Personal Picks ? Family sedans[SIZE=-1]Trucks aside, these family sedans make up the lion?s share of the automotive market. With price and fuel economy on many buyers? minds these days, a basic four-door car can fit the bill for many consumers. Often short on pizzazz but long on value, sedans fulfill what most people need for daily transportation.
This group included tests of both 4-cylinder and V6 versions of the Hyundai Sonata and Mazda6 as well as the 4-cylinder Saturn Aura and Chevrolet Malibu. We also took a look at two alternative-powered models: the diesel-powered Volkswagen Jetta TDI and Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid. (See our recent family sedans road tests and videos.)
Here are our picks:
Tom Mutchler: I readily admit it: certain patterns emerge from my Personal Picks. Along with a fondness for the last-generation Nissan Murano and the Honda Odyssey, I like wagons and used cars. Those preferences are why I can?t just pick one car from this category.
Our VW Jetta TDI is a delightful car to drive. With a well-finished interior, enjoyable (if not quite sports sedan-level) handling, and strong crash test results, any Jetta is a pleasant car. Add the diesel and you get fantastic fuel economy with locomotive-like mid-range torque. Finally, wrap that all into the available wagon body style, and I?m downright smitten. Despite my experiences with VW reliability from my last VW (a Passat wagon), a Jetta TDI SportWagen would be high on my list if I were to buy a new car today. (Assuming I could even find one in stock; there were waiting lists when we bought ours.)
It isn?t hard to find my other pick from this group: a 2006 Honda Accord EX-L V6 sedan. That Accord is very reliable with modern levels of safety gear (including stability control) and a roomy, comfortable interior. (If I was feeling sporty, I?d get the stick shift.) A quick look at AutoTrader.com shows that I can find one for around $16,500 with about 30,000 miles on the clock. Given the economy, I wouldn?t mind the lower payments, and I?d have a great car.
Gabe Shenhar: I?ve been on record as someone who?d pick the Honda Accord since our posting on family sedans in February, 2008. None of the recently tested cars changes that. But if we?re talking about the specific cars we just tested, my pick is the Mazda6. It?s a really nice car. It drives well and looks great. It is one of the sportiest driving sedans in this class with agile handling, nice steering and a taut, supple ride. It?s sufficiently roomy inside, has good seats, and a tasteful interior. Either the four-cylinder or V6 versions have pleasant powertrains, although neither is a fuel economy champ. A bit of road noise and a few other details count against the 6 in terms of overall score in our testing, but sometimes a car is worth more than the sum of its parts. However, I understand not wanting to be part of the herd with a conventional family sedan. That said, I wouldn?t exclude a Volkswagen Jetta GLI or an Acura TSX from my list of nominees.
Rick Small: In this group, the Mazda6 fits my tall frame the best and has a sportier feel than many others. Fuel economy, however, could be better on both engines. The Hyundai Sonata has come a long way and now has a very nice interior and a quiet, comfortable ride. Sporty? Not at all. Both the four-cylinder and V6 Sonatas perform well and deliver competitive fuel economy -- and they come with one of the longest warranties around. The Chevrolet Malibu and Ford Fusion are also well balanced cars and fully competitive. Other cars in this class that I would buy are the Honda Accord and Nissan Altima. Both are on the sporty side for this class and have plenty of room in the front and back seats. Both are reliable and both the four-cylinder and V6 engines in each are at the upper end for performance and economy. In fact, the four-cylinder Altima with the CVT is a standout for me because it manages to delivers competitive fuel economy and the performance of many V6s in this class.
Mike Quincy: There are lots of cars here to like, but only a few to love. I love the VW Jetta TDI. The 540-mile cruising range and 47 mpg on the highway make me giddy. The Jetta?s interior features high quality materials that fit together well. Combine all these traits with comfortable seats and satellite radio and I?m the happiest driver on the highway. But in double-checking the Jetta?s fuel economy facts, I came across outstanding numbers for the four-cylinder Sonata: 555-mile cruising range and 40 mpg on the highway. Wow. From a four-cylinder Hyundai? And with no hybrid system or diesel engine? Impressive, to say the least. Aside from that, though, there?s really nothing much more to love: handling is just OK, the styling doesn?t move me, and it?s simply not fun to drive. And while I find the V6 Mazda6 one of the more entertaining sedans available, for me, there is only one car that combines so much automotive goodness for about $24,000. That?s the Jetta TDI.
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