2019 Mazda 3 vs. 2019 Nissan Sentra

Seacoast Mazda

Are you looking to upgrade your car? There are a lot of great vehicle options out there, but it is important to do your research before you go out and buy your next vehicle. The 2019 Mazda 3 and the 2019 Nissan Sentra are two vehicles available in the compact car segment. These cars offer you comfortable interiors and good technology features, but which one is the better option for you? Check out the side by side comparison below to learn more about each of these cars.

Exterior Comparison

The exterior of the 2019 Mazda 3 goes for simplicity, functionality, and elegance. The designers for this vehicle stripped away all unnecessary exterior features to give you some that goes back to the basics. However, that doesn't mean this vehicle lacks style. In fact, the 2019 Mazda 3 looks more elegant than ever with dramatic body lines for increased aerodynamics. You also have a simplified headlamp design, but this design is more effective than ever with beautiful and functional LED lighting.

The Nissan Sentra is a stylish and functional vehicle. With exterior colors like Brilliant Silver Metallic and Deep Blue Pearl, this compact car can catch eyes and look great. It also offers you functional exterior upgrades like Fog Lights, an aerodynamic rear spoiler, and external ground lighting.

Interior and Technology

Seating in the 2019 Mazda 3 is comfortable for five. You get standard cloth upholstery in this car, but you can upgrade for genuine leather upholstery, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and heated seats. A moonroof is another available feature in the 2019 Mazda 3.

The Mazda 3 also offers you a good amount of technology standard. You get an infotainment system with an 8.8-inch display standard, which is larger than most standard screens, and you also get a 7-inch driver information display standard that is not always offered on compact cars. Other standard features include Bluetooth, two USB ports, a rearview camera, an eight-speaker stereo, and push-button start.

Available technology in the Mazda 3 includes Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, a premium Bose audio system, automatic emergency braking, forward collision alert, lane keep assist, blind spot monitoring, and rear cross traffic alert.

The seating in the Sentra is standard cloth upholstery with room for five people. If you want to upgrade your interior, you can get available leather upholstery and heated front seats. There is also a power-adjustable driver's seat available.

The technology found in the 2019 Nissan Sentra includes a standard infotainment system with a 7-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth, a rearview camera, Siri Eyes Free, and a USB port.

Optional technology features in the Sentra include push-button start, two more USB ports, a premium eight-speaker Bose audio system, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. You also get available safety technology like automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, and rear cross traffic alert.

Overall, these vehicles offer you some good interior features and technology. The 2019 Mazda 3 seems to offer you a few more standard features than the Nissan Sentra, but many of their offerings are fairly similar.

Performance

The performance in the 2019 Mazda 3 makes for a fun and engaging driving experience. You only have one engine option in the Mazda 3, but it is one that gives you good power and performance. This vehicle comes with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 186-horsepower. A six-speed automatic transmission comes standard with this engine, but a six-speed manual transmission is available.

Overall, the Mazda 3 gives you a great performance with solid acceleration, sharp steering, and an engaging driving experience. Also, in the 2019 Mazda 3, you can get 27 city and 33 highway miles per gallon for fuel efficiency.

The standard engine in the 2019 Nissan Sentra is a 1.8-liter engine with a six-speed manual transmission. This engine produces only 130-horsepower, which makes it one of the weakest engines in the compact car class. You can get this engine with a continuously variable transmission, but this drops the horsepower to 124. When you step on the gas pedal, you will be able to tell that this engine feels underpowered. In terms of fuel efficiency, the standard engine gives you 29 city and 37 highway miles per gallon.

You do have another engine option available in the Sentra SR Turbo and Nismo models. This second engine is a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine. This produces more horsepower than the base engine at 188-horsepower. Also, it gives you 27 city and 33 highway miles per gallon.

When it comes to performance, the base engine of the 2019 Nissan Sentra feels underdeveloped at just 130-horsepower. However, you can get a more energetic and powerful performance with the 2.5-liter engine in the 2019 Mazda 3. This engine gives you 186-horsepower for a fun driving experience.

Which is Right for You?

Above, we compared the exterior, interior and technology, and the performance of the 2019 Mazda 3 and the 2019 Nissan Sentra. This side-by-side comparison should help you determine which of these compact cars is the right one for you.

The Nissan Sentra is stylish and functional with some new technology features for 2019 including the available Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. This vehicle also gives you pretty good fuel efficiency. However, it doesn't offer you a very powerful performance except if you upgrade to the SR Turbo or Nismo models. The base engine gives you just 130-horsepower.

On the other hand, the 2019 Mazda 3 gives you a lot of great standard technology features to go with its beautiful interior and exterior design. The Mazda 3 feels very luxurious and upscale for a compact car. In terms of performance, the 2019 Mazda 3 doesn't disappoint with smooth shifting, responsive handling, and a base engine that gives you 186-horsepower. Overall, the 2019 Mazda 3 feels like the better investment.