Sentra has a lot of luxury touches to love

0 Comments | USA TODAY, November, 2006 | by James R. Healey

SAN FRANCISCO -- Hoping to appeal to the so-called Echo boomers, Nissan is pitching its redesigned 2007 Sentra compact sedan as a car in which you could live. Not that the target buyers are homeless, Nissan says, just that they're kinetic, go-do-move young adults, born after 1976, whose demands on a car might, in fact, include using it as a temporary shelter.

Sentra is worth a hard look. The test cars were (with a few exceptions), smooth, refined and feature-laden beyond what you'd expect in their $15,000 to $22,000 price range. And roomier than rivals. First, though, you have to like, or accept, the look. The fat, flat rear flank emulates the Nissan Maxima and is an ugly, ungainly look -- although reasonable people often disagree on matters of taste. Inside, it becomes easy...