Comparison review: Eight family sedans (conclusion)

 

8. Mazda6: B-

It looks slick inside and out, but the Mazda6's interior materials and ride quality are nothing special, and its engine is raspy. 

 

7. Honda Accord: B

Solidly built, but not fancy. The ride is also firmer and noisier than some might prefer, and some will also find the seats too hard.

 

6. Toyota Camry: B

With its plushly smooth and impressively quiet ride, the Camry should have walked away with this category. It's let down by cheap interior materials and sloppy assembly. 

 

5. Ford Fusion: B+

Not luxurious, but certainly comfortable. A few key moving parts – like the gear selector – feel junky.

 

4. Subaru Legacy: B+

A raspy, droning engine note intrudes, marring the overall pleasant ambiance of comfortable seats, a well-built interior and a smooth ride.

 

3. Hyundai Sonata: B+

The ride isn't quite as smooth or quiet as it once was on the Sonata, but the modern interior is comfortable and well-constructed. 

 

2. Kia Optima: A-

The seats are very comfortable, the ride comfortable and quiet and the interior mostly quite nice. Mostly.

 

1. Chevrolet Malibu: A-

A solid, substantial feel going down the road gives the Malibu an edge over competing family sedans. Further improvements to the interior would widen the narrow gap between this Chevrolet and its competitors in this category.

 

 

Practicality:

 

8. Chevrolet Malibu: C-

A rear seat with tight headroom for two adults and that's not wide enough for three joins a small trunk opening, mediocre visibility, and a wide turning radius to cost the Malibu points as a family car.

 

7. Honda Accord: B

Expansive passenger space is offset by this comparison's smallest trunk and a rear seat that folds only in one piece.

 

6. Subaru Legacy: B

The Legacy's all-wheel-drive system makes a large hump in the center of the rear floor, and its trunk isn't much bigger than the Accord's, but there's space for five adults to sit in reasonable comfort. 

 

5. Mazda6: B

Cabin space is good but not outstanding; the trunk is the class's biggest. 

 

4. Hyundai Sonata: B+

As in the case of the Mazda6, Hyundai went all the way for cargo on the Sonata and did just okay for the passengers. The tallest adults will want more rear head space, but there's more rear legroom than in the Mazda. 

 

3. Toyota Camry: A-

Only a just-okay trunk stands in the way of the Camry's excellence here. The interior is expansive, and nothing gets in the way of easy driving. 

 

2. Kia Optima: A-

 Like the Camry, the Optima would need a bigger trunk to tackle the class practicality champ, but its comparison-best turning radius and visibility give this Kia its slight edge over the Toyota.

 

1. Ford Fusion: A

It's roomy for passengers and cargo, and easy to drive in daily use.

 

8. Subaru Legacy: B-

The Legacy leans toward comfort over sportiness, and doesn't really excel even there. It's a better balance than the all-comfort Camry, but there are competitors that simultaneously offer better ride, handling and acceleration.

 

7. Toyota Camry: B-

The Camry is best-in-class in a straight line, with a super-smooth and quiet ride and decent engine performance. It's also at the bottom of the pack among these eight cars if you need to go around a curve, though it's not the wallowing boat some paint it as. 

 

6. Ford Fusion: B+

The Fusion strikes a very good ride/handling balance, but neither the steering nor the acceleration is as quick as quite a few of the others. 

 

5. Hyundai Sonata: B+

Inconsistent, artificial-feeling steering lets down a package highlighted by a zippy engine and impressive handling. 

 

4. Honda Accord: B+

The Accord is big but capably nimble, but it's not up to the superlatives that some reviewers sometimes use to describe it. 

 

3. Mazda6: B+

The 6 has light but responsive steering and an agile feel by the class's standards, feeling sharper than the Accord. Engine performance hasn't kept up with the class standard, however.

 

2. Chevrolet Malibu: A-

It's not quite sporty, but the same feeling of substance that paid off in the Malibu's luxury rating also helps it here. The steering could use more feel, but handling is composed and the engine strong. 

 

1. Kia Optima: A

The old Kia is unexpectedly dominant here, with responsive, well-weighted steering, a good balance of ride and handling, and a peppy engine. 

 

Safety:

 

8. Honda Accord: B-

The Accord is one of only two cars of these eight to earn less-than-perfect NHTSA crash test scores – just three stars out of five for rear-occupant protection in a side impact. It's also merely Acceptable in the IIHS roof strength test.

 

7. Kia Optima: B-

The Optima earned five stars all around from NHTSA, but just Acceptable in the IIHS side test and Marginal for its roof.

 

6. Mazda6: B

The Mazda6 earned top NHTSA and IIHS scores for front and side impacts, but was just Acceptable for its roof strength and Marginal for its head-restraint design in preventing rear-impact whiplash. 

 

5. Toyota Camry: B+

The Camry earned top scores in every crash test save a Marginal head restraint performance. 

