Drivers Pick for 2010 best Midsize Sedans
Midsize sedan or family sedan—which is the most politically correct term to describe four door vehicles that can carry five passengers comfortably and still have the ability to have standard comfort and convenience features, such as power windows, door locks, air conditioning, and cruise control? Of course, comfort and convenience features for the family are not necessarily the primary roleplayers in this case; performance and handling also play the key factors when considering a midsize sedan. The Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Nissan Altima, and the Ford Fusion are among the most popular cars for the 2010 model year, and but some of the other participants have also been jumping into the competition to take the gold of the #1 pick of the best midsize/family sedan of 2010. Here is my list of the top 10 midsize sedans that had dominated the U.S. automobile market today.
10. Dodge Charger—Most people had thought that during the times when Mercedes-Benz and Chrysler had merged, they would never buy a Mercedes-Benz or Chrysler product again. Now that the “wedding bells had been called off” for both the German and American car companies, I believe that Chrysler still had the guts to make everything look like…well, pieces of junk. The Dodge Charger’s interior still has that plastic feel to it, and the four-spoke steering wheel still looked pretty old-school to me. Chrysler had said that the Dodge Charger was based on the late W220 Mercedes-Benz S-Class and W210 Mercedes-Benz E-Class, and I think that even with the powerful HEMI V8, Chrysler still managed to screw everything up.
9. Chevrolet Malibu—Well, at least it drives a lot better than the Dodge. The seating position is somewhat at par, but I still think that GM can do a much better job with this car. The USB port for the iPod is in the wrong place (but that’s a minor thing), and the ride is a bit choppy when driving on surface roads. If I were to take a Chevy that rides like a car, I would take an Equinox (GMC Terrain) for visibility purposes.
8. Nissan Altima—I really cannot stand the CVT transmission on this car; I mean, is there really a point to it? Other than that, it has a boat load of gadgetry such as an optional USB port, Bluetooth, steering-wheel audio controls, and a peppy [V6] engine; the 4-cylinder just lags, especially with the CVT. The Maxima grips the road a hell of a lot better, but that’s another story.
7. Toyota Camry—Yeah, I know, there had been a lot of recalls that went on these past few months from Toyota, yada-yada…but, that does not mean that I had picked the Camry to be even in the Top 5 on this list. The V6 engine has a smoother ride than the 4-cylinder 2.4, and the styling itself had been a bit on the funky side, but the thing that really got me violated was the Camry’s gear lever, which still looks a bit, well, like a chrome-plated stick. Come on, Toyota, grow up a bit.
6. Honda Accord—I have been a Honda guy, and I will always be a Honda guy for as long as I live (just kidding). The Honda Accord has been around since the mid 1970s, and I have to tell you, it has evolved in a seriously positive manner. The VCM technology in the EX’s V6 engine does a great job in conserving fuel by shutting down three cylinders at low speeds, but at $30,000? Really?
5. Volvo S60—A midsize family car from Sweden? Hey, we can be creative sometimes. The S60 had been redesigned for 2011 with a new body style as well as a new engine. But the European looks do not really scream “family sedan,” does it?
4. Volkswagen Passat—I actually liked the Passat from Volkswagen, especially with its 2.0-liter turbocharged engine derived from the GTI. The interior is very well-appointed in terms of German engineering, but technology is a bit on the bland side. I have no problem controlling songs from my iPhone via the steering wheel controls, but, what about Bluetooth?
3. Mazda 6—5-star crash test safety ratings all around with a peppy four-cylinder or V6 engine. What more can a guy like me ask for? Oh yeah, why should I pay over $30,000 for a 6 with a blind-spot monitoring system? Also, the Bluetooth and iPod controls seem a bit outdated, don’t you think?
2. Hyundai Sonata—When I looked at the 2011 Hyundai Sonata, I thought, “Man, that is a sweet-looking car.” It has really sharp lines like the car was taken from the Mercedes-Benz CLS, only without the CLS’ price tag. And you know what else? The car actually has the highest fuel efficiency in its class. Better than Toyota, Honda, or Nissan. Also, both Bluetooth and iPod integration (USB) are standard on this car.
1. Ford Fusion—Why did I put this car at the top of the list? Well, for three reasons: 1) The Ford Fusion also rated pretty high on crash-test ratings by the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety; 2) The Fusion was voted “2010’s Motor Trend Car of the Year” in terms of value; 3) It has all of the bells and whistles, performance, and comfort that I always want in a midsize sedan (especially Ford’s SYNC system). Yeah, I know it’s a Ford, but I also know that it is trying its hardest to catch up to the Japanese auto market in terms of reliability.
