Americans looking for a mid-sized Sedan have many, many choices, and the sweet spot of the $20,900-$22,500 range is particularly rich in diversity and style.
Since we are primarily concerned with exterior styling, we're going to focus on that, although all of these models feature engines that are highly evolved from those just a decade ago, as well as far better fuel economy. And almost all of these come in slightly different wrappings with higher mileage "Eco" or Hybrid options, which add about $8,000-$10,000 in cost to the prices below.
Let us begin.
Toyota Camry $22,235 - MOST YAWN-INSPIRING
The Camry is a reliable, solid, dependable car. And it looks like it, too. The styling of the Camry is definitely not out-of-date, but it always has a way of looking like it is. The revised front fascia is an improvement over the immediate previous model, which looked too plastic-y.
The fog lamps add visual interest, but just somewhat, and not enough to boost it into the "wow" range. And it's not supposed to be that kind of car, anyway. The rear of the car is well put-together, but again, yawn.
Chevy Malibu $21,995 - MOST GENERAL MOTORS-Y
The Malibu is a steadily evolving body style that isn't at all unpleasant to look at, and I've generally been a fan of the direction this model has been going. But it's also not anything special to look at, and that's a problem. For a car at the higher end in the sedan market's price point, you'd expect a lot more style, but it just isn't there.
The front end is pleasant enough, and it's clearly identifiable as a Chevy on your first glance. The head lamps are a bit over-large, but so is the grille area and the hood itself. The overall look is one of molded plastic, which is not a good look. The sides are free from the creases or other visual cues that would make it more distinctive and add at least SOME visual interest. As it stands, it has nearly none. The rear is a departure, featuring four square tail lamps that are very attractive and are historic throw-backs to earlier models. This, oddly, makes this car more interesting from behind than up front. GM needs to keep working on this car's styling to hit the right notes.
Ford Fusion $21,900 - BEST OVERALL!
The Fusion is in the middle of the pack in pricing but at the top of the heap in styling. This is Ford's Wunderkind, and is absolutely gorgeous. Its grille, which instantly brings to mind Aston Martin (a brand which used to reside in Ford's stable of vehicles) is gorgeous, well-proportioned and the culmination of sleek creases in the softly bulging hood.
The head lamps are squinting works of art, which I bet in the next version will be a bit wider, but are nonetheless nicely done here and properly proportioned to the hood. The sides feature a crease mark high on the door panels, cleverly bisecting the door handles and slightly curving downward to give the rear some visual heft. The tail lights are smart hexagons framing another hexagon between them, all of which is as nicely executed as the front. Overall, this is Ford's masterpiece.
Nissan Altima $21,760 - MOST COHESIVE STYLING
This Altima is all-new, and is one sharp car. The grille features a unique "pinched" look that's nicely framed in aluminum and sets off the stunning head lamps which mimic the subtle "kink" in the grille. The sides are rather muted (with a subtle BMW-style "Hoffmeister kink" for the rear window) but the rear features a perhaps over-large aluminum strip setting off - or one could say, holding IN - tail lamps that look, from a certain angle, as if they're going to fall right off the sides! Still, a repeat of the "kink" in both the head and rear lamps shows a cohesiveness in style, though it may not be to everyone's liking.
Honda Accord $21,680 - MOST COMPETENT DESIGN
One look at the Accord shows that there are definitely some nice elements here, although a second or third look will give one the sense that these are rather derivative of previous models and are kind of bland. The grille is nice, but not over-done, the head lamps are a bit large but are quite nice, too. There's some good creasing on the sides, but not overpowering. The rear tail lamps are perhaps over-large, but well put-together with a subtle aluminum device. Again, there's nothing exciting here, but also nothing offensive. And that's just as they wanted it, I'm sure.
