Cars.com's $25,000 Family Sedan Shootout
What happens when you take eight of the best-selling and newest family sedans and pit them against each other? Well, it turns out you get a clear winner as evidenced in our $25,000 Family Sedan Shootout.
The premise is pretty self-explanatory. Each test car in the shootout needed to have a four-cylinder engine, automatic transmission and a price tag under $25,000 before destination. Otherwise, the automakers could load up the cars with any features they wanted, as long as they kept it under the price tag.
Then, a team of Cars.com, USA Today and “MotorWeek" experts took the cars to task alongside a real-world family of four. The contenders were the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Ford Fusion, Chevy Malibu, Hyundai Sonata, Mazda6, Nissan Altima and Suzuki Kizashi.
There are a lot of revealing tidbits about the cars and how some really surprised us — Kizashi?! Check out all the stories below and leave your thoughts and questions in the comment section.
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This "shootout" review feels very Car & Driver 1989. It suffers from all the same old problems: conservative voice, disimilar comparisons and dull writing. You're other format is more topical, entertaining and relevant. Don't lump yourself into this genre. Ditch this dishwater format, stat.
^^^^Vehemently agree. Don't go down that road.
This isn't supposed to be written for car enthusiasts looking for a fun read but for someone who's looking to buy a car. There is room on the internet for both, and the latter is underrepresented.
However, I've always hated point systems. A human can make a better determination about what car is better than another far better than a calculation that attempts to determine the sum of its parts.
Also, the Kizashi is no midize car. The interior volume is dead-on with a Mazda3, not 6.
I would put the Fusion ahead of the Altima and the Accord, but rightly behind the camry ( I have driven a couple thousand miles in all four), even though I don't like it, it is a really good car. I totally agree with the "feels cheap" about the altima. I drove one for a month after hurricane Ike damaged my car and hated it. Roads that barely phased my much older car tossed the altima around and big bumps made it feel really cheap. It was fast though :).
About the writing - I hate it when cars that lost barely have anything negative written about them (Fusion) and cars that didn't read like a loser (Accord)
Broq
Scott J,
We try very hard not to have that "C&D" voice. What parts didn't you like? What past comparisons of ours that we've done did you prefer? Let us know.
Appreciate your feedback.
Brady,
Actually Kizashi is classified as midsized and its interior volume specs are quite big
http://www.cars.com/go/compare/trimCompare.jsp?acodes=USC00SZC101A0,USC00MAC171A0,USC00CHC111A0
Remember, Accord upped the size to full-size interior with the last redesign and Mazda6 did the same. However, since it was a family challenge, the more cramped rear of the Kizashi definitely hurt it. Trunk I think the family could have lived with, and I recently drove it again and found it pretty sizable.
Broq,
Fusion definitely had its faults. Chief among them was our test vehicle had a glitch in its transmission. it had a lot of miles for a test car.
Also when you drive these all back to back some things really stick out. For me (and all of our scores are listed individually in the main story) the seats were uncomfortable and the visibility was really bad outside of the side mirrors. The mirrors actually sit below the windows which was odd.
Feel free to ping me with any other questions. In the end I was surprised that the total scores came so close to what I found individually.
I drove the Kizashi and Mazda3 back-to-back, and except for the trunk the two were very close in terms of interior feel, if not the numerical volumes (which are of marginal utility).
The Kizashi is right around the same price as a comparable Mazda3 S and pretty close to the same size inside and out. I see it as more of a Jetta/Mazda3 premium compact than a midsize sedan, despite its positioning within the Suzuki lineup. "Better to drive but less roomy" is the standard tradeoff between a compact and midsize car.
Brady,
I totally agree with you that it can be compared with those cars and have said so before. It plays in a middle ground for sure. It's AWD helps it out too since none of the compacts besides Impreza have it. And if you compare Kizashi to Impreza I think you'll find it much bigger.
I think adult passengers in the back will definitely feel the added room in Kizashi and it is wider. Hip and shoulder room are big deals to me and even the interior materials are close (if not better) to the 2011 VW Golf we just had in the office at a nearly identical sticker to the Kizashi FWD we had here a few weeks ago (different than the shootout one). And both similarly equipped!
