn’t offer cornering lights.

When the Mazda 3 Preferred/Carbon/Premium/Turbo is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Sentra’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

The Mazda 3’s optional rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Sentra offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Both the Mazda 3 and the Sentra offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Mazda 3 Select/Preferred/Carbon/Premium/Turbo has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Sentra doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

The Mazda 3 Premium’s standard GPS navigation system has a real-time traffic update feature that plots alternative routes to automatically bypass traffic problems. (Service not available in all areas.) The Sentra’s available navigation system doesn’t offer real-time traffic updates.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Mazda 3 offers an available wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Sentra doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Model Availability

The Mazda 3 comes in sedan and four door hatchback bodystyles; the Nissan Sentra isn’t available as a four door hatchback.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Mazda 3 owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Mazda 3 will cost $170 to $2135 less than the Sentra over a five-year period.

The Mazda 3 will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Mazda 3 will retain 49.31% to 50.91% of its original price after five years, while the Sentra only retains 47.23% to 47.81%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Mazda 3 is less expensive to operate than the Sentra because typical repairs cost less on the Mazda 3 than the Sentra, including $27 less for a water pump, $5 less for a starter, $78 less for fuel injection and $135 less for a timing belt/chain.

Recommendations

The Mazda 3 has won recognition from these important consumer publications:

	Mazda 3	Sentra
Consumer Reports® Recommends	TRUE	FALSE
Car Book “Best Bet”	TRUE	FALSE

Car and Driver performed a comparison test in its October 2021 issue and they ranked the Mazda 3 Premium Sedan AWD three places higher than the Nissan Sentra SR.

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