Kia Optima $21,350- MOST SAAB-LIKE
The Optima is an attractive car, and it's moderate price tag comes with a lot of style. That much of its style is derivative of other cars is almost immaterial. Its head lamps resemble the Accord's, though they're connected by way of a uniquely Kia grille that is easily recognizable. The LED lights in the fog lamp assembly are clever, but are becoming ubiquitous, and look a bit like aftermarket add-ons here. Its Buick-style side ports are cliches, but seem to add a bit of flourish to the otherwise flat side panel. The rear trunk is slickly sloping and reminds you of the late SAAB brand, and in fact, when one squints and looks at the front and rear from the view above, the whole car does! The tail lamps are beautifully wrought, and thankfully lack the near-standard aluminum bar connecting them. The half-curve at the bottom of the tail lamps is quite attractive, since they're indented.
Hyundai Sonata $21,195 - MOST ATTRACTIVE
The Sonata is stunningly beautiful, the most curvacious of this entire class, and the revamped, sixth-generation model of this old standard is probably responsible for the good looks of many of the other models in this class. We've
always been appreciative of its impact on this entire class of cars. The nicely notched grille, with creases flowing down from the hood, is framed (or "hugged") by two elongated and quite stunning head lamps. The large, pronounced crease juts out on the side and door panels are unique to this car, but have again been imitated (somewhat) by other models like the Accord and others outside this class. They continue onto the back of the trunk, gently caressing the tail lamps. And those elongated tail lamps are stunning, connected by an aluminum bar that looks as if its holding them together and doing so elegantly in one of the most pleasant rear panels of the class.
Mazda 6 $20,880 - MOST IMPROVED
The prow of the 2013 and 2014 Mazda 6 is stunningly beautiful and instantly recognizable. It's also a 500% improvement over the last iteration, which was wan and weak and had almost no visual appeal. The grille seems pulled out onto the far edge of a curvaceous hood, which makes a quick drop towards a nicely-proportioned grille featuring a large but not overly large) Mazda emblem, bisected by an aluminum line that sits just right in the upper quadrant. This front end is a work of art, and the art continues with aggressive head lamps that seem to flow into the grille work. The underside features a balanced grille and sharply pointed fog lamps that complement the lights. The rest of the car curves gently upwards and then down towards tail lamps that resemble the heads, with rounded LEDs inside, connected with the ubiquitous aluminum connectors that seem to just sit there, though comfortably, between them.
VW Passat $20,845 - MOST READY FOR THE CHINESE MARKET
Let's not waste much time on the Volkswagen Passat, because it's just about the most bland and derivative car in its class when styling alone is considered. The previous version had far more visual interest when it wasn't trying to morph into a Honda. The grille and lamp fixtures are bland and poorly executed, and if you took away the large-ish VW logo in the center, we would be hard-pressed to identify this car's brand. In fact, it looks like a mid-2000s KIA or Honda, which is damning in today's competitive market. VW can do better, and they must, especially if they want to ask over $20K for this vehicle.
Chrysler 200 $20,795 - UGLIEST FRONT FASCIA/MOST FIXABLE
The poor Chrysler 200 has been
fully dissected here before and the 2013 model is not improved from the 2011 model which bowed with a new name. This car is the child of the Sebring, which had a poor reputation as rental fleet fodder but at least had head lamps that were well-proportioned. These look blind, with odd "eyebrows" above them and they seem stranded on the sides of the hood, with a too-small grille lonely in the center. The sides look exactly like the Sebring, which I believe is a good thing. The upward slanting crease is nice, as is the roof's curvature above the rear window, which ends in a black triangle rather than a "kink" or a too-small window. The rear is done nicely, with tail lamps that lap gently onto the sides of the raised trunk area and reach out to "grab" an aluminum bar that pulls it together nicely under the graceful Chrysler logo. If they can re-work the front fascia for 2014 (or perhaps give us the concept car design that was promised) this car DOES have a chance. But as it stands, it's hardly worth the nearly $21K base price, and competes better with the $16K Chevy Cruze, which it resembles.
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