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Accord/Camry/Altima/Mazda 5/Fusion/Sonata/Malibu
I think you mean the Mazda 6, not the Mazda 5, which is a micro-minivan.
Nobody that I have ever run across has regretted buying a CPO upscale sedan over a budget new one. Why *not* get leather, a better engine, maybe a sunroof, and so on for the price of a base model car?
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?ct=c&car_id=290626271
This is typical - and a good deal. It even has the bench seat, which makes the interior feel much larger up front (and seats 6 in a pinch)
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?ct=c&car_id=292126446
Another example. Mid-trim model.
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?ct=c&car_id=290692960
Or get this - $20K for a fully loaded TSX. It's technically a "midsize sedan"(though a very very nice one ) It's got a few miles on it, but that's no issue, really. 50K isn't much for a Honda.
I NEVER thought I would purchase another KIA—I was on point to purchase a CPO 2008/09 Lexus ES 350. Recently, I purchased a 2011 Optima EX with the Premium package. Which features do I love the most? The Blue tooth, panoramic sunroof, cooled/heated seats, red driver angled display, super smooth ride, lumbar support and the crazy, mean looking black grill.
Peter S. and the KIA design team dialed up the heat and produced the best looking sedan on the road. Hands down. Accord/Camry/Altima/Mazda 6/Fusion/Sonata/Malibu – all these losers should come hard or go home.
'17 Chevy Volt Premiere
It gets 17/25mpg, which is commendable considering it drives almost exactly the same as 5 series. It's the right size, has great handling (RWD), and has zero jellybean DNA in it. I drove one and it felt great. The manual equipped version is almost as good as a Corvette. Just with 4 doors.
http://www.holden.com.au/latestoffers/commodore-offers/new-series-ii-sv6-commodo- re?region=National
It's the #1 selling car in Australia. And something that GM really needs to bring back as a Chevrolet. (note - prices are in AUD and include VAT)
I have 10 Max and two family members with Nissan CVTs none of us who have had problems and the mpg I have gotten is really good for the power under the hood.
Definitely worth a look. Nissan has not stagnated like Honda and Toyota have with their products. As other's have mentioned I would look at the Fusion and Sonata as well. In my opinion, the Altima, Sonata, and Fusion are your best midsize sedans right now.
Sounds like the poster is looking for something Camry like -- which would be soft ride, good gas mileage, and FWD. It may not be your cup of tea but for a large majority that would fit the bill nicely. I think most of the cars people have suggested would be fine.
'17 Chevy Volt Premiere
That said, my favorite other car in test drives was the Fusion. I came thisclose to a Sport, but in the end couldn't justify the extra $5-$6k (the 4 cyl. felt under-powered to me - the V6 was outstanding). Depending on how dead set on new vs. used she is, she could pick up a Fusion for a steal and it's a really comfortable and enjoyable ride.
I suspect that the vast majority of readers here would agree. The Camry and most of these entry-level mid-size sedans are what you *settle* for when you have no other reasonable choice and just need a car(tm) to get from point A to B.
Considering it has the same engine as a CTS in it, that's worth a few mpg in my book. For the price of a basic 4 cylinder Camry? Yeah, I can sacrifice a few mpg. :P
5 mpg is significant in these days of ever-rising gas prices. Most current mid-sized sedans have smooth-shifting 6-speed ATs with manual control--some even have 6-speed sticks. Some have nicely executed, interesting interiors. "Handling that rivals a Buick" is no longer a bad thing, with the Regal representing this class for Buick. As for styling that screams "rental car", nothing screams "rental car" more than a Pontiac... back when Pontiac existed as a brand. It wasn't good enough to survive, though.
If all you need is a car to get from point A to point B, there's lots of cheap G6s and Grand Prixes out there to do that job. If you want something more, there's lots of great choices in the current crop of mid-sized sedans.
I just can't stomach the idea of driving such a bland jellybean. Note - the Accord V6 would be fine, but front wheel drive is a sin in something that large. If you had $20K to spend on a new or used 4 door car that could fit 4 or 5 people, what would you choose? Life's just too short to drive mediocrity.
I don't consider cars like the 2011 Sonata, Optima, and Mazda6 to be mediocre, considering their price point. But then, I don't need to dash around in a V8 full-sized sedan when an I4 mid-sized sedan that gets mid-30s MPG on the highway and is plenty roomy and feature-laden for my needs (not to mention good-looking) is available for around $20k.
Enjoy the G8. Not my cup of tea... and not a mid-sized family sedan.
