Family sedans
The redesigned Hyundai Sonata now rivals the Nissan Altima
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Two freshened versions of our top-rated Nissan Altima (available to subscribers) family sedan led the other cars in this group, but the big story among our four tested models is the huge step forward that Hyundai has made with the redesigned Sonata (available to subscribers). That vehicle has been transformed from a humdrum car into a stylish, competent, and competitively priced sedan. The Sonata scored just behind the four-cylinder Altima.
The family sedan segment is the largest of the car market. It ranges from basic, midsized sedans priced in the low $20,000s to V6-powered, high-end versions costing around $30,000. Along with the Altima and the Sonata, we tested the new Suzuki Kizashi and the Chevrolet Impala (both available to subscribers). Prices ranged from $21,800 for the Sonata GLS to $30,335 for the V6-powered 3.5 SR Altima.
Now one of our top-rated family sedans, the Sonata has agile handling, a steady ride, good accommodations, easy-to-use controls, and impressive performance and fuel economy for the class.
The Altima's 2010 freshening includes standard electronic stability control, which makes the sedan's handling more secure at its limits. We tested a four-cylinder and a V6 version.
The new Kizashi is well-equipped and marketed as a sportier sedan. Its size and interior space are more typical of a compact sedan than a family sedan. It is only available with a four-cylinder engine. The Kizashi is the only car in this group to offer all-wheel drive.
The Impala rides on the same platform it has had for years, and it shows its age. Despite its large dimensions, the interior doesn't benefit from them. But the trunk is large. Updates to the Impala, including standard ESC, warranted a retest.
New sedans hitting the market
The new Buick Regal, which is a German-built compact sedan, just went on sale. Family sedans on the horizon include two more versions of the Sonata: a turbocharged model and a hybrid version. Both are expected this fall, as is a redesign of the Sonata's corporate cousin, the Kia Optima.
Auto Test Extra: Lexus GX 460
We are publishing the road test of the Lexus GX 460 (available to subscribers), which was supposed to have been part of our June group (available to subscribers) but was deemed a Don't Buy: Safety Risk (available to subscribers). We gave it that designation because of a problem encountered during one of our standard emergency-handling tests. Toyota has since issued a fix, which was applied to our vehicle. We retested the GX and confirmed that the problem had been properly addressed, so we have removed the designation. It is not recommended yet, pending reliability data.
Used-car alternatives
You can save or get more for your money by buying used. These family sedans offer a good mix of room, comfort, and fuel economy.
| Model | Current value |
|---|---|
| ’09 Subaru Legacy (base) | $16,800 |
| ’08 Ford Fusion SEL (V6) | 14,800 |
| ’08 Honda Accord LX | 16,400 |
| ’07 Nissan Altima S | 14,450 |
Why you’re seeing so much red
You might notice that three of our test cars this month are red. In the past, we bought cars to be part of a group and varied the colors to help distinguish them.
Now that we're publishing individual road tests online we're less concerned with the color than we are with timeliness, so we buy what's quickly available. Lately we're on a roll with red.
When we buy vehicles, we avoid colors like black and white because they often do not photograph as well as other colors. We also shy away from more unusual colors, such as orange or turquoise, because cars in those colors tend to fetch less when we resell them.
