Hi, I'm John Davis and this is MotorWeek !

Join us for a daily driver that's humble in price and purpose, the Nissan Sentra... Then, tighten up for a lesson on torquing to spec... We'll pit one of our crew against a fan in an "Overdrive" showdown...

Closing out fast with our review of the splashy BMW X6...

So, come drive with us, next!

Closed Captioning provided by Maryland Public Television.

♪ ♪ ANNOUNCER: MotorWeek , Television's Original Automotive Magazine.

MotorWeek is proudly sponsored by Auto Value and Bumper to Bumper, a nationwide network of stores and shops providing major brand auto and truck parts, and service from coast to coast, and in your local community.

Learn more at AutoValue.Com and BumperToBumper.Com.

TireRack.Com is proud to support MotorWeek !

First, there was the wheel.

Then, the tire.

"We'll call it TireRack."

Forty years later, we're not slowing down.

JOHN: The Nissan Sentra doesn't get as many splashy headlines as the traditional leaders of the compact sedan segment.

But it has proven to be highly competitive with both the Toyota Corolla and the Honda Civic ever since it replaced the Datsun 210 way back in the early 1980s.

So, let's find out if an updated 2024 Sentra is a better value than ever.

♪ ♪ The Sentra certainly has grown up over the years.

Having long ago ceded entry level duties to the Versa, it now packs midsize-car levels of space and features, and it's still a sedan we appreciate.

Now in its 8th generation, which has been around since 2020, this 2024 Sentra shows updated styling with improved tech and even some powertrain enhancements.

Styling updates start with modernized fascias; the front featuring a continued evolution of Nissan's V-motion grille taking up a bit more real estate, yet with less trim around it.

Corner air intakes go from big L-shapes to slimmer verticals, while headlights keep the same basic lens shape, but with upgraded internals.

There are new wheel designs in either 16 or 18 inches; this top-level SR getting 18s along with dark chrome trim and a unique rear lower fascia.

Nissan Safety Shield 360 is standard, and includes Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection, Intelligent Forward Collision Warning and Lane Departure warning, with many additional driver assist systems available.

Nothing changes with the Sentra's naturally aspirated inline 4-cylinder rated at 149 horsepower and 146 pound-feet of torque, but the CVT that's attached to it is improved with smoother simulated shifts, and adds to its already commendable fuel economy performance with the addition of an automatic stop/start system.

Government Fuel Economy Ratings in the SR go from 28-City, 37-Highway, and 32-Combined to 30-City, 38-Highway, and 33-Combined.

That means a better Energy Impact Score of 9.0 Barrels of Yearly Oil Use and 4.5 Tons of CO2 Emissions.

For more numbers of importance, it was off to Mason Dixon Dragway.

We felt this 2.0 liter I4 could use a little more pep in its step when it arrived 4.0 years ago, and we still do.

But even though on a very hot test day, it was a second slower than before, 10.4 seconds to 60 is not that pokey for a fuel-efficient commuter car.

The quarter-mile was equally sleepy at 17.8 seconds and 81 miles per hour.

But the transmission updates did improve power transfer, with a more natural automatic transmission feel and less noticeable high revving.

Just as before, the Sentra was quite lively through our handling course.

Thanks to its sport-tuned multi-link rear suspension; light steering with good response and fairly neutral overall balance.

We found very little oversteer or understeer, with a bit less body roll our only want.

Braking performance also remained strong; 110 foot panic stops from 60 are very good for any car.

Inside our Sentra SR, changes are minor, which is a good thing as it was already a very comfortable and functional space, with lots of room to spread out for a compact.

Elements such as the flat bottom steering wheel and Z-inspired round air vents are there to give the Sentra an added touch of sportiness.

A dashtop 7.0 inch touchscreen remains standard, but like our SR, most trims don this 8.0 inch version.

SR trim also gets upgraded stitching for '24, and the middle SV level joins SR by adding eight-speaker Bose Premium Audio, Around View Monitor, and turn signal exterior mirrors as part of a very reasonably priced Premium Package.

