MT Comparison: 2012-2013 Midsize Sedan "Battle of the Best-Sellers"
10-01-12, 01:30 PM
#1
Driver School Candidate
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: AZ
Posts: 12
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
MT Comparison: 2012-2013 Midsize Sedan "Battle of the Best-Sellers"
I'm not sure if I agree with MT's choice of the 1st place winner....plus they really bashed the Camry hard!
http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...parison/?ti=v2
Ferrari may get all the fan mail and sell countless bedroom wall posters, but in the 66 years since its founding, the Italian automaker has sold just 130,000 cars. Total. Worldwide. Ever. Toyota, in comparison, sells roughly that many Camrys in the U.S. every five months. Honda's Accord and Nissan's Altima are close behind.
Make no mistake: The humble sedans you see here may have to endure morning gridlock, Labrador fur, and the occasional wayward French fry, but they're the power players of America's auto landscape. Indeed, data sifter Experian Automotive says this mid-range class accounted for a whopping 27.4 percent of the U.S. auto market in the first half of 2012. (Crossovers were a distant second, at just over 19 percent.) While the spotlight-hungry 458 Italia is out there screaming and preening and generally looking as restless as Honey Boo Boo in a library, these four-doors are stoically squaring away the driving chores and eking maximum miles from every precious gallon of gas. Average Joes? Nah. They're heroes.
But which of these best-sellers is numero uno? The latest editions of the Toyota Camry and the Volkswagen Passat -- our 2012 Car of the Year winner -- should look familiar, as they've been on sale about a year now. The remaining members of our sedan six-pack, though, are transformed for 2013. They include the new, smaller Chevy Malibu; the dramatically restyled Ford Fusion; the bold Nissan Altima; and the all-new and bigger Honda Accord.
To sample life at the class' entry level, we ordered base powerplants in each of our testers: four 2.5-liter engines, one 2.4, and a 1.6-liter turbo. Plus three six-speed automatics, one six-speed manual, and two CVTs. Hardly the stuff of performance dreams, true, but as enthusiasts we unabashedly favor the car -- even an economy model -- that delivers the most gifts to the driver's seat. With that in mind, here's how they finished.
Make no mistake: The humble sedans you see here may have to endure morning gridlock, Labrador fur, and the occasional wayward French fry, but they're the power players of America's auto landscape. Indeed, data sifter Experian Automotive says this mid-range class accounted for a whopping 27.4 percent of the U.S. auto market in the first half of 2012. (Crossovers were a distant second, at just over 19 percent.) While the spotlight-hungry 458 Italia is out there screaming and preening and generally looking as restless as Honey Boo Boo in a library, these four-doors are stoically squaring away the driving chores and eking maximum miles from every precious gallon of gas. Average Joes? Nah. They're heroes.
But which of these best-sellers is numero uno? The latest editions of the Toyota Camry and the Volkswagen Passat -- our 2012 Car of the Year winner -- should look familiar, as they've been on sale about a year now. The remaining members of our sedan six-pack, though, are transformed for 2013. They include the new, smaller Chevy Malibu; the dramatically restyled Ford Fusion; the bold Nissan Altima; and the all-new and bigger Honda Accord.
To sample life at the class' entry level, we ordered base powerplants in each of our testers: four 2.5-liter engines, one 2.4, and a 1.6-liter turbo. Plus three six-speed automatics, one six-speed manual, and two CVTs. Hardly the stuff of performance dreams, true, but as enthusiasts we unabashedly favor the car -- even an economy model -- that delivers the most gifts to the driver's seat. With that in mind, here's how they finished.
10-01-12, 02:33 PM
#2
It's often hard for me to take these comparisons seriously. Looking at the numbers and finishing order, things like handling seem prioritized over fuel efficiency. Really?
I don't really disagree with the finishing order, but I wish reviews of cars in this class focused on things that the buyers care about - reliability, efficiency, value, space, technology and connectivity, etc.
I am not making excuses for the any of the lower-finishing cars, but I often feel like reviews of this nature are out of step with what buyers in this class really want.
I don't really disagree with the finishing order, but I wish reviews of cars in this class focused on things that the buyers care about - reliability, efficiency, value, space, technology and connectivity, etc.
I am not making excuses for the any of the lower-finishing cars, but I often feel like reviews of this nature are out of step with what buyers in this class really want.
10-01-12, 03:36 PM
#3
It's often hard for me to take these comparisons seriously. Looking at the numbers and finishing order, things like handling seem prioritized over fuel efficiency. Really?
I don't really disagree with the finishing order, but I wish reviews of cars in this class focused on things that the buyers care about - reliability, efficiency, value, space, technology and connectivity, etc.
