The Consumer Guide to 2009 Midsize Cars
by the Auto Editors of Consumer Guide
2009 Midsize Car Lineup
Base Price Range: $25,640-$33,805 EPA MPG Range: 16-28 Body Style: 4-door sedan The 2009 Buick LaCrosse gets a few new features. A wireless cell-phone link and heated sideview mirrors are new for 2009, along with 17-inch wheels that are optional on CX models. LaCrosse generates more division among our testers than most cars. All agree that no LaCrosse model matches any import-brand midsize sedan for overall value. Some testers say the CX and CXL versions suffer poor road manners and have steep prices. Conversely, other testers like the CX and CXL for their traditional Buick room and comfort. | ||
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Base Price Range: $23,040-$35,125 EPA MPG Range: 12-30 Body Styles: 4-door sedan, 2-door convertible Sebring loses its all-wheel-drive model for 2009. A convertible model is available. The convertible comes with a power soft top or an optional power-retracting hardtop. Sebring's prices are attractive but all versions lack the powertrain refinement and interior roominess of the best in this class. The convertible appeals for its choice of a soft top or the all-weather security of a power-retractable hard top, and it is a reasonable alternative to rival droptops. | ||
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Base Price Range: $19,035-$25,605 EPA MPG Range: 17-29 Body Style: 4-door sedan The 2009 Ford Fusion lineup now offers an available antiskid system. This sedan shares its basic design with the Mercury Milan and premium-midsize Lincoln MKZ. Fusion comes in front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive and with a choice of 4-cylinder and V6 engines. Fusion and its near-twin Mercury Milan target the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry, and match those class leaders for room and interior design, if not engine refinement and road manners. Pricing is a Ford/Mercury strong suit, as is the availability of all-wheel drive. Note that there's no substantive difference between the Fusion and Milan, but that the Mercury can cost less when comparably equipped. It has richer-looking interior appointments, to boot. | ||
Base Price Range: $20,905-$31,155 EPA MPG Range: 17-31 Body Styles: 2-door coupe, 4-door sedan The 2009 Honda Accord should see no major changes following its 2008 redesign. This perennial benchmark for midsize value and performance gained power and passenger space. Four-cylinder and V6 coupes and sedans are available. Accord is offered with either a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder of 177 or 190 horsepower, or a 3.5-liter V6 with 268 horsepower. The V6 includes Honda's Variable Cylinder Management that shuts down cylinders while cruising to conserve fuel. Though Accord is no longer leaps and bounds ahead of competitors, its rewarding balance of price, performance, and passenger accommodations make it a Best Buy for shoppers in this class. | ||
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Base Price Range: $17,495-$22,295 EPA MPG Range: 18-27 Body Style: 4-door wagon The 2009 Kia Rondo gets slightly more power, and top-line EX versions now offer a navigation system. In size and price, this midsize front-wheel-drive wagon slots between Kia's compact Spectra5 hatchback and midsize Sorento SUV. Rondo offers LX and EX trim levels, both of which are available with a 162-horsepower 2.4-liter 4-cylinder or a 182-horsepower 2.7-liter V6 engine. Five-passenger seating is standard. An optional 60/40 split-folding third-row bench increases seating capacity to seven. Kia calls Rondo a crossover, but its car-like design and lack of available all-wheel drive land it squarely in the wagon camp. As such, its roomy interior, flexible cargo accommodations, and attractive pricing make Rondo a Best Buy alternative to traditional midsize sedans and crossover SUVs. | ||
Base Price Range: $17,995-$22,675 EPA MPG Range: 21-28 Body Style: 4-door wagon The 2009 Mazda 5 is largely unchanged. Mazda 5 is based on the front-wheel-drive Mazda 3 compact car, but has a longer, taller body with seating for six, minivan-style sliding rear side doors, and a one-piece liftgate. Sport, Touring, and Grand Touring versions are available. All have a 153-horsepower 2.3-liter 4-cylinder engine. Mazda 5 deserves consideration as a well-made, sensibly sized wagon that's sedan sporty, minivan versatile, and priced right. This Recommended choice also offers good fuel economy and outstanding room for four plus lots of stuff--four adults, a little cargo and, in the 3rd-row seats, two tykes. | ||
