The Nissan Altima is your crossover alternative. Shoppers looking for a new ride that combines value, room, tech, and safety features might consider the Nissan Altima. This midsize, five-passenger sedan offers a solid alternative to crossover utility vehicles (which Nissan offers in abundance) and at a price point below $30,000. … Read more
The Chevrolet Malibu is a midsize sedan. Likely, it is the last of its kind for the bowtie brand as Chevy does away with most of its car models in favor of utility vehicles, pickup trucks, and vans. Chevrolet’s domestic competitors have quit the segment, while most foreign makes are … Read more
Plus a few Sonata features we would love to see changed. Among midsize sedan models, the Hyundai Sonata offers one of the roomiest interiors of all. It sports a premium visage, lovely patinas, and in top-trim models, it brings out various luxury elements. Although crossovers are easily outselling sedans, the … Read more
New sedan replaces an established nameplate (Kia Optima). The Kia Optima is a midsize sedan and has earned its place in a crowded, albeit shrinking segment. Launched in 2001, the Optima was Kia’s first midsize sedan for the U.S. market. Since then, Kia has rolled out larger models, including the … Read more
The Nissan Altima is a strong contender in the midsize sedan segment and for good reason: it offers handsome looks, a beautiful interior, two engine choices, and value. Although the segment continues to shrink, some manufacturers including Nissan are doubling down with new models. Thus, the 2020 Altima is a … Read more
Hybrid models have evolved over the years. The first models were bulbous vehicles designed to minimize airflow and maximize fuel economy. Indeed, the Toyota Prius and first-generation Honda Insight were perhaps the best representations of what gas-electric hybridization could do. Along the way, industry leader Toyota applied its “hybrid synergy … Read more
The Hyundai Sonata is a midsize, front-wheel-drive sedan with room for five. For 2020, the Sonata is all-new, launching the sedan’s seventh generation. It is one of the longest continually made Hyundai model names and among the brand’s most popular vehicles, despite the growth of utility vehicle demand. We think … Read more
Introducing the 2020 Subaru Legacy. If you’re shopping for a new vehicle, then more than likely you’re looking at a crossover, not a sedan. If you’re a Subaru fan, that means you’re probably considering a model such as the Outback, one of four utility vehicle models offered. But if you’re … Read more
The 2020 Honda Accord is a roomy, midsize sedan and one of the best-selling models in its segment. This front-wheel-drive model is joined by the Fit (subcompact) and Accord (compact) cars. You’ll also find a range of Clarity electrified models, which are roughly the same size as the Accord. For … Read more
Like other manufacturers, Nissan has a full stable of utility vehicles in its portfolio. This automaker offers five crossovers, ranging from the small Kicks to the three-row Pathfinder. Add in the bigly Armada SUV and you’ll find a half-dozen vehicles for consumer consideration. Unlike its domestic competitors, Nissan isn’t giving … Read more
Three decades after rolling out the first Legacy, an all-new model launches this midsize sedan’s fourth decade. This month, the 2020 Legacy rolled out at the 2019 Chicago Auto Show, which is just 125 miles from where it will be built at a Lafayette, Indiana, manufacturing plant. Generation Seven: 2020 … Read more
Behind the wheel of the top-of-the-line Camry XSE. What was once bland is now grand — Toyota’s midsize Camry lost the last of its plainness when an all-new version of this midsize sedan rolled out for the 2018 model year. The latest Camry easily matches the segment’s pacesetters, delivering handsome … Read more
Volkswagen makes its midsize sedan case with the Passat. Volkswagen trailed the competition in utility vehicle options until last summer when it introduced its all-new Atlas midsize crossover, then followed a few months later with the next-generation Tiguan. Immediately, the 2018 Tiguan went from the smallest compact SUV to one … Read more
Mazda 6 makes a case for the midsize sedan segment. Manufacturers typically adhere to model years except when they don’t. A case in point is the 2017.5 Mazda 6, a midsize sedan benefiting from light changes put in place too late for the 2017 model year, but months before the … Read more
Behind the wheel of Hyundai’s updated Sonata midsize sedan. Updated Jan. 11, 2018, to reflect latest crash testing score. Demand for cars may be shrinking, but some of the remaining players are staying in the game, even ratcheting up their offerings in an effort to slice out a larger portion … Read more
