The 2021 Nissan Sentra Had 1 of the Best Transformations a Model Could Get

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Some cars change little from year to year. And when they do, they’re often aesthetic or trendy tech refreshes that’ll likely excite consumers. Unless an automaker has taken a major hit due to a high-profile recall, practical changes like wholesale safety upgrades are infrequent. But after a 2020 overhaul, most of the Nissan Sentra‘s new features are firmly rooted in the practical.

Before the 2020 and 2021 models, the Nissan Sentra had few safety options to speak of.

Earlier Nissan Sentra models

Of course, historically, the Nissan Sentra has had a few other things going for it. Before its major overhaul in 2020, it was notable for its affordability and spaciousness for a compact car. However, those were the only major selling points. In many other areas, it lagged behind most other models in its segment.

For instance, the 2019 Sentra included a 1.8-liter inline-four engine producing 124 hp and 125 lb-ft of torque. Not only was it underpowered, but the handling was also underwhelming. Fuel economy was decent at 27/35 mpg city/highway with an automatic transmission and 29/37 mpg with a continuously variable transmission.

Starting south of $20,000, the 2019 Sentra was a value play. And with plenty of space in the cabin and the trunk, it was also an excellent pick to haul people and stuff. The base-model S included a four-speaker sound system, a 7.0-inch touchscreen, a 5.0-inch gauge display, and other amenities. Higher trim levels added further perks like leather upholstery, larger wheels, and sound system upgrades.

The 2019 model earned a respectable 4 out of 5 stars from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). It also received an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Top Safety Pick awawrd. But oddly enough, and unlike most vehicles in this segment, the Sentra surprisingly lacked many common advanced safety features, even on some higher-level trims.

The overhauled Nissan Sentra

RELATED: Your Teenager Could Use a 2021 Nissan Sentra

Enter the 2020 model and a significant overhaul, which some would say was overdue. The new Nissan Sentra’s exterior styling resembled its luxurious sibling, the Maxima. It also featured an overhauled engine: a 2.0-liter four-cylinder paired with a CVT, producing 149 hp and 146 lb-ft of torque. This upgrade helped improve the fuel economy a bit, with the 2020 model achieving 28/37 mpg city/highway. Plus, a multi-link rear suspension improved its performance and handling substantially.

Inside the 2020 Sentra were significant upgrades as well. Though the 2019’s interior styling looked as cheap as the Sentra’s price point, the 2020 model’s materials appeared to be of sufficiently higher quality. Like the 2019 version, the 2020 S model gets the same basic technology options, such as a 7.0-inch touchscreen and similar technology upgrades. And the cabin and trunk — selling points for previous Sentra models — remained spacious.

But in addition to these upgrades, the Nissan Sentra made its Safety Shield package standard across all trims. This package included blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, auto rear braking, lane departure warning, pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, and auto high beams. A rearview camera was also standard across all trims. Further, the mid-level SV trim came with LED headlights, and the top-trim SR got both LED headlights and foglights.

Critical praise for the 2021 model’s safety overhaul

RELATED: How Many Miles Will a Nissan Sentra Last?

Nissan’s safety overhaul has garnered praise and even landed the 2021 Sentra on U.S. News‘ “Safest Small Cars of 2021” list. Ranked ninth — above popular rivals such as the Toyota Prius and other Nissan models like the Versa and the Leaf — the Sentra packs plenty of advanced safety features into a car that starts at only $19,140.

Perhaps more important than making the U.S. News list is that safety regulators see the 2021 Nissan Sentra as a safer vehicle. It picked up an extra star from the NHTSA for a perfect 5-star rating. And it grabbed an IIHS Top Safety Pick award for high ratings in all crash tests.

As redesigns go, the Sentra’s is highly effective. By doubling down on practicality, Nissan has enhanced its compact sedan’s attractiveness as a value play. If you’re looking for an affordable, safe, spacious, and practical small car, the 2021 Nissan Sentra deserves your consideration.

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U.S. News Recommends the 2021 GMC Acadia for Your Family

by Gabrielle DeSantis

If you’re shopping for a three-row midsize SUV, one of the best choices you can make is the 2021 GMC Acadia. Not only is it affordable, but it’s also a great family hauler. 

U.S. News recognizes the Acadia’s potential and recommends it as one of the best three-row SUVs for your household. What makes it an excellent family vehicle?