Base Price Range: $18,550-$28,260 EPA MPG Range: 17-30 Body Styles: 4-door sedan, 4-door hatchback The 2009 Mazda 6 is redesigned, gaining size, freshened styling, and more power. This midsize sedan drops its hatchback body style and comes exclusively as a 4-door sedan. Four trim levels are available: SV, Sport, Touring, and Grand Touring. Models with the "i" designation receive a new 170-horsepower 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine; it replaces a 156-horsepower 2.3-liter 4-cylinder. Models with the "s" suffix get a 272-horsepower 3.7-liter V6, which replaces a 212-horsepower 3.0 V6. A 6-speed manual or 5-speed automatic transmission is offered with the 4-cylinder, while the V6 pairs with a 6-speed automatic. Mazda 6 appeals for its style, passenger space, and fun-to-drive character. We prefer the 4-cylinder versus the V6 due to those models' better ride/handling balance and fuel economy. Though the demise of its wagon and hatchback body styles make it slightly less versatile, solid build quality and class-competitive power make 6 a must see. | ||
Base Price Range: $20,320-$26,720 EPA MPG Range: 17-29 Body Style: 4-door sedan The 2009 Mercury Milan now offers an antiskid system as an optional safety feature. Milan shares its basic design with the Ford Fusion and premium midsize Lincoln MKZ. Milan offers base and uplevel Premier models, both available with a 160-horsepower 2.3-liter 4-cylinder engine or a 221-horsepower 3.0-liter V6. All Milans come with front-wheel drive; all-wheel drive is available on V6 models. Milan has some substantive advantage over a comparably equipped Ford Fusion. Though both are quite capable midsize sedans, Milan has a longer list of standard equipment and richer-looking interior appointments. The availability of all-wheel drive further enhances its credibility. | ||
Base Price Range: $21,249-$27,449 EPA MPG Range: 16-27 Body Style: 4-door sedan The 2009 Mitsubishi Galant gets freshened styling and adds models to its lineup. The ES and Ralliart versions of this midsize car are joined for 2009 by the Sport Edition and Sport V6. ES and Sport Edition have a 160-horsepower 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine that teams with a 4-speed automatic transmission. Sport V6 models use a 230-horsepower 3.8-liter V6. Ralliarts have a 258-horsepower 3.8-liter V6, plus specific styling cues and suspension tuning. Galant matches the midsize-class leaders for roominess, and holds its own in acceleration and handling, particularly the sporty Ralliart. These sedans lag in mechanical refinement, solidity, interior materials, and assembly quality. Yes, Galant typically sells for less than its rivals, but that's offset by Mitsubishi's lower resale values. | ||
Base Price Range: $19,900-$29,380 EPA MPG Range: 18-35 Body Style: 4-door sedan The 2009 Nissan Altima is largely unchanged, though Nissan is expanding availability of its gas/electric Hybrid model. Nissan's midsize cars come in sedan and coupe form. Both are available as 2.5 models with a 175-horsepower 4-cylinder or as 3.5 models with a 270-horsepower V6. A continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) is standard on the 3.5 SL versions and optional on all but the base 2.5. Altima also offers a gas-electric Hybrid sedan. It's sold only in California and certain northeastern states and pairs the 4-cylinder engine and CVT with a battery-powered electric motor for 198 horsepower. The Hybrid can run on one or both of its power sources and does not require plug-in charging. Altima is a sporty alternative to the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry, with sedans giving up little in terms of everyday usability. The coupes attempt to be even sportier, but they ride stiffly and have little trunk space. Both body styles have subpar rear-seat room and comfort, and any Altima trails our class benchmarks for overall refinement. Altima Hybrid gives up some drivetrain sophistication in the name of efficiency. Its approximately $5000 price premium over a conventional 4-cylinder model would take a long time to recoup in fuel savings, even with high gas prices. | ||