 

4. Ford Fusion: A-

Mostly top scores all around – the exception being a NHTSA rating of just four stars out of five for rear-occupant protection in a side impact.

 

3. Hyundai Sonata: A-

NHTSA won't test the new Sonata until it has rolled out a new rating system, but the previous generation earned top scores and the current car also has the top IIHS ratings.

 

2. Chevrolet Malibu: A

The Malibu aced each IIHS and NHTSA crash test and also includes GM's OnStar 

 

1. Subaru Legacy: A+

The Legacy aced each IIHS and NHTSA crash test, and gets pushed over the type for its standard all-wheel-drive. 

 

8. Hyundai Sonata: C+

Normally the Hyundai strong suit, the value front is costing the Sonata points as the redesigned car's high demand limits deals, leaving a midlevel SE at an estimated $22,000 out the door. The car also loses points for offering a sunroof only with a navigation system. Note that only $2,500 separates this comparison's priciest car from it's cheapest – no negligible amount, but a relatively modest spread. 

 

7. Chevrolet Malibu: B-

The Malibu costs about the same as the closest comparable Sonata, but includes a sunroof and GM's OnStar driver assistance system at that price of just under $22,000.

 

6. Honda Accord: B-

The Accord costs an estimated $22,240 out the door – a few hundred more than the Sonata or Malibu –  but that's projected as a discount haggled down from a lofty $25,000+. And with the Accord maintaining best-in-class resale value projections from two independent sources – and resale calculations coming off the sticker price – the Accord is the financial pick of the three.

 

5. Subaru Legacy: B-

The Legacy's $21,579 estimated out-the-door price includes good resale value projections and standard all-wheel-drive, but key competitors are less money.

 

4. Mazda6: B-

The Mazda6 is several hundreds of dollars less than a comparable Legacy, but isn't projected to hold its value quite as well, evening that out.

 

3. Kia Optima: B+

The Optima is cheap, but not super-cheap, at a hair under $20,000 when well-equipped. Not only are two competitors a bit cheaper, but those competitors will likely hold their value better. Huge discounts are likely on the way to clear out inventory, which will drop new Optimas to used-car prices; if you can find one with the options you want during the fire sale, that's the time to go for it.

 

2. Ford Fusion: A

The Fusion undercuts the Optima's out-the-door price by a couple hundred dollars and is projected to retain its value much better.

 

1. Toyota Camry: A

The Camry is discounted to within pocket money of the Fusion, from a much higher sticker price. The extra twenty bucks will likely come back at resale time, as resale values are typically calculated from MSRP, so the bigger the discount the better you're doing. 

 

8. Honda Accord: C+

The Accord partially justifies its highest-in-comparison price tag with strong resale value, but so-so refinement, gas mileage and safety ratings still leave it as a tough sell. 

 

7. Subaru Legacy: B-

The Legacy remains tied to its all-wheel-drive, which adds cost and weight. It's roomy, it's well finished and it rides well, but unless you need all-weather capability, it's not doing much that cheaper, better-rounded competitors aren't. 

 

6. Mazda6: B-

The Mazda6 is still the sportiest family sedan, but its lead has dwindled to nearly negligible – especially for someone who cares as much about power as handling. And for someone who isn't willing to make a sacrifice for sporty looks or handling, it falls to last place.

 

5. Chevrolet Malibu: B

The Malibu comes off as the luxury car of this class, for its substantial feel and its substantial price tag. But it doesn't come off as a luxury car in all its interior trimmings, and it's near the bottom of the class for simple family-car practicality. 

 

4. Kia Optima: B+

The oldest car in this comparison from the least-reputable automaker in this comparison manages to come off as the best family sedan on the road, and it's inexpensive and amply-warrantied to boot. Steep depreciation and a few imperfect crash test scores push it off the winners' podium. 

 

3. Toyota Camry: B+

The often-overrated Camry drifts back toward competitive when it's heftily discounted – and as of this writing, it is. It's anything but sporty, and interior assembly lapses cost it points, but if space, comfort and quietness is your thing, you'll get a fine deal on the best-selling Toyota. 

 

2. Hyundai Sonata: B+

A promised sporty character doesn't pervade the Sonata's driving experience, and it's missing Hyundai's typical bargain pricing. Nonetheless, top-notch gas mileage, pleasant ride and handling, a comfortable and well-appointed interior and strong safety ratings are reasons to consider paying a bit extra for one. 

 

1. Ford Fusion: A-

There are few particular areas where it leads its class, but the roomy, quiet, safe, comfortable and cheapest-in-comparison Fusion is good enough at everything to deserve a look from anyone shopping for a midsize sedan. 

 

 

For a sportier and more upscale driving experience, consider the compact Suzuki Kizashi, which is big enough to sometimes be considered a midsize car but that lacks the interior volume of all but the Malibu in this comparison. 

 

And if you're only buying a midsize sedan for its space, consider the roomy Nissan Sentra and Versa and the Hyundai Elantra, which are pleasant to drive and offer more space for four adults than many midsize cars.