Top 10 Best Base Models

An ode to the base model.

Black door handles and a seat that can't move up and down/
paying monthly for not a lot has me feeling like a clown.

Just because you might not be able to afford more than the very least in a car doesn't mean you have to sing the base-model blues. Automakers are adding more features to their lowliest trim levels to entice shoppers even if some are stuck in the stone ages before the USB port became a necessity.

Here are 10 models that we consider to be solid picks, even in their base-model version.

Which Cars Fit Three Car Seats?

UPDATE 6/7/2013: Parents are often searching for the automotive holy grail: a car that's not a minivan and can fit three child-safety seats across the backseat. It's a short list.

In the more than three years that Cars.com editors have been installing car seats into test vehicles, we've come across only a handful of cars that can hold three car seats across a backseat.

The newest vehicle to make our list is the 2013 Nissan Armada. The largest of the brand's SUVs has room for eight passengers and easily accommodates three car seats across its second row.

As we come across more cars that fit three child-safety seats, we'll add to this list. For now, here are the cars from our Car Seat Checks that can fit three car seats in the second row:

Refreshed Mazda CX-9 Doesn't Need to Change Third Row

The Mazda CX-9 has undergone a refresh for the 2013 model year. This doesn't equal a full redesign — even if TV and radio commercials make it sound that way. The reality is that small changes of the baby-step variety were made to the CX-9's outside and inside, but not wholesale changes, especially not to the third row. In the past, our team of editors has dinged the CX-9 for being tight on space in both legroom and headroom, as well as being difficult to access the third row.

The truth in numbers is hard to dispute. Not one interior dimension has changed between the "old" 2012 CX-9 and the "new" 2013 CX-9 and that includes the third row. Third-row dimensions are far roomier in the slightly longer Chevy Traverse and even the significantly shorter Honda Pilot. You can compare all four here.

But my family found the CX-9's third row to be flexible enough to make up for the shortness of space.

2014 Mazda6 Video

Americans sure love their Honda Accords and Toyota Camrys, and Mazda's competing midsize family sedan hasn't been successful in wooing shoppers away from those segment leaders. But Cars.com reviewer Mike Hanley says the 2014 Mazda6's fuel economy — now rated at 26/38 mpg city/highway — may be just the edge it needs to steal some hearts. Hanley says improved efficiency, however, doesn't mean mitigated acceleration or transmission responsiveness. Improved exterior styling, interior materials, cabin comfort and cargo space engender a luxurious feel, but a dinky navigation system undermines that somewhat. Watch the video above.

Related
2014 Mazda6: Second Take
2014 Mazda6: Photo Gallery
More Mazda6 News on Cars.com

2014 Mazda6: Second Take

Despite offering a sporty driving experience in a stylish package, the Mazda6 has struggled to win buyers in the family sedan segment. It's always been a bit player in the class, but Mazda is making a big push in the segment again with a redesigned 2014 Mazda6. The car appears to have what it takes to challenge the segment leaders, but a few common complaints also cropped up after testing by several Cars.com editors.

Read the full review of the 2014 Mazda6

The car's looks, for one, seem like they'll go a long way toward bringing shoppers into the showroom. "This is one of the best-looking cars I've driven in some time," said Managing Editor David Thomas. "I don't mean this is the best-looking sedan or midsize sedan I've driven; I'm talking looks across the segments including sports cars and luxury vehicles."

Cars.com editors weren't the only ones who noticed the Mazda6's styling. "During each of my drives, the car turned heads," said editor Jennifer Geiger. "I hadn't received that much attention from pedestrians and other drivers since I first tested the Scion FR-S."

Cars.com Family Reviews the 2013 Mazda CX-9

A three-row crossover, the 2013 Mazda CX-9 successfully manages to handle seven passengers without feeling bulky or looking matronly, says Cars.com Family reviewer Courtney Messenbaugh. This crossover is agile and its 3.7-liter V-6 engine easily handles highway on-ramps. Courtney says the third row isn't the most comfortable, but anyone can sit back there for a short trip.

2013 Mazda CX-9 Family Review

2014 Mazda6: Car Seat Check

Mazda's midsize sedan was redesigned for 2014 with more dramatic exterior styling and two new four-cylinder engines, including the car's first turbo diesel. Installing child-safety seats in the Mazda6 was relatively drama-free, however.

For the Car Seat Check, we use a Graco SnugRide 30 rear-facing infant-safety seat, a Britax Roundabout convertible child-safety seat and Graco high-back TurboBooster seat.

Five New Cars Earn IIHS Top Safety Pick+

Well, that was a quick turnaround. Just seven months after eight of 11 luxury cars blew the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's new small-overlap frontal test, all five cars in the latest IIHS small-overlap test scored Acceptable or Good — the top two of four possible scores.

The 2014 Mazda6 sedan, 2013 Honda Civic Coupe and Civic Sedan, 2013 Volvo XC60 SUV and 2013 Lincoln MKZ sedan passed IIHS' most challenging frontal test, which simulates a 40-mph impact with a rigid barrier that overlaps just 25% of the front of a car. All five cars earned IIHS' Top Safety Pick+ ("plus") honor, a rank above Top Safety Pick status.

IIHS said in 2012 that some 10,000 annual highway deaths in the U.S. occur from frontal collisions, and nearly a quarter of those occur because of so-called small overlap situations.

The 2013 MKZ is the first car that documents an automaker's improvement in the same test. In August 2012, its predecessor scored poorly, allowing a belted crash-test dummy to careen toward the A-pillar rather than the front airbag. The redesigned MKZ offered better front-airbag protection, earning the car an Acceptable score. The Mazda6 scored Acceptable, too.

Most-Read Car Reviews of the Week

If the persevering popularity of the 2013 Toyota RAV4 is any indicator, we should've included it on our list of Top 10 Cars for the 2012 Apocalypse. As the scrappy crossover has been the lone occupant of the No. 1 spot on our list of most-read reviews for the entirety of 2013 so far, it seems an extinction-level event would leave behind only the cockroaches and the RAV4. Despite a spirited challenge to the RAV4's stranglehold on the top spot, list newcomer the 2014 Mazda CX-5 managed just better than two-thirds the traffic, good for second place. Otherwise, holdovers from last week did some spot swapping.

Check out what was popular this week:
1. 2013 Toyota RAV4
2. 2014 Mazda CX-5
3. 2014 Subaru Forester
4. 2013 Ford Explorer
5. 2013 Ford Fusion
6. 2013 Ford Escape
7. 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport
8. 2014 Kia Sorento
9. 2013 Toyota Avalon
10. 2013 Nissan Pathfinder

Cars.com Reviews the 2013 Mazda CX-9

The 2013 Mazda CX-9 differentiates itself from other members in the large-crossover gym by throwing some cardio and calisthenics in with the weights — and though you might not know it by looking, it's a more well-rounded athlete for the extra effort. Cars.com reviewer Jennifer Geiger says the CX-9 has worked hard to compete in its market segment, though it hasn't gotten the recognition it deserves for its sportier, more agile driving dynamics. Opinions will differ on the look and comfort of the interior, but the fuel economy and navigation system disappoint. Read the review and decide if the CX-9 has what it takes to stand up to its competitively priced peers.

2013 Mazda CX-9 Review