I drove a $28,000 Nissan Sentra. It's not quick, but can be a good deal.

I was impressed by the Sentra's attractive styling, standard tech features, and affordable pricing.

I was less pleased with the Sentra's intrusive engine noise and lackluster performance.

The base Nissan Sentra S starts at $21,180 and is one of the most affordable new cars in the US.

My top range-topping Sentra SR starts at $23,720 but freight fees, special two-tone paint, floor mats, and a premium package pushed the as-tested price more than $28,000.

The refreshed Sentra features a revised, cleaner-looking update to Nissan's V-motion grille. The SR trim features new 18-inch black wheels and dark chrome accents that give the Sentra a sportier look.

The Sentra's only engine option is a 2.0-liter, naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine producing 149 horsepower and 146 lb-ft of torque.

The four-cylinder engine sends power to the front wheels via a new continuously variable transmission (CVT) that was designed to deliver smoother shifts and improved fuel economy.

My SR trim test car boasted EPA fuel economy figures of 30 mpg city, 38 mpg highway, and 33 mpg combined.

Unlike many of its contemporaries, like the Civic and Corolla, the Sentra is not available as a hybrid.

Despite its sporty looks, the Sentra SR was not sporty to drive.

At its heart, it's an economy sedan, so efficiency is prioritized over performance.

The engine is not very torquey, and the CVT, which has pre-programmed shift points to emulate a traditional automatic transmission, is not very efficient in transferring torque to the wheels. The result is lackadaisical acceleration.

According to Car and Driver, the Sentra can go from 0 to 60 mph in 9.2 seconds. Motor Trend was slightly quicker, at 8.4 seconds. Neither time is particularly impressive.

The engine is also pretty noisy under hard acceleration despite not going anywhere fast. The Sentra desperately needs the low-end torque of a turbocharger or a hybrid system's electric motors.

The Sentra's interior is attractively styled with good ergonomics. The physical switches in the cabin are logically placed. There are also a variety of charging options and storage nooks.

The black leatherette-upholstered seats in my test car were comfortable on longer drives, and the orange stitching added a welcomed pop of color to the otherwise monotone interior.

All Sentras come with a host of standard tech features, including a seven-inch infotainment touchscreen (my test car has the upgraded eight-inch unit), Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, keyless entry, blind spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane departure warning, rear automatic braking, and intelligent forward collision warning.

You'll need to upgrade to a higher trim and/or pay for a premium package to get additional features like an around-view camera system, remote engine start, and adaptive cruise control.

The Sentra's trunk is pretty sizable for this segment, besting the Corolla by 1.2 cubic feet but trails the larger Civic by half a cubic foot. The rear seats fold down to allow the Sentra to transport longer items.

There's also has a spare tire under the trunk's cargo floor.

The Nissan Sentra SR looks great with its two-tone paint and blacked-out alloy wheels; I also enjoyed the spiffy black leatherette seats with orange stitching.

But $28,000 is a lot for an economy sedan. While all of the fancy extras that come with the SR are nice to have, they're not something I absolutely need.

Where the Sentra truly thrives is as an affordable, economical daily driver.

Unfortunately, the higher the price point, the less competitive the Sentra is to me. Once you cross the $24,000 threshold, the Sentra has to contend with the vastly superior fuel economy of models like the Corolla Hybrid and the all-wheel-drive capability of small SUVs like its own stablemate, the Nissan Kicks.

The real hidden jewel in the Sentra lineup is the mid-grade "SV" trim, which gets the majority of the standard tech and convenience features of the pricier SR for just over $22,110.

So, if you're going to buy a Sentra, the winner is the SV.