Speaking of dollars and cents, the base Sentra S starts at $22,320, SV at $23,250, and top SR begins at only $25,410.

Indeed, the Sentra is a lot of modern, comfortable, safe, fuel-efficient car for the money, no matter how you slice it.

Finding real value in the automotive world is harder than ever, but we believe the 2024 Nissan Sentra remains a good place to start, and end your search.

♪ ♪ Earlier this season we debuted our new "Overdrive" feature, in which we showed one lucky MotorWeek fan just how capable his everyday car can be.

Well, in our second installment, we're kicking it up a notch, pitting a talented young fan against our own Greg Carloss in some "friendly" competition.

Well, enough talk-- let's shove it into "Overdrive!"

GREG CARLOSS: As a MotorWeek test driver, I have more than a decade of experience pushing performance cars to their limits on high speed racing circuits.

And if I can toot my own horn, I've gotten pretty good at it.

But I'm always on the lookout for a nice slice of humble pie, and I may just find some here today at Summit Point Motorsports Park.

♪ ♪ All right...Dylan...here's how it's going to go down.

Summit point, put together this autocross course for us.

We're going to run three timed events.

Since, you brought your Miata RF with a few performance enhancements, I thought it would be fun to get, like, a baseline test.

So, I brought a 2024 Miata Grand Touring.

Then, it's going to be a true driver's test.

We're going to ditch the Miatas, we're going to go over to that Charger.

We're going to run the course again three times, best wins.

The third event, that's a little bit of a surprise, but I can pretty much guarantee you haven't done this event.

How's that sound?

DYLAN ADELI: I think it's great.

I'm ready.

(tires screech) GREG: All right.

Not a bad start.

Second...

Tight to the cones.

All right-- Whoops-- Woohoo!

(tires screech) DYLAN: Those tires are yelling.

GREG: And duck down in there, uh-oh, a little more understeer.

Oooh, man-- that was not a very clean run.

Mmm, I might get him there!

DYLAN: Come on.

Go, go, go, go.

(engine revs) Out, out, out, out.

(engine revs) Alright!

(timer beeps) (engine revs/tires screech) GREG: Oh, no!

DYLAN: Oh, no.

Oh!

(Greg laughs) GREG: He's in my head.

DYLAN: All right, come on.

Let's clean this up.

(engine revs) (timer beeps) (tires screech) GREG: All right.

Not a bad start.

Patient, Greg.

Patient, Greg.

Patient, Greg!

DYLAN: Oh, there we go.

GREG: (incoherent noises) DYLAN: Come on.

Let's see if we can beat him.

Come on.

GREG: Heavy on the brakes there.

DYLAN: Push it, push it, push it.

(engine revs/tires screech) Oh, hoo-hoo!

Oooh.

ALEX: Dylan, on this most recent run, you got a 51.8.

Greg, that last run, you got 54.6.

GREG: All right...man...you got me pretty good on the first one.

But now we're going to swap light and nimble for big and hefty with this Charger.

You've never driven one, but I have and I gotta say I think that gives me the advantage over you.

(tires screech) (Greg laughs) DYLAN: Yeah, this is a lot bigger.

Oh, damn.

(tires screech) (engine revs) (timer beeps) Woo!

(tires screech) GREG: Not the best start.

DYLAN: All right.

(tires screech) GREG: Got to keep that wheelspin under control.

(tires screech) All right.

Boom!

(timer beeps) DYLAN: Come on.

Turn, baby.

GREG: He's figured something out.

DYLAN: Go, go, go, go, go.

(engine revs) (timer beeps) GREG: That's what I'm talking about.

Okay.

I think, I might have improved.

DYLAN: There we go.

GREG: Keep it coming.

Go ahead and get aggressive.

DYLAN: Come on, come on, come on, come on.

GREG: Managing traction, managing traction-- oh, I didn't manage traction!