It's just a shocking car because you think "This is a Suzuki?" because it's a leap to competing with VW and Mazda on many levels if not besting them in some.
For families though the backseat is almost a no go for two kids in safety seats.
Any way you can post a photo of the interior of the Kizashi with nav? I've been looking on-line but due to its late introduction haven't found any images that show what the option looks like.
Sorry if I missed it in the article, but which sedan was the least backbreaking for putting a child into a child seat?
David,
Again, not perfect comparison. Where is the Legacy? Where is the Galant? Ah, yes, they still make those.
I am surprised to hear "Room, and lots of it" about Malibu. Isn't it one of the smallest? And "Looks better than it drives..." Isn't Malibu one of the better drivers?
And whats up with Fusion? According to MT it drives like BMW?
Besides Fusion your test pretty much has same results as recent Motor Trend test where they had 7 cars.
- Kizashi
- MAzda6
+ Legacy
Ah, OK, their test was "Best selling family sedan".
Can someone just test all of them?
Tony,
Mitsubishi and Chrysler declined to take part. Subaru could not get us a tester that met our requirements (under $25,000 as equipped).
Most car companies load up test fleets with fully optioned vehicles so car reviewers can test as many features as possible. We really wanted the Subaru there.
Bob,
Chevy Malibu scored highest on car seats because you could fit three across. Sonata, Accord and Camry came in just behind it.
Dave T.,
Why wasn't all that put in the "cons" section? I know it (Fusion) has faults, I was just saying that I read the article and saw mostly positive or mid pack type comments and then boom, 8th place. Whereas some of the cars had lots of negatives written about them and they fared better.
Broq
I thought the article was very good and probably close to capturing what the public thinks, the only exception would be most consumers would probably vote the Malibu at the bottom given it's strong rental car heritage. The public does not like that. I enjoyed the surprise addition of the Suzuki. Very good job.
@David Thomas:
Thanks for your response, but please let me rephrase my question: regardless of the number of child seats, how easy is it to actually put children in the seats? I guess this is a function of roof height, rear passenger space, shape of rear door opening, etc. Did the reviewers have any thumbs up or down for any specific cars?
Bob
AH, I see what you're saying. We didn't have a dummy or anything to test that out but both Kizashi and Sonata were probably the only two with an issue in that regard. Sonata has a pretty radical sloping roofline and even adults bumped their heads. I'd say the rest didn't really have similar issues.
"Subaru could not get us a tester that met our requirements (under $25,000 as equipped). ... We really wanted the Subaru there."
That's a shame. If they'd had a 2.5i Limited, no addons, that slots *just* under $25k, and is as well equipped as anything else in the test. (No Nav or Moonroof for that price.)
I still don't understand how Malibu possibly can have a bigger bacl seat then Camry or Accord.
I've set in all 3 and Malibu had by far the smallest, list comfortable back seat.
May be, installing child seats has to do with shoulder room or something?
Tony,
Not just seat backs, but seatbelt placement, LATCH access , flat seat bottoms help etc etc. There's a lot more involved than just overall volume, at least with our scores.
Here's my thoughts/opinion on how you could improve this kind of content.
Format -- Your "Faceoff" format is a favorite of mine and would seem to be a good candidate for the "shootout" page, rather than a long-form story. Handling 6 or more vehicles would definitely be a challenge, for the design and content itself.
Dissimilar Comparison -- Some of these vehicles are ground-up redesigns (e.g. Hyundai). Others are freshened but a few years old (e.g. Ford). Newer cars tend to smoke the older cars, so the results aren't shocking. Also, as others point out, some cars are missing (e.g. Legacy). Finally, people tend to do some class cross-shopping (you'd need some data to establish common cross shopping patterns). For example, it might be interesting to see how CR-Vs and Camrys stack up.
Conservative -- The story seems to have some conservative voice creeping back into the piece. Compared to most of the reviews and news content which tends to be more innovative, it's noticeable.
Thanks for asking for more feedback!
Scott J,
Yes, I think presenting the 8 we had was definitely a challenge no matter which way we went with it.
