The Nissan Sentra is a good choice for drivers who practically live out of their cars. For example, the locking glovebox is deep enough to hold a laptop computer. There is also an available integrated removable CD holder on the headliner above the driver's sun visor. The front of the center console has a tray for items such as cell phones, as well as two cupholders that are adjustable for 20-ounce bottles or 32-ounce mega cups. Pockets with see-through netting are provided on the backs of the front seats for passengers' cell phones and iPods.

With 97.4 cubic feet of cabin space, the Sentra offers more room than the , , , and .

The trunk measures 13.1 cubic feet (12.0 cubic feet for the SE-R Spec-V). The Cobalt offers 13.9 cubic feet. The Sentra 2.0 SL offers the simple but clever Divide-N-Hide trunk ($150). The trunk is so deep that it can accept a false folding back, creating a secret space about 20 inches wide, just behind the rear seat.

For cargo space, the 60/40 split rear seat can be folded flat, to open up the space into the trunk (due to a structural bulkhead, the Sentra SE-R Spec-V lacks the folding seat). There's no problem fitting a bicycle or maybe two back there, through the trunk; two friendly people could even sleep back there.

We've spent time with a bare-bones Sentra 2.0 with cloth seats, a fully equipped 2.0 SL with leather, and a SE-R Spec-V with its sport seats.

We loved the supportive feel of the cloth seats; they embrace your back like a good hug, and are neither too firm nor too soft. The available leather is plush for a compact car; there's no reason to ride in a penalty box just because you're trying to save gas. The Sentra SE-R's sport seats are better bolstered and have a grippy fabric to keep the driver in place during enthusiastic cornering. They also get more flair, with special stitching and red seat belts on the SE-R Spec-V.

The four-speaker sound system in the 2.0 was okay, while the eight-speaker Rockford Fosgate audio system with in-dash 6-disc changer in the 2.0 SL was great.

A long wheelbase with short overhangs results in agreeable legroom for the rear-seat passengers. The back seats are relatively flat, however, so they won't be comfortable for long trips.

The instrument panel might be the nicest aspect of the interior. Again, it is very stylish, and functional, too. The instruments are sharp, the controls easy to operate, and the center stack features a strong-looking shift lever rising out at a 45-degree angle. The trim around it all is a handsome flat silver. Nissan Sentra SE-R models get two additional gauges at the top of the center stack, one for oil pressure and one that displays acceleration and deceleration g forces.