DYLAN: Oh, this is going to be close.

Oh, over the dirt!

ALEX: Greg, I've seen better.

Your second run was a 57.9.

That one was a 58.1.

Dylan your final run.

That was a 57.8.

DYLAN: You're going to have to take it.

I beat you by one tenth.

GREG: I'm crushed.

I'm honestly crushed.

But we have one more surprise event, if you'll remember.

We're going to flip things around, and we're gonna go backwards.

DYLAN: Greg, you're insane for this.

(tires screech) GREG: He's already going in the wrong direction.

Oh, no.

Hahaha.

DYLAN: Whoops!

I don't think I'm on the track right now.

GREG: He's up on the island.

DYLAN: Oh, we're almost there.

ALEX: All right.

All you gotta do is go straight.

(engine revs/tires screech) DYLAN: (laughs) GREG: All right, here we go.

(tires screech) DYLAN: He's missing all the cones, so.

GREG: All right, let's smooth it out a little bit.

At least I'm staying on track.

Whoop!

DYLAN: Oh, no.

GREG: Oh, boy.

DYLAN: He stopped.

Come on, bro.

Oh, I think he's on the grass.

Oh, he's fully cutting the course!

GREG: I think I took a shortcut.

(laughs)...well!

ALEX: Well, looked like you were about to take the scenic route a few times there.

1:42.5.

GREG: You gotta be kidding me!

DYLAN: Yes!

ALEX: I am not.

GREG: I should have just cheated, man.

I should have just cheated.

Well, I gotta hand it to you, man.

You are a damn good driver.

DYLAN: Thank you.

You too man.

GREG: And...well...we wanna make sure that you keep driving.

So, to say thank you, we actually got you a little something on over here.

DYLAN: No way!

You're joking!

GREG: Yeah, man.

Look, you let us use your tires, you gotta let us hook you up with some fresh tires.

We wanna make sure you keep coming out, so here's some fresh tires.

The same ones you use.

DYLAN: I am going to shred these tires on the track.

GREG: I really hope you do... JOHN: Well, better luck next time, Greg!

And thanks again, Dylan, for spending a day at Summit Point Motorsports Park with us.

Now, if you'd like to see a longer version of how Dylan made us eat humble pie...plus, the debut of "Overdrive," head over to MotorWeek's YouTube channel and check out the "Overdrive" playlist!

Now, let's head down to the garage where Logan McCombs is tightening up some loose ends...to spec-- on MotorWeek's "Your Drive!"

♪ ♪ LOGAN MCCOMBS: If you're working on your car or truck, there will often be times when fasteners will have to be torqued to a certain spec, and sometimes in a certain pattern, to ensure that a part is lined up properly and tightened evenly.

An impact gun like this is great for loosening lug nuts and suspension bolts, but when tightening, it is always better to use a torque wrench.

There's less of a chance of cross-threading or stripping the threads, and with a typical impact gun, you really have no way of knowing how tight the lugs are.

And if you've ever struggled on the side of the road to loosen a lug nut, you know that tighter isn't always better!

Over-tightening your lugs can warp your brake rotors, and lead to other problems.

To use a torque wrench, you preset the required number with a dial, which might be measured in foot-pounds for big bolts, and inch-pounds for smaller diameter bolts like oil and transmission pans, and valve covers.

Your dial may also show newton-meters, which is an international standard unit for torque.

Be sure to use the right wrench and the correct scale for whatever you're tightening.

As you tighten the bolt, the wrench measures the amount of force being applied, and makes an audible click when that pre-set limit is reached.

then you know the bolt is tightened just the right amount.

Another commonly stripped thread is oil pan drain plugs.

Most oil pans are made of steel.

Some are made of aluminum and more recently, plastic.

On this Honda Insight, the oil pan is made of magnesium, which is lightweight, but is also a "soft" metal.

After a number of oil changes, and removing and replacing the drain bolt, the threads on the bolt or the pan can become worn out or damaged, or even worse, the oil pan can crack just like this one did, and then you're in for a very big repair.