As for the cars chosen they are all on sale right now and two of the oldest models are the best selling cars in the country. Our guidelines were the $25,000 price and automatic transmission with four-cylinder.
Like I said before, we asked to include the other three automakers' sedans but it was out of our hands.
forgot the voice thing.
I definitely see what you're saying. You want more hard and fast conclusions told with some bite, correct?
The Accord's back seat is significantly bigger than the Malibu - it's not even close. I recently traded an '08 Malibu for a '10 Accord. There is no comparison.
Lasser,
Again, we're not saying size, we're saying how well it handles child safety seats. for the reasons all mentioned above.
How in gods name can the camry be in first, iv been in a few. Awful, cheap, boring, floaty, completly un inspiring. Fusion did feel alittle, off, but was loads better than a camry.
Bite, humor and editorial economy are always appreciated. Again, thanks for fielding the feedback.
I just got an '11 Sonata for my new company car and to be 100% honest I liked my '08 Camry a little better. My Sonata is a really nice car but the Camry was much quieter and it handled better. Yes I said the Camry handled better than the new Sonata. If they'd fix those two things they'd have the best car in the segment.
Jerry right on i had an 07 Camry to an 09 TSX and back to Camry (2010)
the Malibu has a plasticy interior? It has a two-tired, soft-touch dash for crying out loud, a quality which it shares with only the Accord, Altima, and perhaps the Kizashi if i remember right. Also, the armrest on the center console is plenty padded...its even stitched and slides forward. the 2011 Sonata has WAY more plastic than the Malibu, and does not have a soft-touch dash. if it does, its the hardest soft-touch dash i have ever seen.
ALso, I laughed when i saw that you guys said that the Altima, a car that was redesigned in 2007, was getting to be long in tooth. The Fusion has been sold in its current form for much longer than the Altima, and both received more or less a freshening recently.
In 2008, you guys said that the Malibu and Accord were at the tops of their class for driving dynamics, interior space, and interior quality. How did that suddenly change? the Hyundai does NOT drive better than either model, and it does NOT have better fit and finish. Sounds like a way for you to give Hyundai some free advertising since its one of your main sponsors.
I have to say though, this comparison lost all credability in my mind once i saw that the Camry came in third despite losing comparisons to the Accord and Malibu two years ago, and the fact that it is universally seen by the rest of the automotive world as being not as high quality or competitive as either model.
Dude would you like some cheese with that 'whine'? It was a good article across the board.
cars.com, kickingtires.....always always place hyundai on their top. Isnt it clear they are very favorable to the korean automaker all the time? if you take a look at the blog site, there are more hyundai/kia pictures than any other car maker.
You guys pose yourselves as journalist or are you guys simpletins sponsored by hyundai/kia?
Hey,
JM and Insight,
cars.com pretty consistent with edmunds and motortrend.
Both placed Sonata above Accord. And MT recently named Camry the best family sedan. Cars gave it NO2. Close enough.
And they still say that Malibu has better driving dynamics then Accord.
It just seems that these cars are so close to each other now that it is all matter who is testing it. If you happen to get people with love to sporty handling, the Fusion and Malibu will win. Someone who emphasizes design will pick Sonata and Kizashi.
It is even playing field.
Sebring and Galant didn't want to show up because they felt they will get another shot of negative opinion.
We appreciate all the feedback guys but I do need to state that Cars.com has a very strict editorial policy and this shootout had very strict parameters. The reason that the shootout results are somewhat different from past comparisons is due to the fact that it was a $25,000 FAMILY sedan shootout and a real family, plus USA Today experts and Motorweek experts were involved.
We would not take any chance on such a high profile project to sully the name of any of our partners for advertising money. Nor would we do that any other day of the week. Most automakers want editorial content that is real and honest as it is more valuable than something that is clearly a softball effort.
As for level of Kia/Hyundai content, I will say that yes, recently we have had much more of it but that's because we focus on new products and both automakers are turning over their entire lineups in a two year span which is rare.
Ford is adding a lot of new vehicles in 2010 as well hence a lot more Ford coverage. There's no bias, that's just where the news is. If an automaker has a new product, especially ones car shoppers are interested in (our readers) we will cover it in depth.