I am not making excuses for the any of the lower-finishing cars, but I often feel like reviews of this nature are out of step with what buyers in this class really want.
I don't really disagree with the finishing order, but I wish reviews of cars in this class focused on things that the buyers care about - reliability, efficiency, value, space, technology and connectivity, etc.
I am not making excuses for the any of the lower-finishing cars, but I often feel like reviews of this nature are out of step with what buyers in this class really want.
So honestly comparos here are meaningless.
It is also worst review of Camry, ever... apperantly it was falling apart.
Accord was easily the best by the numbers... its engine killed 1.6 Turbo in Ford in every possible way... Fusion turbo was not faster than competiton and yet it consumed more gas... something i have been preaching about small turbo's for a long time now.
10-01-12, 04:17 PM
#4
Lexus Fanatic
iTrader: (20)
interesting article. passat looks a bit bland for me, but i'm sure it's pretty refined.
definitely agree with the comments on camry... including "Interior looks like it was designed by the accounting department. Monochrome display for the HVAC system could have been developed in the '70s. The ***** are cheap, the buttons are cheap, everything is built to the lowest price" and "This is the McDonald's of cars: billions and billions served. But that doesn't mean it's good."
definitely agree with the comments on camry... including "Interior looks like it was designed by the accounting department. Monochrome display for the HVAC system could have been developed in the '70s. The ***** are cheap, the buttons are cheap, everything is built to the lowest price" and "This is the McDonald's of cars: billions and billions served. But that doesn't mean it's good."
10-01-12, 05:10 PM
#5
6TH PLACE: Chevrolet Malibu LTZ
5TH PLACE: Toyota Camry XLE
4TH PLACE: Nissan Altima 2.5 SV
3RD PLACE: Ford Fusion SE
2ND PLACE: Honda Accord
1ST PLACE: Volkswagen Passat SE
5TH PLACE: Toyota Camry XLE
4TH PLACE: Nissan Altima 2.5 SV
3RD PLACE: Ford Fusion SE
2ND PLACE: Honda Accord
1ST PLACE: Volkswagen Passat SE
- Surprised not to see the Optima and Sonata in this comparo
- Can't wait to see the 14' Mazda6 thrown into the mix
- While the Cruze has done well for Chevy, the Malibu has been a huge disappointment
10-01-12, 05:56 PM
#6
Sonata and Optima are old... Motortrend has rated them worse than Camry before.
10-01-12, 06:10 PM
#8
10-01-12, 09:01 PM
#10
Lexus Fanatic
iTrader: (20)
10-01-12, 09:09 PM
#11
Ah thank you. Yeah the comparo between a I4 cylinder Camry, I4 Sonata, I5 Passat, V6 Camry, Turbo I4 Sonata, V6 Passat, Hybrid Camry, Hybrid Sonata, and Diesel Passat.
Camry wiped the floor with all of them in all trims, and Sonata was dead last. Passat STILL got the nod over the Camry simply because of "driving" involvement... SMH
Also, 200 and Avenger need yet another redesign just to be somewhat competitive in this segment.
Oh and it seems the world gave up on the Galant a looong time ago hah
Camry wiped the floor with all of them in all trims, and Sonata was dead last. Passat STILL got the nod over the Camry simply because of "driving" involvement... SMH
Also, 200 and Avenger need yet another redesign just to be somewhat competitive in this segment.
Oh and it seems the world gave up on the Galant a looong time ago hah
10-02-12, 05:04 AM
#14
Ah thank you. Yeah the comparo between a I4 cylinder Camry, I4 Sonata, I5 Passat, V6 Camry, Turbo I4 Sonata, V6 Passat, Hybrid Camry, Hybrid Sonata, and Diesel Passat.
Camry wiped the floor with all of them in all trims, and Sonata was dead last. Passat STILL got the nod over the Camry simply because of "driving" involvement... SMH
Also, 200 and Avenger need yet another redesign just to be somewhat competitive in this segment.
Oh and it seems the world gave up on the Galant a looong time ago hah
Camry wiped the floor with all of them in all trims, and Sonata was dead last. Passat STILL got the nod over the Camry simply because of "driving" involvement... SMH
Also, 200 and Avenger need yet another redesign just to be somewhat competitive in this segment.
Oh and it seems the world gave up on the Galant a looong time ago hah
10-02-12, 07:40 AM
#15
Lexus Champion
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: MO
Posts: 2,545
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
MT has to justify their COTY choice but overall I don't have a problem with the article. And I happen to mostly agree with the their evaluation on the Camry. An utterly dull and indifferent vehicle. If it were me the Camry would be the absolute LAST car I'd consider in this class. For me it would come down to Altima or Accord. Fusion looks nice but the Germanic ride quality is something I probably couldn't live with.