They all look pretty good, those midsize sedans.
They've got lots of room, but they're not too big or too expensive. They've all got the modern safety features like side airbags and electronic stability control. They're all pleasant and easy to drive.
That doesn't mean that you can't go wrong with any of them. Despite their similarities, there is broad diversity among today's various midsize family cars. Some have a key tradeoff of strengths and weaknesses that target a specific subset of the broader market, some cost more than very similar competitors, and others that seem perfectly nice still don't live up to today's high standards.
This reviewer last put this class through its paces more than a year and a half ago. Since then, the previous-winner -- the Hyundai Sonata -- has gone through a full, well-received redesign; the runner-up Ford Fusion was heavily upgraded, and the best-selling Toyota Camry got an upgraded powertrain and some healthy discounts.
After these high-profile changes, which sedans lead their class and which ones have fallen behind? Eight test drives hope to answer that question.
Check back over the coming days to see the Sonata, Fusion, Camry and five top competitors ranked from worst to best, and details on which cars best match which type of buyer.
For now, see introductory information on this comparison's eight vehicles in today's slideshow, and visit last year's comparison for reviews of the older versions of these cars and two -- the Chrysler Sebring / Dodge Avenger and Nissan Altima -- whose poor showing last time around disqualified them from this latest round.
See also:
Seventh place
Sixth place
Fifth place
Fourth place
Third place
Second place
First place
Conclusion
Comparison of compact SUVs
All reviews from the Autos Examiner
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