Compare the2023 Toyota CorollaVS 2023 Nissan Sentra

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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The Corolla has standard Whiplash Injury Lessening Seats, which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash Injury Lessening Seats system allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Sentra doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The Corolla has a standard Secondary Collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Sentra doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Both the Corolla and the Sentra have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front 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 rear cross-path warning.

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

	Corolla	Sentra
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	187	292
Neck Injury Risk	27%	29%
Neck Stress	243 lbs.	351 lbs.
Neck Compression	50 lbs.	87 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	3 Stars
HIC	356	495
Chest Compression	.6 inches	.6 inches
Neck Injury Risk	27%	53%
Neck Stress	165 lbs.	296 lbs.
Neck Compression	86 lbs.	93 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	301/156 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 Toyota Corolla is safer than the Nissan Sentra:

	Corolla	Sentra
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	92	162
Chest Movement	.9 inches	1.1 inches
Abdominal Force	129 lbs.	196 lbs.
Hip Force	330 lbs.	422 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	137	160
Spine Acceleration	43 G’s	45 G’s
Hip Force	367 lbs.	444 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	32 G’s	36 G’s
Hip Force	623 lbs.	660 lbs.

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

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 Corolla 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.

Warranty

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the Corolla for 2 years and 25000 miles. Toyota will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Nissan doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Sentra.

There are over 15 percent more Toyota dealers than there are Nissan dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Corolla’s warranty.

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 Corolla’s reliability 72 points higher than the Sentra.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Corolla second among compact cars in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The Sentra was rated third.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota above average in long-term dependability. With 34 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 Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota first in overall reliability. Nissan is ranked 15th.

Engine

The Corolla’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 20 more horsepower (169 vs. 149) and 5 lbs.-ft. more torque (151 vs. 146) than the Sentra’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the Toyota Corolla is faster than the Nissan Sentra:

	Corolla	Sentra
Zero to 60 MPH	7.9 sec	9.2 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	22.2 sec	26.3 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	8.6 sec	9.4 sec
Quarter Mile	16.2 sec	17 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	87 MPH	83 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Corolla gets better mileage than the Sentra:

		MPG
Corolla
	LE 2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	31 city/40 hwy
	SE/XSE 2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	31 city/40 hwy
Sentra
	S/SV 2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	29 city/39 hwy
	SR 2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	28 city/37 hwy

Brakes and Stopping

The Toyota Corolla 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 Corolla stops much shorter than the Sentra:

	Corolla	Sentra
70 to 0 MPH	163 feet	174 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	119 feet	121 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Corolla SE/XSE’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Sentra (225/40R18 vs. 215/45R18).

The Corolla SE/XSE’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Sentra SR’s 45 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

The Corolla handles at .89 G’s, while the Sentra SR pulls only .88 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Corolla’s turning circle is 2.5 feet tighter than the Sentra’s (35.6 feet vs. 38.1 feet).

Passenger Space

The Corolla has .4 inches more front hip room, .4 inches more rear headroom and .1 inches more rear legroom than the Sentra.

Ergonomics

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

The Corolla’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.

If the windows are left open on the Corolla the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows at the outside door handle or from a distance using the keyless remote. (This window function must be activated by your Toyota service department.) The driver of the Sentra can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Corolla’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.

Consumer Reports rated the Corolla’s headlight performance “Fair,” a higher rating than the Sentra’s headlights, which were rated “Poor.”

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 Corolla’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Sentra’s headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Poor.”

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Corolla XLE/XSE offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Sentra doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The Corolla has a standard center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The Sentra S doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

The Corolla’s standard automatic temperature control maintains the temperature you set, automatically controlling fan speed, vents and temperature to maintain a consistent, comfortable environment. The Sentra S doesn’t offer automatic air conditioning.

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

Model Availability

The Toyota Corolla comes in sedan, four door hatchback and four door bodystyles; the Nissan Sentra isn’t available as a four door hatchback or wagon.

Economic Advantages

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

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Corolla is less expensive to operate than the Sentra because it costs $155 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost less on the Corolla than the Sentra, including $35 less for a water pump, $10 less for a muffler, $25 less for front brake pads, $34 less for fuel injection and $49 less for a fuel pump.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Toyota Corolla, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Nissan Sentra isn't recommended.

The Toyota Corolla outsold the Nissan Sentra by almost four to one during 2022.