Best Compact Sedans | Honda Civic vs. Nissan Sentra

With a quick update, the Civic wins back its recommendation

Consumer Reports magazine: May 2013

After decades of churning out hits, Honda hit a sour note with the 2012 Civic redesign. We gave it kudos for its good fuel economy and decent rear-seat room. But we panned its choppy ride, vague steering, cheap interior, and raucous road noise, among other faults. Overall its road-test score slid from a very good 78 to a mediocre 62, pushing it off our recommended list. After a quick remix Honda has now released a fresh version of the Civic for 2013 that remedied most of our previous complaints.

The updated car rides a lot better and has a quieter cabin and improved steering, and the interior looks much nicer. The Civic now scores a 71 in our testing, enough to regain our recommendation. Moreover, it’s now a solid competitor in the compact-sedan class and benefits from traditionally strong resale value and a track record of good reliability.

The Nissan Sentra was once a worthy choice in this class. But with its 2013 redesign it seems to be following in the tracks of the 2012 Civic. The latest edition scores just a 64—10 points below its predecessor and too low to be recommended. The Sentra looks good on paper, with lots of features and one of the roomiest rear seats in the class. But on the road its deficiencies, including a jumpy ride, clumsy handling, and constant engine drone, become apparent. This version is too new for us to have reliability data.