2010 Midsize Car Buying Guide

2010 Midsize Car Buying Guide

By Chuck Giametta

Our 2010 midsize car buying guide steers you to the best choices in the most-popular segment of the new car market.

Midsize cars as a class outsell all other vehicles, and with good reason. These cars represent bedrock values of room, comfort, and style. There are lots of brands from which to choose, lots of features to ponder, and lots of competition to keep prices reasonable.

The 25 cars in our 2010 midsize car buying guide include all-new versions of established models, such as the 2010 Buick LaCrosse and 2010 Subaru Legacy, and freshened editions of old favorites, such as the Ford Fusion. On hand are the No. 1 and No. 2 best-selling cars in America, the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord. There are sporty models, such as the Nissan Altima, an all-wheel-drive wagon (the Subaru Outback), even a convertible with a retractable hardtop (the Chrysler Sebring).     

Four-door sedan body styles dominate this class, however. Each one in our 2005 midsize car buying guide can carry four adults comfortably, five in a pinch, and has decent trunk space for a week on the road with the kids.

All but three of these cars come standard with an economical four-cylinder engine. They average about 160 horsepower and typically rate about 20 mpg in city driving and around 30 mpg on the highway. A V-6 is standard on the Buick LaCrosse, Chevy Impala, and Nissan Maxima, and optional on all other cars in the buying guide except the VW Passat. Horsepower for these engines ranges from about 200 to 280 or more. Typical fuel-economy ratings are 17/25 city/highway.

Every entry in our 2010 midsize car buying guide is based on front-wheel drive engineering. This provides them with predictable handling on dry roads. And since the weight of the engine is over the drive wheels, it enhances traction in snow. But you can also get the any-climate security of all-wheel drive (AWD). It’s standard on the Subaru Legacy and Outback, and available at extra cost on the Buick LaCrosse, Ford Fusion, Chrysler Sebring, Dodge Avenger, Mercury Milan, and Volkswagen CC.

Speaking of cost, our 2010 midsize car buying guide is focused on affordable mainstream models, not premium-priced midsize cars such as the Lexus ES 350 and Infiniti G35. 

Base prices in our 2010 midsize car buying guide generally begin around $21,000-$22,000 for the four-cylinder models. V-6 versions usually start at $23,000-$24,000. South Korean brand Kia breaks from the pack with a base price under $19,000 for the Optima, while the aspirational Nissan Maxima and VW’s Passat and CC anchor the upper ranges with stickers that start over $27,000.

Standard equipment across the board includes air conditioning, power windows, locks and mirrors. Automatic transmission is standard on all but eight of these midsize cars. Manual transmission is available as an economy choice or a sporty alternative on the Honda Accord, Hyundai Sonata, Kia Optima, Mazda 6, Subaru Legacy and Outback, Toyota Camry, and Volkswagen CC.

Sunroof, leather upholstery, and navigation system are ubiquitous options and standard on upper-trim versions of many of these cars. Tech-happy features such as rear-seat DVD entertainment, USB iPod connectivity, Bluethooth phone link, rearview camera, and blind-spot detection system are widely available, as well.

Standard safety features on every midsize car in our guide includes antilock brakes and an antiskid system, plus head-protecting curtain side airbags that span front and rear seats.

Safety is in fact a highlight of these cars. Midsize cars as a class recorded the lowest fatality rates of all car categories in the latest government statistics. With just 11.4 occupant fatalities per 100,000 registered vehicles, midsize cars were well below the average of about 15 fatalities per 100,000 for all passenger vehicles. Only minivans, at 11 per 100,000 registered a lower rate than midsize cars. 

Safety features and engineering that mitigates the forces of a crash get some credit for this encouraging showing. So does the weight and size of the typical midsize car, a factor that helps in collisions with both small and larger vehicles. Owner demographics play a vital role, as well.

Midsize cars appeal to relatively mature drivers who get behind the wheel with experience on their side and family well-being on their mind. Compared to the younger drivers of subcompact and compact cars, midsize-car drivers are less likely to be risk takers. And midsize cars, with their low center of gravity, are far less prone to rollovers, which account for a large share of SUVs and pickup truck fatalities.      

A distressed economy and the unpredictability of gas prices put a damper on America’s flirtation with the SUV and the pickup. In 2008, cars outsold light trucks for the first time since 2001. For the pragmatic shoppers visiting new-car showrooms, the virtues of the midsize car are once more quite appealing.

Here’s our 2010 midsize car buying guide: 

2010 Buick LaCrosse

All-new, more upscale, optional AWD. Styling reflects Buick’s popularity in China. 

2010 Chevrolet Impala

Rear-wheel-drive replacement scuttled. Redesigned front-drive model due for 2012.

2010 Chevrolet Malibu

A stand-out sedan, but economy delays scheduled facelift until at least 2013.

2010 Chrysler Sebring sedan

Ugly outside, chintzy inside. Was due for a restyle, may get the axe instead. 

2010 Chrysler Sebring convertible

Better than the sedan, and available with a retracting hardtop. But future uncertain.

2010 Dodge Avenger

Platform cousin to the Sebring sedan and just as woeful, though may survive the cut.

2010 Ford Fusion

Freshened for 2010 with a minor facelift and cabin improvements. One to watch.

2010 Honda Accord

Hard to beat for build quality, driving pleasure, value, and features. Styling’s debatable. 

2010 Hyundai Azera

Cushy and conservative. Displaced by rear-wheel-drive Genesis as Hyundai’s flagship.

2010 Hyundai Sonata

Driving dynamics don’t match the nice looks or value story. Due a redesign for 2011.

2010 Kia Optima

Slightly sportier kin to the Sonata from Kia parent Hyundai. Smartly freshened for 2009.

2010 Kia Rondo

One of motoring’s unsung surprises is this solid and very spacious high-roof wagon.

2010 Mazda 6

Crashes the Camry/Accord party with daring styling, a big cabin, and a sporty nature. 

2010 Mercury Milan

Same as the Ford Fusion under the skin, but aims for a slightly higher demographic.

2010 Mitsubishi Galant

Spacious, soft riding, and priced to sell, but can’t shake a deserved rental-fleet image.

2010 Nissan Altima

Rowdy extrovert of the midsize class, and proud of it. Fun and stylish, if a bit raucous.  

2010 Nissan Maxima

Upscale relation to the Altima, successfully set apart by higher price, refined nature.

2010 Pontiac G6

Status uncertain as GM frets about Pontiac brand identity. Better choices abound.

2010 Saturn Aura

Could get a facelift, but future cloudy. Shares mechanical design with Chevy Malibu.

2010 Subaru Legacy

All-new for 2010. Same size, but more power and snazzier styling; AWD is still standard.

2010 Subaru Outback

The SUV-flavored station wagon version of the Legacy is similarly redesigned for ’10.

2010 Toyota Camry

Fresh styling, revamped interior, and still the class leader for refinement. Impressive.

2010 Toyota Solara

Essentially a convertible version of the Camry. Calm and pretty, but not rigid enough. 

2010 Volkswagen CC

Coupe-like roofline, suave four-seat cabin: a Passat that’s been to finishing school.  

2010 Volkswagen Passat

Lost V-6 engine and all-wheel-drive option to snazzier CC, but kept its Euro breeding.