Base Price Range: $30,160-$32,860 EPA MPG Range: 19-26 Body Style: 4-door sedan The 2009 Nissan Maxima is redesigned, gaining fresh styling and more power. Two trim levels are available: 3.5 S and 3.5 SV. All are powered by a 290-horsepower 3.5-liter V6, an increase of 35 horsepower over 2008 Maximas. A CVT with a manual shift gate and optional paddle shifters is the only transmission. Maxima fills the small space between the more sedate Altima and the sportier, premium-level G37 from Nissan's Infiniti division. Maxima offers abundant power and some unexpected features, such as a heated steering wheel. Although Nissan targets Maxima as a "4-door sports car", it's not quite athletic enough to live up to that title. Adding expensive option packages escalates the sticker price to the point where an investment of a few more dollars will buy you a G37, which offers superior interior materials, warranty coverage, customer service, and is more entertaining to drive. | ||
Base Price Range: $19,275 -$32,300 EPA MPG Range: 15-33 Body Styles: 2-door coupe, 2-door convertible, 4-door sedan The 2009 Pontiac G6 is largely unchanged, though 4-cylinder models are now available with a new 6-speed automatic transmission. This midsize car is available as a 4-door sedan, 2-door coupe, or 2-door convertible with a power-retracting hardtop. G6 shares its basic design with the Chevrolet Malibu, Saturn Aura, and Saab 9-3. Sedans are available in base, GT, and sporty GXP trims. Coupes are available in GT and GXP trims, and convertibles are GT only. Base sedans have a 164-horsepower 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine. Optional on the base and standard on the GT is a 221-horsepower 3.5-liter V6. Optional on the GT convertible is a 222-horsepower 3.9-liter V6. All these engines team with a 4-speed automatic transmission. Newly optional on the 4-cylinder sedan is a 6-speed automatic. GXP models have a 252-horsepower 3.6-liter V6 and a 6-speed automatic. G6 lacks the well-toned feel of a Honda Accord or the isolating comfort of a Toyota Camry. But it undercuts them on price, especially with a V6 engine. Frequent discounts and a wide selection of safety and convenience features add to G6's appeal. The G6 coupe is too large for the interior space it provides, making a sedan the wiser choice of the two. The convertible benefits from the all-weather security of its retractable hardtop. | ||
Base Price Range: $22,655-$27,150 EPA MPG Range: 17-34 highway Body Style: 4-door sedan The 2009 Saturn Aura lineup shuffles some trim levels and model names and adds some new features. This midsize sedan shares its basic design with the Chevrolet Malibu, Pontiac G6, and Saab 9-3. Aura offers base XE, uplevel XR, and gas/electric Hybrid (formerly Green Line) models. XE and new-for-2009 XR 4-cylinder models have a 169-horsepower 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine. XR V6 models have a 252-horsepower 3.6-liter V6. All XE and XR Auras have a 6-speed automatic transmission. This transmission replaces a 4-speed automatic on 4-cylinder Auras. The XE V6 model with its 219-horsepower 3.5-liter engine has been discontinued. The Aura Hybrid has a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine that pairs with an electric motor for 164 horsepower total. This hybrid can shut off the gas engine at a stop, but it cannot run solely on electric power. It uses a 4-speed automatic transmission. This Recommended midsize sedan shines for its sporty road manners, comfortably controlled ride, and mechanical polish. It's also roomy and comfortable, feels solid, and offers a lot for the money, including essential standard safety features. The Aura Hybrid is a budget-friendly alternative to the higher-priced Toyota Camry Hybrid, though in our testing, its fuel economy isn't dramatically improved over a non-hybrid 4-cylinder model. | ||
Base Price Range: $20,795-$34,595 EPA MPG Range: 17-27 Body Style: 4-door sedan The 2009 Subaru Legacy lineup gains a new trim level--the 3.0 R. These midsize sedans offer all-wheel drive and horizontally-opposed engines. Legacy is available in 2.5i and 2.5 GT trims, each with 4-cylinder engines. The 2.5i models have 170 horsepower. GT and sport-themed GT spec.B are turbocharged and have 243 horsepower. Also available are the 3.0 R and 3.0 R Limited. Each of those has a 245-horsepower 6-cylinder. Legacys don't provide generous rear-seat room compared to some other midsize cars, and these Subarus are pricey against front-wheel-drive competitors. They do have some appeal for their all-wheel-drive capability and numerous available safety features. | ||
