Where each one leads
BMW 318i
Ahead on none of the like-for-like measures.
Nissan Sentra
- On Canada's official test the most frugal 2026 Nissan Sentra uses 7.1 l/100 km, the 1999 BMW 318i 10.3.
Only measures that do not depend on how many cars were sold: pass and failure rates against cars of the same age, ratings, fuel use and CO₂. How we compare
At a glance
| BMW 318i | Nissan Sentra | |
|---|---|---|
| Model years in the US safety record | 1984–2005 | 1982–2026 |
EEA new-car registrations (CC BY 4.0) · DVLA licensed vehicles (OGL v3.0) · RDW (CC0) · Traficom (CC BY 4.0) · generations: Wikidata (CC0).
Reliability and problems
| BMW 318i | Nissan Sentra | |
|---|---|---|
| New York safety inspections failed | — | 2.0% |
| … against cars of the same year | — | +22% |
| US owner complaints | 90 | 5,960 |
| Most complaints about | Engine and engine cooling | Power train |
| Model year with most complaints | 1994 (14) | 2013 (638) |
| US recall campaigns | 4 | 55 |
| Manufacturer service bulletins | 47 | 3,014 |
| NHTSA defect investigations | 3 | 40 |
Complaint, recall and bulletin counts grow with the number of cars sold and are not adjusted for it. UK MOT: DVSA anonymised MOT results (OGL v3.0); New York: DMV inspections; complaints, recalls, bulletins and investigations: NHTSA (public domain); odometer: RDW (CC0).
Safety
| BMW 318i | Nissan Sentra | |
|---|---|---|
| NHTSA overall rating | — | 5★ (2025) |
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program, most recent rated model year (public domain).
Fuel, emissions and price
| BMW 318i | Nissan Sentra | |
|---|---|---|
| Official combined fuel use, Canada | 10.3 l/100 km (1999) | 7.1 l/100 km (2026) |
Canada: NRCan Fuel Consumption Ratings, most frugal version of the latest year (OGL Canada). Europe: EEA monitoring of new-car CO₂ and on-board fuel meters (OBFCM), CC BY 4.0. Price: RDW catalogue price (CC0). Finland: Traficom (CC BY 4.0).