Plenty for your family to love in the GMC Acadia

With an SUV this size, it’s no surprise the GMC Acadia offers plenty of head, leg, and elbow room for first- and second-row riders. As with many other three-row vehicles, the back row is a bit cramped, at least for a large adult. Young teens and children should have no issues hanging out in the back of this SUV. 

Also, with only 12.8 cubic feet behind the third row, the Acadia’s cargo space is a bit smaller than some others in its class. But if you fold down the rear seats, you’ll gain over 29 more cubic feet, plenty for hauling family gear. The max amount of space you can get with the Acadia is 79 cubic feet, with the second-row and third-row seats folded. 

Plus, you’ll find the infotainment system user-friendly, allowing you to access the features you need without navigating through layers of menus to find what you want. The Acadia’s display screen is intuitive and comes with accompanying physical controls, so you don’t have to worry about constantly tapping the screen. 

Another great feature for families is the rear entertainment system, an optional feature in the Acadia. It can hold your young ones’ attention so you can focus on the road. 

The GMC Acadia’s safety features and ratings

RELATED: How Reliable Is the GMC Acadia?

The 2021 GMC Acadia performed well in National Highway Traffic Safety Administration crash testing. It gave the SUV an overall 5 stars, the highest rating. It also fared well in Insurance Institute for Highway crash testing. When it came to crash prevention and mitigation systems, the Acadia earned Superior and Advanced ratings. 

With a purchase of the Acadia, you get GMC’s Pro Safety Plus package, which includes many helpful safety features. According to GMC, automatic emergency braking will apply the brakes for you if the system detects a possible collision. It also comes with front pedestrian braking that will warn you if someone is crossing in front of the vehicle. It will even apply the brakes if needed. 

Among other helpful features are the Intellibeam adaptive headlights. These automatically turn on and off the high beams to suit surrounding traffic conditions. And the rear park-assist feature helps you back into a parking space by alerting you if an object is close behind the vehicle.

This SUV’s other perks

Choose from three engine options in the 2021 GMC Acadia. The standard motor is a 2.5-liter four-cylinder. Or upgrade to a 2.8-liter turbocharged four-cylinder or 3.6-liter V6, which comes standard on higher trim levels. And front-wheel drive comes standard, but an all-wheel drivetrain is available. 

A nine-speed automatic transmission helps the Acadia clock a 0-to-60-mph acceleration time of 6.8 seconds. According to fueleconomy.gov, The 3.6-liter engine gets 26 mpg on the highway with AWD and 27 mpg with FWD. The four-cylinder gets 26 to 27 mpg with FWD and 27 with the AWD. 

The Acadia also comes with a six-speaker audio system, satellite radio, Bluetooth, a Wi-Fi hotspot, and five USB ports to connect your devices. You’ll also get a good number of options to add to your purchase as well. They include a wireless charging device, an eight-speaker Bose sound system, HD Radio, and built-in navigation.

Overall, the 2021 GMC Acadia provides a plethora of perks to make traveling with your family easier. With decent cargo space and plenty of safety equipment, this SUV holds its own in the three-row midsize SUV segment. 

The post U.S. News Recommends the 2021 GMC Acadia for Your Family appeared first on MotorBiscuit.

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20% of EV Buyers Go Back To Gas-Powered Vehicles

by Gabrielle DeSantis

We hear it all of the time from EV buyers. “Once I got my (insert make) electric vehicle I was sold and will never go back to an internal combustion car.”We’re sure you have too, whether you drive one or the other. Or both. But now a study shows that one in five-20% electric vehicle owners goes back to an ICE vehicle after owning an EV.

What’s wrong with EVs that 20% switch back to an ICE car?

Electric vehicles on display prior to charging | Drew Angerer/Getty Images

So what’s going on? What’s wrong with EVs that 20% switch back to an ICE car or truck? Well, there isn’t just one reason but a variety of them.

The group Nature Energy conducted the research. Slightly more than 4,100 Californians were surveyed. They all purchased an EV between 2012 and 2018. Of those 1,840 chose to go back to an ICE vehicle. 

First of all, a lot has changed in the EV arena since 2018. And we’d call those EV buyers who bought one in 2012 early adopters. Back then a range of 40 or 50 miles was considered good enough. But it didn’t and doesn’t compare to a gas-powered car or truck with regards to range. 

