Nissan Sentra vs. Ford Focus

Compare repair costs, reliability, and owner reviews

Nissan Sentra

$491
Average Annual
Repair Cost

Ford Focus

$569
Average Annual
Repair Cost

Overall Reliability Rating

4
Excellent
The Nissan Sentra Reliability Rating is 4.0 out of 5.0, which ranks it 14th out of 36 for compact cars. The average annual repair cost is $491 which means it has lower than average ownership costs. The severity of repairs is average and the frequency of those issues is low, so major repairs are uncommon for the Sentra.
4
Above Average
The Ford Focus Reliability Rating is 4.0 out of 5.0, which ranks it 27th out of 36 for compact cars. The average annual repair cost is $569 which means it has average ownership costs. The frequency and severity of repairs are both fairly average when compared with all other vehicles.
Cost
Average annual repairs total
$491
inexpensive
expensive
$569
inexpensive
expensive
Frequency
Average annual repair shop visits
0.23
not often
very often
0.33
not often
very often
Severity
Percentage of annual repairs that are urgent
12%
not urgent
urgent
13%
not urgent
urgent

Overall Car Ratings & Details

5 (5)
4 (30)
3 (22)
2 (6)
1 (2)
“Brought my 91 Nissan Sentra new and traveled with it throughout the United States and during my years in the military it was shipped to a couple of overseas bases. With a little over 130K, this is...”
“Brought my 91 Nissan Sentra new and traveled with it throughout the United States and during my...”
5 (6)
4 (24)
3 (12)
2 (9)
1 (2)
The Ford Focus ranks highest in value and ranks lowest in fuel economy.
“This is an OK car for commuting. The road noise is terrible and very poor on the acceleration.”
“This is an OK car for commuting. The road noise is terrible and very poor on the acceleration.”

Vehicle Comparison Rundown

The Nissan Sentra and the Ford Focus are two compact cars. Both come with front-wheel drive. The Sentra is available as a four-door sedan, while the Focus is available as a four-door sedan and a five-door hatchback.

The standard engines in the Sentra and the Focus vary in their power ratings. The Sentra comes with 124 horsepower, while the Focus has 160 horsepower standard. The Sentra loses out in optional power, though, with 188 horsepower, compared to the Focus’ 252 horsepower. The Focus wins on power.

Inside, the Sentra has 95.9 cubic feet of passenger space and 15.1 cubic feet in the trunk. The Focus sedan comes in second, with 90.7 cubic feet of passenger space and 13.2 cubic feet of trunk space. For the best space utilization, the Focus hatchback offers 44.8 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats down.

In driver assistance technologies, the Nissan Sentra and Ford Focus are a mixed bag. While the Sentra offers standard automatic emergency braking on every model, other key features are not available across the board. The Focus offers a blind spot information system with cross-traffic alert and lane-keeping alert, but only as an option on the top trim level. Both of these cars lag behind Toyota and Honda in this area.

If you like power and performance, you’ll probably prefer the Ford Focus, whichever engine you choose. The Focus hatchback also offers excellent utility. But the Nissan Sentra has more passenger and trunk space, and better driver assistance technologies. Try them both and then decide.