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Midsize Sedans 2.0

18168 messages,  Last post on May 18, 2013 at 7:40 PM

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What is this discussion about? Hyundai Sonata, Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Nissan Altima, Volkswagen Passat, Mazda MAZDA6, Ford Fusion, Chevrolet Malibu, Kia Optima, Car Comparisons, Sedan

Messages Page 1216 of 1817

#12149 of 18168 Mid-sizers at the Twin Cities Auto Show by backy

Mar 21, 2009 (12:58 pm)

I checked out the mid-sized sedans at the Twin Cities Auto Show today (along with everything else of course). Of those I hadn't yet seen in person, I thought the 2009 Optima was the most impressive, especially considering the value quotient. The new front and rear styling looks better up close than it did in photos, standard ABS/ESC and the improved I4 (from the Sonata) are welcome changes, and the car retains its high-quality interior (slick manual HVAC controls, high-quality plastics and fabric, good amount of padded surfaces etc.).
 
I was not impressed with the new Fulan. They had a Milan hybrid and two Fusion hybrids, plus a Sport. None was available to sit in--either on turntables or locked. But they were sitting right next to the 2009 cars, and I have to say that I don't see a significant improvement in either the exterior or interior for 2010. I actually liked the interior of the 2009 Fusion better than that of the 2010. The dash on the 2009 looks sleeker and less cluttered to me than the 2010's. The controls and gauges weren't lit, however, so that might make a difference in overall appearance. I also reinforced my opinion that I prefer the looks of the Milan to those of the Fusion. Just too much chrome up front on the Fusion for my taste. I noticed though that the rear of the Milan looks unchanged, except maybe different colors on the lamp bezels. I prefer the rear of the old Fusion to the new one. The new one looks cheap to me for some reason.
 
The other mid-sizer I liked, although not a sedan, is the 2010 Prius. It was on a turntable, but the doors were open. It looks to me like it's moving just standing still. The interior looks a lot nicer and there was a seat height adjuster button (yay!) on the driver's seat.
 
That's about it as far as mid-sizers. I liked the Mazda6 also, but I had previously seen it The Malibu LTZ they had on the floor had an especially nice interior color scheme--a brownish two tone--that looked sharper than any Malibu I have seen yet. The best thing about it was the surround for the center stack buttons was fairly dark, which eliminated the cheap look when the black buttons are against a light background. That contrasted with a $31,000 Camry SE I saw, for which the dash was incredibly boring and cheap looking. But the Sonata Limited I saw had what I thought was the sharpest-looking dash in the mid-sized class--definitely the best part of its mid-gen refresh.
 
P.S. I saw more interesting vehicles outside the mid-sized sedan class than in it. My favorites were probably the 2010 Taurus (love the "My Key" feature that lets parents program a top speed for their teenagers; also it has heated/cooled/massaging seats). Also two new SUVs: the 2010 Equinox (very sharp inside and out, plus 30 mpg highway w/o hybridization), and the new XC60. It was fun to see the new Camaro (looks a lot like the Challenger) and new Mustang. I saw some great high-end cars too, but for that money they should be great.
 
P.P.S. Seemed like most domestic companies cut back on the show this year. Not many turntables or fancy displays, just... cars. Ford had far and away the best effort of the D3. The biggest surprise was Hyundai, which had a large floorspace that was packed for the first time I have seen. Usually you could bowl in there and not hit anyone. Ford was pretty crowded too--GM and Chrysler much less so.

#12150 of 18168 Re: Anyone [lilengineerboy] by vanman1

Mar 21, 2009 (1:28 pm)

Replying to: lilengineerboy (Mar 20, 2009 7:14 pm)
I would love a manual but living around a big city, traffic is tied up more often than not and I just do not have the patients to shift 100 times on my way to work, just not worth it.
 
I am looking at possibly getting a 2010 Camaro for a second summer car if I can swing it in a year or two. If i do, it will be a manual with a V6.

#12151 of 18168 Re: Mid-sizers at the Twin Cities Auto Show [backy] by vanman1

Mar 21, 2009 (1:32 pm)

Replying to: backy (Mar 21, 2009 12:58 pm)
I think Hyundia is taking off because price and better cars. Looking through the paper they are the cheapest cars advertised and they often come with 0% financing to boot. In a crappy economy, that sells.
 
My big beef with them is they add nothing to the local economy, almost all their vehicles are imported and made overseas. At least Fusion, Camry, Malibu, Accord, 6 and Altima are produced in the U.S.

