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Nissan Sentra vs Honda Civic

Nissan Sentra vs. Honda Civic

Compare repair costs, reliability, and owner reviews

Nissan Sentra

$491

Average Annual

Repair Cost

Honda Civic

$368

Average Annual

Repair Cost

Overall Reliability Rating

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.

Excellent

The Honda Civic Reliability Rating is 4.5 out of 5.0, which ranks it 3rd out of 36 for compact cars. The average annual repair cost is $368 which means it has excellent ownership costs. The severity and frequency of repairs are both much lower than other vehicles, so the Civic is one of the more reliable vehicles on the road.

Cost

Average annual repairs total

$491

inexpensive

expensive

$368

inexpensive

expensive

Frequency

Average annual repair shop visits

0.23

not often

very often

0.22

not often

very often

Severity

Percentage of annual repairs that are urgent

12%

not urgent

urgent

10%

not urgent

urgent

Overall Car Ratings & Details

(65 Reviews)

(147 Reviews)

5		(5)
4		(30)
3		(22)
2		(6)
1		(2)

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“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...”

1451 known problems

90 known recalls

5		(26)
4		(91)
3		(19)
2		(9)
1		(2)

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The Honda Civic ranks highest in fuel economy and ranks lowest in value.

67% of reviewers would recommend this car.

“The Honda is excellent! The only problem is the exhaust, I have had it repaired FULLY three years ago and its falling apart again. other than that, the car always runs and never has any problems....”

“The Honda is excellent! The only problem is the exhaust, I have had it repaired FULLY three...”

4809 known problems

174 known recalls

Vehicle Comparison Rundown

The Nissan Sentra and the Honda Civic are both compact cars. They each come with front-wheel drive. The Sentra is available as a four-door sedan, while the Civic offers three body styles: a four-door sedan, a two-door coupe and a five-door hatchback.

The standard engines in the Nissan Sentra and the Honda Civic have much different power outputs. The Sentra comes with 124 horsepower, while the Civic has 158. Their optional engines are more comparable, with the Sentra offering 188 horsepower as an option, and the Civic providing 180.

Comparing interior space and trunk size, the Nissan Sentra and the Honda Civic sedan are extremely close. The Sentra has 95.9 cubic feet of passenger space and 15.1 cubic feet in the trunk. The Civic sedan has 95 cubic feet of passenger space and 15.1 cubic feet of trunk space. But the Civic hatchback has 46.2 cubic feet of space behind the front seats, making it the best option for hauling big and bulky items.

The Civic wins for safety. Lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, lane-departure warning, collision mitigation braking, and road-departure mitigation are available on every Civic with an automatic transmission. While the Sentra offers standard automatic emergency braking on every model, other key features are not available across the board.

The Nissan Sentra and the Honda Civic are nearly identical in interior space, trunk room and optional power choices. But the Civic has more standard horsepower, offers more safety features and has three body styles. The Honda Civic wins overall.

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