is a 4 cylinder 2 liter 140 horsepower engine sufficient for daily driving?

There are plenty of cars will smaller engines that work fine. School and work is light duty. It's not the size of the engine that determines safety on the interstates, it's the size of the driver's brain that makes the safety point. Think ahead, drive ahead of your front bumper and you'll be fine.

Sorry but that is horrible advise... One of the most driven dependable car on the road would be something like a Toyota Corolla for example and it has a 1.8L engine with 130 hp or so. If it wasn't sufficient for daily driving than they wouldn't be making Sentra with an engine like that in 2012.

You said you only go to school and work... That car is perfect for ya.

YOur friend is not very well informed! SOme of the most powerful race engines are 4cylinder ones, and a Nissan four banger is a GREAT and long living engine! It is capable of running on the autobahn at speeds of over 120 MPH for extended periods, as are nearly ALL current 4 cyinder engines. I havvve owned a few VW's that can EASILY run at extended high speeds and are very competetive in street racing, and are Autobahhn tested! Take that NISSAN out on a through test drive and see for yourself how it "FEELS" at highway speeds. Usually they feel secure, balanced and in step. Don't be deceived by horsepower ratings. It is all about efficiency and HP per cubic inch. Test drive the 274 HP turbo four banger at Hyundai, for example. It makes 2.22 HP per cubi inch. ANy engine that gets over ONE hp per cubi inch is pretty efficient. Your Nissan is getting 1.15 HP per cubic inch. This is quite acceptable!!! It's all about balance and efficiency. I woudl tend to go with a VW turbo diesel if I had a choice. It is VERY powerful and gets over 50 MPG on the highway. Easily it will last for 300,000+ miles if cared for according to the manual. Most Honda CRV's and cars are driven by four cylinder engines, and many Euorpean cars ALSO have efficient four bangers in them! Test drive that turbo Hyundai before you make a choice!! I prefer the safety of Euro cars that were designed for speeds in excess of 140 MPH, and have stronger car bodies. But that is just ME!!! It is easy to determine efficiency by dividing the HP by the cubic inches of the engine. There is more than that even, including trans type and final drive ratio. There are many Euro cars with turbo diesels that get better than 60 MPG, and are STILL autobahn eager and capable off extended runs over 120 MPH, safely!

I'd question that "same exact weight" figure: there's usually about 100 lb difference between a four and a six, and AWD adds even more weight. That said, 179 hp is plenty for getting around; I've done cross-country trips with fifty fewer ponies without incident.

More than enough. Don't be ridiculous! I drove a 60 bhp Fiat Punto for 4 years and it never let me down! Managed to sell it too... And now I only have a 115bhp Peugeot. Save yourself some dollar on tax/insurance and DONT TAKE YOUR 'MATES' ADVICE. I mainly drive/commute alone too by the way.

I drove several times across the country in a Mazda with a 2-liter four with 130 hp. No problems whatsoever. Get some new friends.

The Sentra has about 22 lbs per horse. This is enough for a daily driver and/or grocery getter. It will not be as peppy as a car with 200 horse power, but for a single person who is interested in owning a practical car and not a race car it will be enough.

That info is incorrect! Nissan sentra's have been around for a long time and there are many,many,many 4 cylinder cars with specs like this. They get good mileage and are reliable.

Your friend doesn't know Shiites from Shine-ola. 140 Hp is plenty of ponies for everyday driving.

unless you tow a boat or drive with 4 people 140 hp is fine,,,TEST DRIVE IT