Nissan's all-new 2013 Sentra, unveiled here today, continues the brand's product onslaught as the third of five all-new vehicles being introduced in a 15-month period. Like the recently unveiled Nissan Altima and Pathfinder, the redesign of Sentra focuses on class-above design standards inside and out, as well as efficiency in engineering.

I’m trying to imagine life without the compact car.

Every day, like worker bees in a hive, the veritable mass of compact cars jiggle into life with crumpled wrappers on their dash and worn radio buttons to take millions of us somewhere. There’s no fuss, no muss, and certainly no glamour in their lives. They perform a singular purpose for a driver, then another, then another, and then a first-time driver, with less fanfare than an over-the-counter, daily calcium supplement.

Nissan’s all-new 2013 Sentra, unveiled here today, continues the brand’s product onslaught as the third of five all-new vehicles being introduced in a 15-month period. Like the recently unveiled Nissan Altima and Pathfinder, the redesign of Sentra focuses on class-above design standards inside and out, as well as efficiency in engineering.
Nissan’s all-new 2013 Sentra, unveiled here today, continues the brand’s product onslaught as the third of five all-new vehicles being introduced in a 15-month period. Like the recently unveiled Nissan Altima and Pathfinder, the redesign of Sentra focuses on class-above design standards inside and out, as well as efficiency in engineering.

These are things I think about behind the wheel of the 2013 Nissan Sentra. Like an empty field, a tractor and miles of corn to plow, I feel like behind the wheel of a new Sentra, a man could really get some thinking done.

I’m thinking, “Who decided what’s even and odd when it comes to numbers?” and “When next every digit in a year will be a prime number?”

You have time for that in the 2013 Nissan Sentra. Blame it on the rush-hour traffic.

The Sentra is in a crowded market that envelops nearly every automaker — but not because they make money on these cars. Often these econo-boxes serve as a first hit from the brand, developing loyalty to the automaker for years later when you’re looking to sink tens of thousands more into a car.

For that much, Nissan developed a new, smaller engine in the Sentra this year than last year. The outgoing 2.0-liter four is replaced this year with a 1.8-liter four that produces 10 fewer horsepower (130) and 19 fewer lb.-ft. of torque. That power loss has been offset, at least a little bit, by shedding 150 lbs. from last year’s overall weight and a lower coefficient of drag.

Oh, and the exterior looks completely different.

That wasn’t accidental. Chances are if you own a Sentra, you spend less time looking at its exterior than you spend wide-eyed into the sun.

You might miss the Altima-inspired curves. You might also glaze over the sweeping trapezoidal grille, the arching taillights or even the gently flared fenders. The latest Sentra reinforces the idea that no good design goes unduplicated. Over and over again.

In fact, Nissan uses the idea that the Sentra exudes “class-above style” (which, if you drop the hyphen that means a wholly different thing) and they’re right. For a compact car, the Sentra has more presence than its $15,990 entry price would suggest. This includes curb appeal, which the Sentra somehow exudes, despite its nondescript relegation to compact commuter car.

There’s no mistaking the Sentra’s sole intention when you’re driving it: This was meant to eat miles, be put away wet and do it all over again tomorrow. Although the relatively plain interior doesn’t exude style, it does scream durability. Even the comfortable seats feel like they could be hosed down in the evening.

As you’d expect in a compact car, there are places that look like they fell victim to budget cuts. The center stack looks interchangeable with most of Joan Rivers’ face. I wish they had adapted the Altima’s instrument cluster display to the Sentra.

And if you step on the gas, the CVT announces its presence like a tornado siren.

However, the interior space has been improved over last year. Rear leg room has been increased by over 3 inches, rear hip room has been improved by 2 inches, and the overall length has increased three inches. There are 15.1 cubic feet available in the trunk for accumulated gear, garbage and “Gooo! What is that!?”

That’s mostly because these cars have become a habit of convenience for buyers.

Our test car was a Sentra SL, equipped with navigation and leather, which tipped the final price tag just over $22,400. The Sentra ranges from the low $15,990 point, which doesn’t include cruise control, to the $19,590 SL model that includes Bluetooth, 17-inch wheels, fog lights, and USB radio as standard.

That’s a lot to get from a car that’s likely to spend most of its life stuck in traffic. That’s even more to expect from a car that doesn’t ask a lot for the amount of abuse it’ll take in its lifetime on the road.

Compact cars are the mules of our generation; shuttling loads to and fro without a lot of fuss or forethought.

Next time you find yourself in one, remind yourself of that fact. Also remind yourself that you need to stop at the store. Milk, yogurt and vegetable oil.

You always forget that.

Aaron Cole is a syndicated auto columnist. He knows he’s wrong, he’d rather hear it from you. Reach him at aaron.m.cole@gmail.com or @ColeMeetsCars