To prevent this, you may be able to install a drain plug with a built-in valve, so that the oil can be drained without unscrewing the bolt and risking damage of the threads.

While, we're talking about drain plugs, here's one that has a strong magnet built into the end of it, so that metal shavings that circulate within the pan will stick to it and can be cleared off after every oil change.

This is actually a great trick for extending the life of your engine.

If you have a question or comment, reach out to us, right here at MotorWeek .

JOHN: Buckle in and throttle up for this week's QuickSpin!

♪ ♪ GREG: The 2024 GMC Acadia is all about threes.

A new 3rd generation, three rows of seating, and three trim levels to choose from.

But the numbers only get more impressive.

The new Acadia has bounced back from last gen's downsizing, now riding on 120.9 inches of wheelbase, carrying nearly 17 feet of length.

That means more cargo space, now 23 cubic-feet behind the 3rd row and up to 97.5 cubes behind the 1st row, increases of 80 and over 20 percent respectively.

And up front, all Acadia's come equipped with a 15 inch infotainment screen and 11 inch digital instrument panel.

Abundant with improvements, we were off to South Carolina to feel out the new Acadia for ourselves.

BEN DAVIS: My first impression of the 2024 Acadia is that it's enormous inside.

The, uh...the dash is lower than the hood and it gives an incredible forward visibility.

Uh...also, compared to the outgoing model it's almost 11 inches longer and a little over 3.0 inches taller, and that translates into a enormous family hauling machine, even though the demographic technically isn't a family hauler, it makes a great one.

GREG CARLOSS: And that's not just because of the space.

The new 2.5 liter turbo-4 makes moving a breeze.

At 328 horsepower and 326 pound-feet of torque, it's stronger than the outgoing V6, and the 8-speed automatic provides smooth delivery to the front wheels or all-wheel-drive if equipped.

The 2024 GMC Acadia starts just under $44,000 with delivery; the all-wheel-drive-only AT4 starts just over $50,000, while the Denali reaches just over $55K.

They're available on dealer lots now, and ready for your next adventure.

JESSICA RAY: The world of electric vehicles is often critiqued for lacking good affordable options, but that's starting to change thanks to new players like, the 2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV.

And to make the point now, this newcomer starts at $34,995.

That's with destination and not including the $7,500 federal tax credit, of which the Equinox qualifies for in full.

Alright, so it's affordable, but is it any good?

Well, after some drive time around Chevy's turf in Detroit, Michigan... we say yes!

The Equinox EV drives pretty much exactly how I was expecting it to drive in the best way.

It's quiet.

It's smooth.

It's really comfortable.

There's a fair amount of space here in the cabin...um, and like a lot of other GM models, specifically base General Motors models, um...they have really good NVH, which means that...um, whether we're driving at lower speeds or even high speeds on the highway...um, it's just really quiet and comfortable in here.

Built on GM's Ultium platform, the Equinox EV is powered by an 85 kilowatt hour battery, providing up to 319 miles of range on front-wheel-drive models and 285 miles on all-wheel-drive units.

With a single motor up front, expect 213 horsepower and 288 pound-feet of torque; with a second, smaller motor mounted in back, that ups to 236 HP and 333 pound-feet.

The interior is plenty roomy, and the 17 inch infotainment screen is equally appreciated.

No Carplay or Android Auto per say, but Google Built-In is included to fully interface with your smartphone.

The 2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV is available now, again, starting at $34,995 before incentives.

A bargain on its own and hopefully the beginnings of a new industry trend.

And we'll follow those trends with more QuickSpins...soon!

JOHN: When the BMW X6 arrived for 2008, coupe-like SUVs really weren't even a thing.

After all, isn't a high, squared roof all but required to even be called an SUV?

Well, forget that!

Sloped roof utility vehicles surely are a thing now, and that's mostly thanks to the X6, which is now in its 3rd generation and ever more the trendsetter.