Base Price Range: $22,295-$32,795 EPA MPG Range: 17-27 Body Style: 4-door wagon The 2009 Subaru Outback undergoes a model reorganization. These SUV-flavored wagons have all-wheel drive and horizontally opposed engines. Outbacks share their basic design with Subaru's midsize Legacy sedan, but have a slightly raised suspension. Outbacks come in 2.5i, 2.5i Limited, 2.5 XT Limited, and 3.0 R Limited trims. Limited replaces the previous L.L. Bean model. All 2.5i models have a 170-horsepower 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine. XT Limiteds have a 243-horsepower turbocharged 4-cylinder. The 3.0 R has a 245-horsepower 6-cylinder. Outbacks offer the flavor of SUVs but with car-like size, ride, and handling. They're pricey against front-wheel-drive competitors, but appeal for their all-wheel-drive capability and numerous available safety features. | ||
Base Price Range: $19,145-$28,695 EPA MPG Range: 19-34 Body Style: 4-door sedan The 2009 Toyota Camry is unchanged. This midsize car lineup includes CE, LE, SE, and top-line XLE models. Also available is a Hybrid model that offers a standard equipment level similar to the XLE. All but the Hybrid come standard with a 158-horsepower 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine. A 5-speed manual transmission is standard on CE, LE, and SE models. A 5-speed automatic is standard on XLE and optional on the others. LE, SE, and XLE also offer 268-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 versions, which use a 6-speed automatic. The Hybrid teams a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder gas engine with a battery-powered electric motor for 187 horsepower. Like Toyota's other hybrids, it runs on one or both of its power sources depending on driving conditions and requires no plug-in charging. It uses a CVT. Camry is no excitement machine--not even the sporty SE version--and recent test examples have suffered uncharacteristic lapses in materials and workmanship. Still, Toyota's midsize sedan earns our Recommended nod for its powertrain refinement and passenger comfort. | ||
Base Price Range: $22,000-$24,270 EPA MPG Range: 48-45 Body Style: 4-door hatchback The 2009 Toyota Prius is largely unchanged, though later in the model year, it may receive roof-mounted solar panels that will help power the air conditioning unit, reducing power demand. This gas/electric hybrid car is a five-passenger, 4-door hatchback that teams a 4-cylinder engine with a battery-powered electric motor for 110 horsepower. Toyota's hybrid system allows Prius to run on one or both of its power sources to balance acceleration and fuel economy. No plug-in charging is required. Prius has a CVT. Prius is under-powered compared with other midsize sedans, and its powertrain idiosyncrasies may be hard for some buyers to live with. But no other vehicle can match Prius' blend of passenger space and fuel efficiency. That makes Prius a Recommended choice in this class. | ||
 Base Price: $25,020-$29,250 EPA MPG Range: 19-29 Body Style: 4-door wagon The 2009 Toyota Venza is the latest addition to this Japanese automaker's lineup. This 4-door, five-passenger wagon slots between the Camry sedan and Highlander SUV in size and price. It shares some of its basic design with both those vehicles. Like the Camry and Highlander upon which it is based, Venza isn't an excitement machine. It is, however, quite versatile and surprisingly roomy. Avoid the underpowered 4-cylinder in favor of the smoother, more refined V6. Pricing is a bit on the steep side, but that should be at least partially offset by Toyota's reputation for reliability and strong resale values. | ||
Base Price Range: $28,300-$29,690 EPA MPG Range: 19-29 Body Styles: 4-door sedan, 4-door wagon The 2009 Volkswagen Passat is no longer offered with a manual transmission, a V6 engine, or all-wheel drive. This front-wheel-drive midsize car comes as a sedan or wagon in a single Komfort trim level. The sole powertrain teams a turbocharged 200-horsepower 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine with a 6-speed automatic transmission. The VR6 model, which had a V6 engine and available AWD, has been discontinued.Passat is a pleasant enough midsize car. It's not cheap, however, and adding options quickly inflates sticker prices into premium-midsize-car territory. The best entries in that class have unassailable interior materials and something more than a 4-cylinder as the base engine--two things Passat lacks. |
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