The eighth-generation Toyota Camry is the largest, most powerful and efficient one yet. The 2018 Toyota Camry will soon debut, an all-new model that launches this midsize sedan’s eighth generation. The new Camry is a clean sheet redesign and is the latest model built on the Toyota New Global Architecture … Read more
VW Passat adds premium features and demonstrate value. Family car sales have steadily fallen over the past several years as consumers select crossovers instead. And who can blame them? Crossovers offer superior utility while packing the storage room and towing capability many consumers prize. But crossovers may also cost you … Read more
A pleasantly appointed family car can be had for about $25K. US car sales broke an all-time record in 2015 and will likely fall just short of that number this year. With more than 17 million new car shoppers making purchases each year, the market is ripe for the taking. … Read more
Chrysler’s current midsize sedan may be short-lived as parent Fiat Chrysler looks for a partner to build two of its current models. Introduced in 2011, the Chrysler 200 is the midsize sedan for the brand, with the 300 serving as the flagship model and the Town & Country (soon to … Read more
Hyundai rolls out the second iteration of its only hybrid model. For 2016, a plug-in variant is also offered. Unless your name is Toyota, sticking with hybrids can seem like a losing proposition. Indeed, Toyota outsells all manufacturers combined by a 2-to-1 margin and that leaves the remaining companies to … Read more
Updated Jan. 14, 2016 to reflect IIHS crashworthiness results. Nissan Altima SL grade (photo copyright Christopher Brewer). These certainly are heady days for Nissan, Japan’s second largest car manufacturer. The automaker is poised to overtake Honda in the US, the lone major market where its smaller competitor maintains a sales … Read more
The Chrysler 200S supplies premium features to the product line. Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne did in 2014 to the Chrysler marque something that should have been accomplished decades earlier: he officially reassigned Chrysler to mainstream brand status, moving it away from its previous premium standing as a one-time direct … Read more
When it comes to sedans, size matters. Especially for classification purposes. Some midsize sedans are larger than the flagship models that traditionally lead the brand. Eight Key Facts About the 2016 Nissan Maxima Nissan has a new flagship Maxima sedan, a 2016 edition that is stylish, sporty and competitively priced. … Read more
Five years after releasing its most advanced Optima midsize sedan yet, Kia is not resting on its laurels. Indeed, the Korean automaker has moved the Optima forward a full generation, by presenting a new design with European styling, an updated premium cabin, and improved ride and handling. The front-wheel drive, … Read more
GM’s hybrid participation has included plug-in and mild hybrid models. To date, no strong hybrid model has been developed for the market. Beginning in 2016, the Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid will change that, a vehicle GM claims will provide optimum fuel efficiency. You are to be forgiven if you were not … Read more
Hyundai continues to expand its Sonata line. For 2015, six editions are available, including an all-new Eco model. The Sonata Eco fuses power with efficiency, delivering the best amalgamation of the two across the model line. Some manufacturers aren’t satisfied with us media folk driving just one edition of a … Read more
Behind the wheel of Nissan’s best seller. The Nissan Altima is as American as any sedan gets. Built in Canton, Mississippi, this five-passenger, front-wheel drive midsize sedan features a chrome-wrapped grille, long overhangs and generous room inside. But it is built by a Japanese manufacturer, Nissan, a company that has … Read more
Subaru continues to ride on a crest of month-over-month sales increases, based largely on its mix of utility vehicles. Not to be overlooked is the midsize Subaru Legacy sedan, the only standard all-wheel drive model in the segment. For 2015, the Legacy is all-new and Auto Trends had one 3.6R … Read more
Quite easily the 2015 Chrysler 200 is the best midsize sedan ever to wear a Chrysler badge. Don’t get all giddy about my statement just yet — Chryslers offerings in this segment have included the LeBaron, Cirrus, Sebring and the 200. Under performers all and in one of the toughest … Read more
The Ford Motor Company has turned its attention to reviving Lincoln, once a leading luxury brand. In the past decade Lincoln has been overtaken by three German makes, three Japanese makes as well as Cadillac, its domestic competitor. 2014 Lincoln MKZ Two new models — the MKZ and MKC crossover … Read more