The Nissan Sentra has been a staple of the compact car segment since its introduction in the early 1980s and competes against long-running class rivals including the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla.

With the average selling price of a new car in the U.S. drifting ever-northward, along with the prevalence of crossovers and SUVs, it's easy to forget that relative bargains can still be found ...