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I agree totally on the Boring description of the Prius. I will give up gas mileage any day for a pleasurable ride and something with a little oomph under the hood. I Unfortunetly believe that our current government is going to take away our choices by imposing more and more ridiculous mandates on Mpg for vehicles. Eventually we will have to take two tiny electric cars on a trip to carry our family and the luggage.
Now if I can just find some decent tires for it that don't cost a fortune.
I hear you on the tires. I have a 2009 Fusion SEL V6 and when I got a screw in the sidewall of one of my Michelins the best price I could find in Columbus, Ohio was $263. Don't want to spend a grand when it comes time to replace all four. Great handling tires, but not so good in snow. This is one of the best car buying decisions I have ever made.
If you drive the U.S. Average of 12,000 miles a year, that's 600 gallons of fuel VS. 522. 78 gallons of fuel a year (X3.50 = $273), which is $22.75 a month more in fuel, even at today's crazy prices. It's a complete non-issue when you're talking about a 20-25K purchase. For the price of a couple of lunches each month, I'd rather own a midsize sedan that actually is fun to drive. I'd rather get slower internet or a couple less TV channels since I spend so much of my day sitting in my vehicle. (I know people who spend $20 a week on coffee...)
Of course, if I put 50K a year on a car, I'd want a 40mpg+ car. But for most people, fuel economy is not a huge problem.(doubly so if you save an enormous amount up front by buying a 1-3 year old car vs new)
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Though, to be honest, I'd take a Mustang over a Camry any day. 99% of the time I only have two people in the car at most, so why not get a fun car to drive? (yeah it's not a "sedan" - but that's mostly a styling decision versus it being a true coupe)
And the kicker is that the 2011 model has a new engine in it that gets 19/31 mpg. It actually gets better fuel efficiency than a V6 Camry. Lief's just too short to drive what every other cubicle worker and accountant drives.
I sometimes wonder what happened to the love for vehicles that the U.S. used to have in the 50s, 60s, and 70s. It's now become acceptable to drive the equivalent of a laundromat washing machine. I makes me wonder where the meat eaters in our society went.
If you want to drive a McCar, well, I suppose you're also the type that settles for McFood.
Me? I want some excitement and even if it's only a little bit of the time, the feeling that I'm driving something a little different. Now, to be sure, most of these bland sedans are decently reliable and acceptable options. But you seriously can't tell me that a Camry isn't about the most soulless thing inside that's on the market. Even Buick makes a nicer interior, and that's more than telling. It's downright sad.
http://www.subaru.com/content/static/fightmediocrity/photos.html
Seriously. That interior is virtually identical to most everything Toyota makes. It would be almost comical if it weren't true.
Let's not get carried away, sport. Some of those cars (particularly those from the 50s & 60s - not so much anything from the 70s, unless you're a big fan of portholes & landau tops) were great to look at. But if you could spend a day driving any of them, you'd walk away shaking your head & cursing your failing memory.
With their bias-ply tires, drum brakes, loosey goosey recirculating ball steering & primitive (by current standards) suspension setups, they would be a handful on today's roads - & that's putting it charitably. You'd have to go pretty high up in the food chain - to something like a Chevy SS396 - to find something that could keep up with a new Accord V-6. Even then, the Accord would out corner & out brake the old timer while getting better gas mileage.
I'm an old guy - old enough to have driven a few of those cars - & I'd love to have a '67 Pontiac GTO in my garage. But unless I could bring it up to 21st century specs, with 4-wheel ABS disc brakes, stability control, variable-assist rack & pinion steering & a few other things - none of which was even an engineer's pipe dream back then - I probably wouldn't drive it very much.
Once you've gotten past the great styling of the 50s & 60s (let's agree to forget about the 70s), you realize that getting nostalgic about those cars makes as much sense as pining for your Dad's 15" Philco black & white set. At the end of the day, what you really want is your 50" high-def LCD.
Nostalgia is fun, but technology rules.
I think there are probably multitudes of meat eaters that drive these cars even by your probable definition of a meat eater. If you define yourself or anyone else by the type of vehicle they drive then you have more problems than trying to find a good used G8.
The problem is that the G8 (in the U.S.) is a good car supported by a bad company for a short time. It's a rarity here and going to be a pain in the long term.
You don't just buy the car, you buy the ecosystem that keeps it in parts and service over the years you own it.
