What You Should Know About Sedans

What You Should Know About Sedans:

What You Should Know Before Buying a Sedan

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Sedan Buying Guide | What You Should Know Before Buying a Sedan | View Other Buying Guides

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Size/Market Segment

A sedan is defined as a vehicle with four doors that features a traditional trunk design, but we have included four-door hatchbacks among our recommended choices. There are three basic sizes: compact, midsize and large (or full-size). Some models don't fit neatly into any one group.

Price

Compact sedans can range from $10,000 for an economy sedan to more than $40,000 for a luxury model. Midsize sedans start around $18,000 and top off in the $80Ks. Large sedans run from the low $20Ks for your typical family sedan to more than $300K for an exotic.

Engines/Fuel Economy

You'll see four-, five-, six-, eight- and even 12-cylinder engines in this group, as well as hybrids and an all-electric car. An influx of new designs and technologies are improving fuel economy throughout the range of sedans, meaning that midsize sedans are getting the fuel economy that compacts used to achieve.

Safety

Family shoppers should check the availability of features like antilock brakes, front-seat side airbags, full-length side curtain airbags and stability control. Features like rearview cameras, parking sensors and knee airbags are becoming increasingly available on non-luxury sedans, while premium brands are utilizing high-tech electronics to warn inattentive drivers of blind-spot intrusion and impending collisions. Shoppers should be aware of crash test scores as well, but it should be noted that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration adopted more strenuous testing procedures for last year, making the ratings of recently tested models incomparable with those tested in the past.

Luxury and Convenience Features

Luxuries like automatic climate control, heated seats, iPod interfaces, navigation systems, keyless start systems and Bluetooth capability can often be found in non-luxury sedans. Look for them as you shop. Keep an eye open for multiple seat adjustments and plentiful cupholder and storage provisions.

Passenger Capacity/Interior Space

Most compact and midsize sedans can transport four adults in reasonable comfort. Taller families and those with five to carry should consider a large sedan.

Luggage Capacity

Generally, compacts offer 12-13 cubic feet of trunk space, midsize sedans offer 14-16 and large sedans offer 17-21. If you'll be hauling anything bulky, get a sedan with folding rear seats or a ski pass-through. Four-door vehicles with hatchbacks are the best choice for those who prioritize cargo space and versatility.

Do You Need All-Wheel Drive?

Consumers should only pay extra for AWD if they regularly drive in snow or otherwise slippery conditions. Though the weight penalty of all-wheel drive is minimal in modern vehicle designs, there can be a compromise in fuel economy. Some sport sedans feature all-wheel drive to enhance control and stability during high-speed maneuvers.

Manual vs. Automatic Transmissions

While traditional manuals with clutch pedals are still recommended for sport sedans and underpowered compacts, there are now several different kinds of automatics. The conventional automatic features a torque converter and sometimes can be shifted manually with either a lever on the center console or paddles on the steering wheel. Automated manual transmissions used to be the stuff of exotic sports cars, but now they've found their way into economy cars for their ability to maximize the power potential and fuel efficiency of low-powered engines. While such transmissions make manual shifting more responsive, they operate just like a normal automatic, although shift quality is generally less smooth. Finally, there's the continuously variable transmission (CVT), which automatically selects from an infinite ratio to keep the engine in a sweet spot of power and/or fuel economy. A typical downside of CVTs is the way they can drone during acceleration.

Operating Costs

Sedans are the standard by which all other vehicles are judged. Although sedan prices and sizes vary widely, buyers looking for low-cost transportation will inevitably end up with four doors and a trunk. Low-priced compact and midsize sedans are the cheapest to own; they don't use much gas, they don't cost a lot to insure and their lack of complexity keeps repair bills down. Luxury sedans may come with a limited free maintenance plan, but expect higher costs as they age. Higher-performance sedans often cost more to insure and maintain.