2013 Mid-size Sedan Market Options

[Silentwolf]

Another market category, another debate area
2013 mid-size sedans under $25k

In light of my recent experience in the Sonata, figured I'd look thru the competition. There are a few more cars to select here than in the hatches, but much less M/T availability. Family sedans are designed to be people movers, but can they still be "fun"?

So again, if you had 25k in your pocket, what would be your choices?

Chevy Malibu 1LT 197hp 191tq 22/34mpg
Chrysler 200 Tour 173hp 166tq 20/31
Dodge Avenger SXT " " "
Ford Fusion SE 175hp 175tq 22/34
Honda Accord 189hp 182tq 24/34
Hyundai Sonata GLS 198hp 186tq 24/35
Kia Optima EX 200hp " "
Mazda 6 sport 184hp 185tq 22/34
Mitsu Galant SE 160hp 157tq 21/30
Nissan Altima S 182hp 180tq 27/38
Subaru Legacy i pr 173hp 174tq 24/32
Toyota Camry SE 178hp 170tq 25/35
VW Passat SE 170hp 177tq 22/32


My Top picks:
Mazda 6 Sport: 6spd M/T, Best tq rpm unique styling w/fogs @ $22,300
Chevy Malibu 1LT: Most overall power, best looking interior, large trunk, 5yr/100k warranty no fogs @ $24,325
Hyundai Sonta GLS: Best warranty, good 6spd manu-mode, Nice tech, large trunk, w/fogs @ $22,750
Kia Optima EX: Like Sonata, Tan lthr interior, fogs std @24,625



Runner-ups:
Accord EX: M/T selection severly limits options w/ CVT only other choice
Legacy i premium: legendary AWD but must have CVT in order to get decent MPGs that still fall below most the others
Fusion SE: Best looking mid-size hands down but pricey with options like fogs and engine falls short of top picks
Altima S: Lightest midsize with best MPGs but CVT only choice

Forget ums:
200/Avenger: Somehow the Avenger is nearly 200lbs heavier than sibling, aging engines
Galant: Aging engines, only 4spd A/T but does have Hyundai style warranty
Camry: blend in looks, decent engine specs, shortest front leg room
Passat: 5spd M/T opt but 6spd auto, subpar MPGs, best rear seat leg room and large trunk, VW gremlins


Driving the Sonata for the week was nice. Steering leaves a bit to be desired, sound system lack bass, and car feels bigger than it is due to driver viewpoints. However, the power was nice, 6spd manu-mode was crisp on shifts tho conservative on RPM limits (wouldnt rev past 5600 despite 6500 redline), MPGs were marginally better than Elantra despite me "enjoying" the 198hp(but only had one tank to go off of). One thing I personally found that i somewhat crave is the roominess esp the leg room up front with telescoping steering wheel.

If it came down to me skipping the hatch and minimizing my modding on the DD, I'd seriously have to consider the Mazda 6 sport or Sonata GLS. The 6 still allows rowing your own gears and the torque comes in low 185tq @ 3250rpm. Just need to feel the Mazda's handling.


What would you guys go with?

[Silentwolf]

Come on folks, no comments?

[Red Elantra GT]

Hey-I like the Sonata out of all the choices listed,but wouldn't get one now, as it's due for a refresh soon. I like first year designs, like the Elantra GT I got (and really like!).

[Alex2013GT]

Well like I inserted my bias into the Elantra GT, let me insert my bias here too!

I had a 2011 Sonata SE before the GT. I purchased the car in March of 2010 as it was just being released. I really had a tough time deciding if i would buy that car off lease or get the GT. If the Sonata had a panaramic roof, I woud've bought that instead of a GT. Yes I really missed having a sunroof that much and that is how much I love the Pano roof of the GT. But that also tells you how much I enjoyed my Sonata. I did briefly look at the turbo Sonata with the pano roof, but I couldn't justify spending that much on a car at this point in my life and I went with the more economical yet sporty GT.

My review will be based on the SE model, but here it goes. . . The good and the bad:

The Good:
The styling. I think the exterior appearance is one of the best out there.
Factory 18's and dual exhaust on SE model
Great interior layout and design. Very upscale look for what it was. Huge trunk and ample leg room.
Paddle shifters made twisty mountain roads quite fun.
Quiet and sooth ride.
Great bluetooth quality.
EPA ratings seemed to be dead on. Mid 30's on highway and mid to high 20's on more around the town type driving.
I seriously felt like right from the factory I didn't have to do anything to this car as it was great from the get go.

The "Could be Improved"
There were some visibility issues with the coupe shape. Nothing I didn't get used to, but it was just a little different.
Some have complained that the dash was too busy or bright at night time. I never had an issue and it looked sweet, but I could see how my wife or someone that had trouble seeing already at night could get distracted by the dash.
Apparently my 6 y/o daughter thought the center seat in the back wasn't very comfortable. She loves the GT backseat though?