As for people who frequent this forum, it's "midsize sedan" and the board only allows for a certain limit on types listed(8 IIRC?), but it's really about any and all vehicles that fit this category(price or sportiness non-withstanding, though it's kind of implied that 20-25K is the max). If they come here asking about a midsize sedan and we start to also recommend vehicles that aren't the "vanilla bunch", I don't see a problem with that. In many cases, they can have a car that's at least as decent as any of the others but that doesn't scream "I bought this because I have a family and have no choice."
Cars like a G35, or a TL (and similar) should also be included if they are open to the idea of a couple year old CPO vehicle. 20-25K buys a lot of used vehicle. Why buy a basic rental fleet box when you can get the same manufacturer's better offering for the same price used? Or if they have to have a new car, something like the new Ford, GM, or even Hyundai's offerings that are at least trying to make it look and feel better than a toaster.
Of course there's not a general topic like that that's specific to Sedans, but it might be useful. I hate to get a used vehicle comparo topic with a lot of specific models in the discussion title, but there could always be one, like this, that covers anything in the category.
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I'm inclined to agree. The Fusion is a terrific car. Even the cheapest 4-cylinder version comes with 4-wheel disc ABS & traction/stability control - features that were available only in luxury cars just a few years ago - if they were available at all.
It's not clear to me what you gain by buying a used luxury car - unless you really wanted a luxury car in the 1st place but couldn't afford a new one.
As far as I'm concerned, these are the good old days.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
You can talk about used midsized luxury cars all you want(you seem to always want to throw in a SUV/CUV or two while you're at it) as it's a free country and forum but I for one would appreciate it if you would do so in an intelligent manner. Constantly denigrating the cars that we usually discuss here as well as the people that buy them is pretty lame IMO. A lot of people dream about being able to buy a brand new midsize car for $18k. For you to constantly tell them it is stupid and they are buying an ugly, underpowered appliance is ugly in itself. Time to get off the high horse and walk with the common folk.
I drive an Infiniti (in addition to a Mazda6) which may fall into your "meateater" category but hopefully my entire personal identity doesn't hinge on it.
I guess when the emotorcons came out of hiding, the sedan pictures decided it was their turn to hide instead. :P
The interior of a Camry is shockingly sparse and made to be tough and survive rental car use. It's got a big engine but not much else. It screams "vanilla" from every angle. And the others seem to be trying to copy it, which is sad. The Fusion, (as an example) is the same price and offers a better driving experience. Better looks and better interior as well. Not by much, but why not consider "vanilla with chocolate pieces" :P if it's offered?
Don't you realize that not everyone on the planet thinks like you do? Some people really like the kind of smooth, quiet ride the Camry provides. Perhaps the smoothest ride in the class. I don't particularly like the Camry, but I respect it for what it is and what it does well. And if someone thinks it's the best car for them, and that they've "made it" if they buy a Camry (which can go well over $30k, btw), great. Different strokes for different folks.
Also, in this class, "vanilla" sells. (Actually, vanilla sells in other classes too, e.g. ice cream.) Cars with more daring styling e.g. Sonata are selling well too, but I have to wonder how that more avant-garde styling will hold up over time.
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I can tell you that back when I was driving a $300 Chevette, I certainly would have felt as though I'd "made it" if I could have had a new Camry, Accord, etc. A young couple who are friends of ours just bought a slightly used Maxima - they both have good jobs and own a house, but they're just starting out their "adult" life, when they get to save for stuff and choose what to purchase. Neither came from families with any real money, and they probably have the nicest vehicle of any of their relatives. They have every right to feel as though they've "made it."
This is a midsize sedans discussion, which includes the regular, mass-market midsize sedans that you've chosen to denigrate. If you don't like most of them and just want to put them down for being what they're intended to be, then this is probably not the right discussion for you. There are many others that include higher-end vehicles.
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In short, there are half a dozen similar cars now that need to be added to this thread's list.
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I'll bet once the sedan images come back, the Edmund's logo will disappear! :P
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Why would anybody be trying to impose his/her likings on the participants on this forum? We have two Accords, a V-6 and an I-4, and I really felt that we " have arrived" when we bought these cars. Incidentally, I am the Chair person of a prominent University department and am more than satisfied to drive these highly reliable, comfortable, safe, and enjoyable vehicles. Do I care that they are often called ugly, boring, etc by people like Plekto? Of course not! How can he decide what is ugly or boring or a slush box on my behalf? I am pretty sure that the majority of the many Camry, Mazda6, Ford Fusion, etc owners also feel "good" about their vehicles. Why would'nt they since they used their own resources to purchase the car of their choice?