QOTD: Best All-round Midsize Sedans in 2019?
Many sedans are due to fade away at the end of this year, replaced via a cadre of crossovers (as preferred by Middle America). To that end, we began a trio of sedan-focused QOTDs last week. First up were the compact and subcompact sedans, where your author awarded the Mazda 3 a class win.
This week, we’re talking midsizers. The choices are fewer in number than you might think.
Midsize sedan options on the list below are sourced from U.S. News and their car classifications by size. While the website lists the gasoline and hybrid versions as unique models, we won’t be so liberal here; all model varieties are considered a single entry. Luxury marques are not included on the list, nor are any cars with rear apertures other than trunks. The resulting contenders number 11:
Chevrolet Malibu
The list above presented a number of issues as I was sorting through to award a best all-rounder. They’ve all got issues: The Fusion’s old (and doomed), the Accord is hideous, Optima’s due for replacement, and the Clarity is ridiculously expensive ($36,000+). Who wins the award then?
It’s the Camry.
“The Camry’s Golden Age was long ago,” you’ll think. And you’d be right, but hear me out. The Camry loses enthusiast credibility (if any’s to be had in this segment) with its lack of a manual transmission, unlike the Accord. But you know what else it lacks? A CVT in anything but the Hybrid trims. If you’re willing to pony up, Camry also has the tried-and-tested 3.5-liter 2GR V6. Its basic design debuted in 2004, and it powers plenty of Toyota, Lexus, and Lotus vehicles. Special bonus: Unlike some of its competitors, it’s built in the U.S., right in Kentucky. And though it’s mostly hideous to behold, the visual flaws can be minimized by selecting dark paint and avoiding the sporty SE trim.
The midsize, non-luxury sedan is a limited field in 2019. What’s your pick for best all-rounder?
[Images: Honda, Toyota]
Interested in lots of cars and their various historical contexts. Started writing articles for TTAC in late 2016, when my first posts were QOTDs. From there I started a few new series like Rare Rides, Buy/Drive/Burn, Abandoned History, and most recently Rare Rides Icons. Operating from a home base in Cincinnati, Ohio, a relative auto journalist dead zone. Many of my articles are prompted by something I'll see on social media that sparks my interest and causes me to research. Finding articles and information from the early days of the internet and beyond that covers the little details lost to time: trim packages, color and wheel choices, interior fabrics. Beyond those, I'm fascinated by automotive industry experiments, both failures and successes. Lately I've taken an interest in AI, and generating "what if" type images for car models long dead. Reincarnating a modern Toyota Paseo, Lincoln Mark IX, or Isuzu Trooper through a text prompt is fun. Fun to post them on Twitter too, and watch people overreact. To that end, the social media I use most is Twitter, @CoreyLewis86. I also contribute pieces for Forbes Wheels and Forbes Home.
More by Corey Lewis
Comments
Join the conversation
The Camry is the only car on the list I have driven. I had one as a rental for a week in November. It was a nice car, plenty of room. Handling was OK, power was adequate, transmission was unobtrusive, interior was pleasant. Those are not ringing endorsements, but I think that is what the Camry is aiming for. I had always thought if I ever bought a sedan it would be an Accord, but after driving the Camry I am not so sure. Of course i have never driven the Accord.
Fewer in number than I might think? Eh, ok. It's not like every other article on here doesn't mention the death of the car, right?