I find the shootout decent, but I wish there was more writing. It is hard for me to form opinions based on the few words that I provided.
I like the point system. It gives me some sense of how much better some cars are. Sometimes it is good to know that 4 and 5 are a virtual tie.
I was a little surprising to not see a 'handling' category in the scorecard. A lot of made of the Sonata's lack of handling yet that was not scored? I may be misunderstanding the scores (I clicked on the scorecard link)
Finally, some of the concerns are addressed in slightly different versions. The Sonata SE handles better with IMHO sacrificing much ride comfort (I agree that the GLS/Limited version have sloppy handling). Moreover, I base SE costs less than your test car. Similarly the Camry SE looks much better and handles better, but sacrifices too much comfort.
Hyundai is at or near the top because of 1 thing only: THEY ARE STILL THE ONLY MANUFACTURER WITH A 10 YEAR 100,000 MILE WARRANTY.
I drive an 01 Sonata, and I love it. If I didn't have to live on disability, I would buy the 2011 Sonata as fast as I could get to the dealership.
Oh, and by the way: IT ISN'T A KOREAN CAR IF IT'S MADE BY AMERICAN WORKERS.
AND IT ISN'T AN AMERICAN CAR IF IT'S BUILT IN MEXICO
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This was a great comparison and nicely done. It was really helpful for me to be able to focus in on which sedans I actually wanted to go test drive. The top 3 cars seemed the best ones to consider so those are the ones I checked out. Camry was nice in many ways but everything just felt so blah. Handling was ok too, but also blah. Now if i was married or retired or something blah would be ok, but at 25 yrs old, I'm not quite ready for blah yet, even though I'm sure Camry is a very good car.
On to Sonata, in person the exterior styling is even more "risky" than it seems in pictures. I can see how some people could get into it, but that sagging front grille and chrome strips on top of each fender is just a bit too much for my taste. It almost seems like it's styled to attract the type of people that like to put 20 inch chrome weels on their cars.
On the inside, the materials were ok for the catagory but not spectacular. Room was ok except for one significant flaw with the design of the car. A friend who accompanied me to do this comparison sat in the back seats of the Sonata and had to crouch down a bit while seated in order for his head not to rub on the head liner. The roof of Sonata really slopes down towards the back and this is the consequence. He found that un-acceptable in a sedan of this size. Despite this problems, I still felt it would be good to take it for a test drive. I was hoping that perhaps the handling and feel would be so good that I could see myself overlooking the "over the top" exterior stying, and the rear seat headroom issue, but alas.... during some sharp cornering and quick lane changes on the freeway the Sonata disappointed more than I could forgive it for. I was really hoping for better from the Sonata.
Which brings me to the last car, the Suzuki Kizashi. This car was the real "shocker" of the 3. I say this because I never would have guessed in a million years that Kizashi was a Suzuki car. From the outside it differs greatly from both the Sonata and the Camry, with more of a European look not as boring as Camry and more handsome (in a conservative sort of way) than Sonata. Inside again Kizashi did not disappoint. Seat material as well as most surfaces were very nice. But the biggest difference where Kizashi stood out from both Camry and Sonata was in the handling. Quite honestly there was just no comparison. Going around tight corners or executing emergency lane changes on the freeway, Kizashi never looses its cool, even in the same situations where Camry and Sonata just couldn't hang.
The trade off is a smaller trunk, but the other interior proportions seemed pretty close, even the back seats seemed larger than you would think if you had just done an exterior appraisel only.
Since I don't have any children and don't forsee having to use child seats, the small amount of difference of the interior space amoungsts these cars wouldn't affect my decision.
When I added everything up for me, Kizashi came out the clear winner. If Suzuki doesn't do a major national advertising campaign on the Kizashi, it will be a huge mistake because they now have a car that merits it. I would highly suggest that anyone going out to test drive any of these sedans make it a point to check out Suzuki Kizashi, specially if top notch handling is important to you. You just won't get that from the other choices. Atleast not on the level that Kizashi delivers. If top notch performance and handling is not a priority for you, then any of the 3 would still be a good choice.