#12152 of 18168 Re: Mid-sizers at the Twin Cities Auto Show [vanman1] by urnews

Mar 21, 2009 (1:41 pm)

Replying to: vanman1 (Mar 21, 2009 1:32 pm)
At least Fusion, Camry, Malibu, Accord, 6 and Altima are produced in the U.S.
Sorry vanman1 but the Fusion and Milan are manufactured in Mexico.
Boz

#12153 of 18168 Re: Mid-sizers at the Twin Cities Auto Show [vanman1] by moocow1

Mar 21, 2009 (2:52 pm)

Replying to: vanman1 (Mar 21, 2009 1:32 pm)
And the sonata/santa fe are made in alabama, ahem. They're also adding a us plant for kia cars as well. I don't see them being that different from most other car companies including so-called us car makers.

#12154 of 18168 Re: Mid-sizers at the Twin Cities Auto Show [urnews] by stephen987

Mar 21, 2009 (2:52 pm)

Replying to: urnews (Mar 21, 2009 1:41 pm)
Sorry vanman1 but the Fusion and Milan are manufactured in Mexico.
 
. . . and the Hyundai Sonata is made in Alabama.

#12155 of 18168 Re: Mid-sizers at the Twin Cities Auto Show [backy] by stephen987

Mar 21, 2009 (3:14 pm)

Replying to: backy (Mar 21, 2009 12:58 pm)
Backy, I had almost the same reaction today--at the Atlanta auto show. Hyundai, Ford, and Toyota were the busiest booths. At the Chevy booth most of the action was little kids wanting to sit in a Corvette (and dads thinking this might be their only chance).
 
I was very impressed with the interior quality (about all you can really judge at an auto show) on the part of Hyundai and Ford. I too prefer a simple, clear layout, so these were among the very best I saw. Points also to VW and GM for good layout, though the GM cars ranged from very nicely put together (all the Buicks, plus the Malibu and Impala) to pretty darn grim (the G6 and G8, plus surprisingly the three Auras on display). An interior trim piece came off in my hand on a Saab 9-3.
 
It seems it's pretty difficult to screw up the basics right now--most cars seem to have good driving positions, reasonable assembly quality and so on. But because there are so many good choices, the market is unlikely to forgive even a small miscue right now.
 
My ratings for the rest of the midsize sedan class, based on nothing more than an auto-show impression:
 
Malibu--very very nice, but they didn't have anything lower than a 2LT with leather on display--I'd like to see a base cloth-seat model for comparison
Impala--a pleasant surprise
Aura--attractive but not as well put together as the Malibu
Altima--not bad, but not great either
Camry--not a standout
Accord--OK on its own, but unexpectedly below much of its competition in interior quality
VW CC--extra deluxe accommodations, but meant for shorter folks than me
Sebring--poor layout, bad driving position, could hardly see out of it--in short, everything that's wrong with the 300, but in a smaller, cheaper package
 
ETA: I too found more interest in other market segments. The standouts for me were the Genesis (sedan and coupe), the BMW 1-series, the Volvo C30, and the VW GTI and Jetta. I'll second your praise of the '10 Taurus as well. On the smaller end of the spectrum, I found the $9990 Versa 1.6 stunningly comfy and spacious. Also, I was hoping Ford would have a Fiesta on display, at least on a turntable, but sadly no dice.

#12156 of 18168 Malibu Premium for Transmission by dbostondriver

Mar 21, 2009 (4:13 pm)

I would stay away from the Malibu. If your sticking with a four cylinder you have to pay a pretty hefty premium to get the six speed auto transmission. The standard four speed auto transmission is archaic and really hurts gas mileage.
My friend has a V6. OK car but the interior was really poorly put together.
Toyota is running some crazy incentives right now. You can get a well equipped LE auto for under $20k.

#12157 of 18168 Re: Paying extra for what? [backy] by dbostondriver

Mar 21, 2009 (4:22 pm)

Replying to: backy (Mar 14, 2009 4:08 pm)
You really can't judge reliability on a model that has only been out for a few months. With the Accord, at least you can look at previous models and make an estimation. I guess you can do that with the Malibu as well, but the old junker Malibu and Impala are possibly the Malibu's closest relatives, and they are notoriously bad cars.

#12158 of 18168 Re: Paying extra for what? [backy] by dbostondriver

Mar 21, 2009 (4:32 pm)

Replying to: backy (Mar 14, 2009 4:08 pm)
Also if you look at the reliability history of the Pontiac G6 and Saturn Aura, they are terrible. All three cars ride on the same platform. It is assembled in Kansas City, alongside the Saturn Aura, and also at Lake Orion, Michigan, alongside the Pontiac G6.

Messages Page 1216 of 1817

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