An EV as the only form of transportation was most likely to switch back

Electric vehicle chargers at a charging station
A DC fast-charging station for electric vehicles | Spencer Platt/Getty Images

RELATED: Survey: Why Buyers Avoid Electric Cars

Those that had an EV as their only form of transportation were most likely to switch back. If home charging was difficult were also likely to go back to ICE vehicles. And that group could also take in those who make less money since it usually takes an added amount to install a home charging system. 

People who rent their homes are less likely to pay for home charging systems. And especially those who don’t have to resort to street parking have no dedicated place to install a system. So in these cases, public charging is the only alternative, which isn’t always convenient. 

People tend to use their EVs for short-distance travel

Customer Betty Fox prepares to scan her credit card while getting fuel at a Road Ranger gas station | Daniel Acker/Bloomberg via Getty Images

But the research also raised other questions. It found that female EV buyers switched back more often than men, though it gave no reason why. And for those with EVs improvements in public charging infrastructure didn’t matter much. For those, it found that people tended to use their EVs for short-distance travel. 

This questions the rationale for the huge planned investments in infrastructure over the next decade. Will it even make a difference? And will it jolt EV adoption, which is still at a low overall acceptance?

With the strides in range extension and proliferation of charging stations, it will be interesting to see what a more recent survey would provide. Homeownership will always provide an advantage to EV adaptation from the home charging perspective. And nobody has figured out how it will be more convenient for those who only have street parking available to them. 

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What Is the Best Year for the Mazda CX-5?

by Gabrielle DeSantis

The Mazda CX-5 is a popular compact SUV that offers sporty handling and room for five. What makes this Mazda the right SUV for your family? The safety scores and overall reliability make the CX-5 a solid choice.

Which Mazda CX-5 is best?

A 2012 Mazda CX-5 is a reliable pick, but which year is the best? | National Motor Museum/Heritage Images via Getty Images

U.S. News ranks the Mazda CX-5 in a few different categories. Critics’ rating, performance, interior, safety, and reliability. With all of these categories taken into consideration, the CX-5 also gets an overall score.

The 2021 Mazda CX-5 scored an 8.6 overall. It scored a 9.8 from the critics and a 9.9 safety rating. It also ranked pretty high in the SUV categories. The newest model has many safety features standard and gets 25 miles per gallon in the city, 31 on the highway.

The 2020 Mazda CX-5 scored a 9.8 from the critics and a 9.9 for safety. This year included other safety features like forward collision warning and adaptive cruise control. While these used to be optional, Mazda now includes these features standard.

In 2018, the CX-5 scored an 8.7 overall. This included a 9.4 from the critics and a 9.8 for safety. It came in number one on numerous lists, including Affordable Compact SUVs, Affordable Crossover SUVs, and Affordable SUVs with 2 Rows.

Is the Mazda CX-5 a reliable car?

RELATED: How Reliable Is the Mazda CX-5?

U.S. News and J.D. Power worked together to score the 2021 and 2020 CX-5. For both years, the SUV scored a three out of five. There are currently no safety recalls noted from The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

For 2018, the Mazda CX-5 got a score of 3.5 out of five. This year does have two safety recalls. The first one is related to the powertrain control module. Mazda can fix this at the dealership by reprograming the software.

The second recall is for the side curtain airbags not properly deploying. Mazda will replace the airbags free of charge if your vehicle was impacted.

All three years of the Mazda CX-5 come with a three-year, 36,000-mile warranty and a five-year, 60,000-mile warranty for the powertrain.

Is a warranty important?

RELATED: How Many Miles Will a Mazda CX-5 Last?

The 2021 models are still available new with Mazda’s warranty, which is a good deal. The starting MSRP for these starts at $25,370. These will likely go on sale as we progress through the year and the 2022 model comes out.

For the 2020 models, you can find most under $25,000 for the sport trim on AutoTrader. If you want an all-wheel-drive option, they are more along the lines of $30,000. Many of these will still have some warranty left, as well.

It should be noted that the older models do not have all of the same safety features. The 2020 model likely has all of the safety options standard that used to be optional. Some optional features include Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and parking camera systems.

The 2018 model is a great used option. With safety features, roomy seating, and solid handling, this is available at a good price. Blind-spot monitoring became standard during this year. It also got around 25 miles per gallon in the city and 31 on the highway.

The 2018 year was also available in front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive. The front-wheel drive options are easier to find and usually around $22,000. With low miles, this is a good used car option.

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