♪ ♪ This 2024 BMW X6 may not qualify as all new, but the 3rd generation of this Sports Activity Coupe has been thoroughly updated with increased power, better style, more standard content, and improved tech.

The X6 is, of course, the more stylish coupe-like version of BMWs X5 midsize crossover, and they share many of the same updates.

Exterior changes for this sloped roof utility include a revised face with slimmer headlights.

And since, so many people add the M Sport package to their X6s, BMW has now made it standard; it includes a big octagonal insert below the grill with large air intakes, exaggerated vent-style fender trim front and rear, side skirts, and lots of black accents.

Twenty inch wheels are also standard, 22s available.

Inside, the big news is a heavily revised dash with BMWs latest curved display that includes a 12.3 inch driver info screen, and a 14.9 inch central display powered by iDrive 8.

So, while there is still a central controller, you can use it as just a touchscreen.

More standard content here in the base xDrive40i for '24 includes Harmon Kardon audio and a panoramic moonroof.

The M Sport package adds an M Sport steering wheel and aluminum trim, and some finely stitched and comfortable sport seats covered in BMWs latest Sensafin vegan material.

The severely sloped roof does impede access to the rear seats somewhat, but there's plenty of adult-size headroom and legroom once you get settled inside, along with dedicated climate controls.

At 27.4 cubic-feet, cargo space is way less than the X5s 33.9; but there's still plenty of floorspace for luggage.

You're really just losing capacity for tall, bulky items.

Max space with seats folded is a fine 59.6 cubic-feet.

Power for this xDrive40i comes from an upgraded 3.0 liter inline-6 turbo engine with 48 volt mild-hybrid technology; output is now 375 horsepower, up 40; torque gains are more significant, an additional 51 pound-feet to 383, as much as 398 when getting full electric assistance.

The inline-6 sounds powerful and delivered lots of low-end torque at our Mason Dixon test track.

So much so, even with all-wheel-drive and grippy 22 inch tires, we were spinning up at the line.

And even with that, we managed to hit 60 in just 4.4 seconds.

Shifts were both fast and firm, helping us complete the quarter-mile in 12.9 seconds at 108 miles per hour.

The X6 comes standard with the Adaptive M suspension with electromagnetically controlled dampers, which had it feeling quite spry through our handling course.

There was very little body roll; and despite a numb feel, steering was quick and accurate.

The wide footprint provides a very stable platform that seemed more than ready for whatever we threw at it.

Pricing for this xDrive40i starts at $75,495 and that's more than enough X6 for our money; if you absolutely need the M60i's V8, you'll have to pony up at least $95,295.

Coupe-styled SUVs are not for everyone, but if you're okay with letting practicality take a bit of a backseat to style, you might as well get the original, as the 2024 BMW X6 is better than ever and continues to set the standard for stylish performance-oriented SUVs.

Well, that's our show, I hope you enjoyed it.

Now, for more MotorWeek , including daily news updates, podcasts, and even complete episodes, cruise on over to PBS.ORG/MOTORWEEK.

And I hope you'll join us next time... ...when we test the latest from an original minivan brand, the Chrysler Pacifica, followed by a roundup of our favorite plug-in hybrids!

Until then, I'm John Davis.

We'll see you right here on MotorWeek !

ANNOUNCER: To learn more about MotorWeek , Television's Original Automotive Magazine, visit... MotorWeek is proudly sponsored by Auto Value and Bumper to Bumper, a nationwide network of stores and shops providing major brand auto and truck parts, and service from coast to coast, and in your local community.

Learn more at AutoValue.Com and BumperToBumper.Com.

TireRack.Com is proud to support MotorWeek !

First, there was the wheel.

Then, the tire.

"We'll call it TireRack."

Forty years later, we're not slowing down.

♪ ♪ This program was produced by Maryland Public Television, which is solely responsible for its content.

(engine revving) ♪ ♪ You're watching PBS.