Really, I have very little bad about it the Sonata to say. I know there were some concerns about the stitching specific to the SE models and several people mentioned that they tore the stitching in the seat with buttons on pants or other sharp objects when the car first came out. I was very worried when I first got it, but soon forgot about it and chalked it up to careless/unfortunate circumstances. I put near 35k miles on it and never once had a single thread tear on the stitching on the seats. I would certainly consider the Sonata again, but I would also look very closely at the Optima. My dad who travels very frequently for work had an Optima for a rental vehicle and just raved about the car. He was very impressed by the quality of the car. I think the Sonata interior in general wins IMO over the Optima, but the exterior of the Optima takes the cake. With the warranty on the Sonata or Optima all other makes/models are fighting a major uphill battle to just compete IMO.

[Red Elantra GT]

Hey-The only thing I don't care for on the current Sonata is the chrome grille, which I was going to have changed to red (I'm on a red car kick right now), had I bought one instead of the Elantra Limited in '11.

[Silentwolf]

Gotta say, I reset the mileage when i got in the Sonata, and after a week of driving (and i'll admit I pushed it a lot) i got 25mpg in 70% city driving.
The dash was okay except that the info/entertainment screen dimmed much quicker than the rest of the illumination. Wanted the rest lower, but it made reading the radio hard.
Steering is really my only other complaint. While suspension is good, the lack of steering feel didnt inspire much confidence.

In reading reviews and watching fuely figures, the new Mazda 6 really has my eye.

[Bobzilla]

It's the Optima for me. I like the body lines best, the driving dynamics are spot on and I love love love the interior layout. Honda's 2.4's are experiencing some... umm... "difficulties" right now and there's no way in hell I'd buy one. WEll, unless you like fogging the neighborhood with your 7000 mile car that has already eaten 9 quarts of oil, has had the recalled pistons replaced and is STILL burning oil faster than a 2-stroke diesel.

The Camry takes boring to a new level. Mazda's overall reliablity is too much of a question for me. The Fusion looks nice in the upper level trims, kinda dowdy in the lower trims. There's no way in hell you'd find me buying a VW for a long term DD. I don't want to get a sunburn on my fair ginger skin from the CEL. Checked out hte new avenger. The interior on the cars I would actually buy make the mid 90's neon's look upscale IMO. For somethign that I spend so much time in, it can't feel like a 20 year old rental car. Subaru's are nice.... if you're leasing. Ringland issues, timing belt nightmares, head gaskets, AWD system so sensitive that replacing one tire at a time (think blowout on a half-used tire) causes increased wear on the center diff (not covered by warranty at that point) and the horrific CVT's. I put Nissan's in the same category as VW's. Between personal experience and watching lots of friends/competitors fight them long term, no thanks.

[RPW00Mirage]

the chrysler 200 and optima do it for me. with the optima being #1

i got to drive a 200 yesterday. it was an auto... it was OK. the interior didnt feel as cheap as may of the other chrysler offerings. maybe they got it right this time? optima is just sharp and sexy and comes with so many options MIND BLOWN

the galant is a piss poor car but mitsu has been that way for years :/

[Bobzilla]

the chrysler 200 and optima do it for me. with the optima being #1

i got to drive a 200 yesterday. it was an auto... it was OK. the interior didnt feel as cheap as may of the other chrysler offerings. maybe they got it right this time? optima is just sharp and sexy and comes with so many options MIND BLOWN

the galant is a piss poor car but mitsu has been that way for years :/

I have to second this. I'm guessing they will be the next car company to fold.... or get bought out in the US.

[Gannam]

There's no way in hell you'd find me buying a VW for a long term DD. I don't want to get a sunburn on my fair ginger skin from the CEL.

I really shouldn't have read that in a quiet office.....well....it WAS quiet....and my desk didn't have coffee sprayed all over it. LOL

the galant is a piss poor car but mitsu has been that way for years :/

When I was young, around 6-8 years old, my parents owned a MitsuBITCHY Lancer station wagon. The car was known for having issues, but replacing it was out of the question due to having 4 kids and only one bread-winner. The best issue aside from leaking oil, which no mechanic could figure out...even had the engine pulled, was the "right turn issue." Whenever you made a hard right turn, think intersection or 90 degree bend, you had to have your foot on the gas. If you had your foot on the brake the car would cut out...EVERY TIME. If you were coasting, it was like Russian roulette...sometimes you were fine, and other times you were cursing the car out. I believe my grandfather "fondly" called the car "BEECH." (English was a second language he learned when he was in his 20's. He moved to Bermuda from the Azores and never left.)

[RPW00Mirage]

93-96 lancer wagon?

may have something to do with the oil pressure switch. my 93 had the same issue, i replaced that cheap switch every few months.

[Gannam]

No idea what year the car was...it has long since been cut in half. (You had to physically cut the car in half in Bermuda to declare it wrote off. Now they just make you cut the roof in half. Back then, there were no second-hand car sales allowed either.)

My parents replaced it with an Opel Astra wagon which is about 13-14 years old. The old bitchy-death-wagon of doom lasted almost 11 years if memory serves me correctly.

I almost wish that I could get an Opel up here. They have absolutely NO rust on the car and the only thing that has needed repairs, not including standard maintenance, is the AC compressor. My sister's little shitbox Chevy Sparx is held together by rust and is only 6 years old. The island is small and salty ocean air chews through cars. Up here, the rust is mainly from road salt exposure where back home it's an all out assault on the entire car.