ELANTRA SPORT VS. SENTRA NISMO
Both of these sporty compact sedans are a breath of fresh air, but one’s a better buy
Welcome to Dude Said, Punk Said, a special series devoted to skewering the automotive ramblings of young punk Nick Tragianis with the infinite wisdom of old dude Brian Harper.
This week, the duo take a look at two effective ways to liven up your daily commute: the Hyundai Elantra Sport and Nissan Sentra Nismo.
Nick Tragianis: You have to hand it to Hyundai and Nissan.
Most vehicles in their lineups are four-wheeled appliances, yet look hard enough, and little gems pop up once in a while, ones that actually care about putting a smile on the driver’s face.
The Hyundai Elantra Sport and the Nissan Sentra Nismo are two perfect examples of this.
While they aren’t hardcore performance specials, they’re definitely geared toward those who still care about driving.
And you know what? Both of these cars are a breath of fresh air.
Hyundai and Nissan desperately need fresh doses of sportiness.
But before we go on, there’s something that needs to be cleared up. The Elantra Sport and Sentra Nismo are not alternatives to vehicles such as the Ford Focus ST and RS, Honda Civic Type R, Subaru WRX and Volkswagen Golf GTI, and so forth.
Instead, they occupy the a curious middle ground between plebeian compacts and hot hatches (and hot sedans).
Now that we’ve got that out of the way, I can declare the Elantra Sport the winner. Taking price, features and performance into consideration, it’s very tough to beat.
Brian Harper: Well then, that’s it, isn’t it? Might as well pack up and go home. No love for the Sentra Nismo? C’mon!
Yes, the Elantra Sport is a more cohesive — and newer — package.
Nissan’s attempt to light a fire under its normally somnolent compact sedan ultimately comes up a bit short, but it’s a far braver attempt. In base form, the Sentra is an appliance, as you pointed out, designed for people who want something to get them from Point A to Point B and nothing more.
For the 2017 model year, the automaker finally addressed those who actually care about what they drive with the Sentra SR Turbo and the even more extreme Sentra Nismo (Nismo being a contraction of NISsan MOtorsports).
Both get the 188-horsepower, 1.6-litre turbo-four that resides in the funky Juke crossover. That’s almost 60 horsepower more than in the lesser versions. Zowee!
Then Nissan throws a bunch of go-faster bits at the Nismo: a tuned sport suspension, fourwheel disc brakes, bigger Z-rated Michelin Pilot Sport tires, extra chassis stiffening and a body kit. That’s not just a paint and stripe job, kid.
Say what you want about the car’s boy-racer persona, but the driving experience isn’t half bad.
NT: Absolutely. The Nismo is a solid first attempt by Nissan at spicing up the Sentra. The suspension bits and chassis tweaks amount to surprisingly sprightly handling, and the shifter is unexpectedly crisp.
But the Sentra Nismo just doesn’t feel complete as a sportcompact car, and the fact it doesn’t have any extra power over the SR Turbo doesn’t help. It’s disappointing, especially considering the concept version showed legitimate potential with a 2.0-L turbofour and 240 horsepower.
I just can’t shake the feeling the Elantra Sport is far more polished. It’s quicker — the 1.6-L turbo-four puts out 201 h.p. and 195 poundfeet of torque — the shifter is pleasantly crisp, and honestly, you get quite a bit of value for the money.
The base Elantra Sport starts at about $25,000, and you get a leather interior, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, heated leather seats and steering wheel, and … I could go on, but I think you get the point. That said, it’s not perfect. Like the Sentra, it’s missing something, and in this case, it’s the exhaust note. It snaps, crackles and pops from the outside, but you can’t hear any of that drama from the inside. What gives?
BH: What it’s missing is commitment from Hyundai to go out and get in the faces of its younger audience, specifically those whose cars are an extension of their personalities.
If anything, the Sport is too polished, too smooth. Unlike the Nismo and its overtness, there’s nothing “bad boy” about the Elantra.
There’s no denying it’s a quicker car and a better value — the Nismo has an MSRP of $25,998 — but from a driving standpoint, it doesn’t feel as connected with the road. I find the steering feel too light, and the same goes for the transmission’s shift action.
Still, it’s a prettier car inside and out. I especially like the cabin layout. Yet there were a few things I liked about the Nismo’s cabin, notably the Alcantara and leatherwrapped steering wheel and the sport seats. But the cheesy fauxcarbon-fibre trim bits and small 5.8-inch touch screen display don’t do it any favours.
NT: Absolutely. Despite adding the requisite faux-aggro styling bits inside, the Sentra Nismo is still a Sentra.
That means lacklustre infotainment and materials, and a seating position that feels a bit too high.
But the cabin isn’t without its merits. Yes, the seats and steering wheel feel great, plus there’s ample headroom up front, the back seat is spacious, and the trunk is one of the roomiest in the segment.
It’s not hard to see the Sentra Nismo’s merits — the steering feel, shifter action and chassis upgrades make me wish all Sentras drove like this — but it’s not perfect, and neither is the Elantra Sport.
Kudos to Hyundai for trying, but it seems as though it can’t quite get the sport-compact formula right.
As polished and cohesive as the Elantra Sport is, it needs more drama.
BH: The Elantra Sport is, as you said, a polished compact sedan, well contented and sporting, if not outright sporty.
As such, it’s a decided step up from the lesser versions.
I’d certainly consider it as the first new car in my driveway if I was a young millennial such as yourself, with not a ton of money to spend on wheels. You?
NT: Between these two, the Elantra Sport is my choice.
It’s not the perfect recipe for a sporty compact car, but that’s not the point.
It’s fun, punchy enough, and packs a far more pleasant interior than the Sentra Nismo.
And that price? For about $25,000, it’s tough to beat.