How to Choose the Right Sedan
There are a wide variety of sedans to choose from, including family sedans, upscale sedans, large sedans, and luxury sedans. Sedans provide a great balance of handling, performance, comfort, fuel economy and safety. Here are some tips for choosing the best sedan for your needs:
Engines: The majority of small and mid-sized sedans come with a 4-cylinder engine, which usually provides the best fuel economy. If you want more power, choose a sedan with a 6-cylinder or turbocharged 4-cylinder engine. Upscale sedans usually come with a 6-cylinder, although some offer an optional V8 engine. Luxury and large sedans are typically powered by V8s. The engine should operate smoothly and quietly. When idling, there should be minimal noise or vibration. A lot of sedans are available only with an automatic transmission, although manual transmissions are often available for small and sports sedans. Manuals generally provide better performance and fuel economy than automatics. Some automatics now provide a manual-shift mode that works similar to a manual transmission.
FWD, RWD or AWD: Most sedans use FWD, which generally provides better traction than RWD in slippery conditions. More and more luxury and sports sedans are using RWD, which provides better handling and steering. AWD sedans are also increasingly popular. They provide better traction in slippery conditions. Traction control is also available on many sedans, which helps provide extra traction in slippery conditions, but it still isn't as effective as AWD.
Access: When comparing sedans, try entering and exiting from all doors. A well-designed sedan should provide wide doors and enough head room so that all passengers can enter and exit easily without hitting their heads.
Seating: Most sedans provide seating for five. However, the middle rear position is often tight and uncomfortable for adults. Try sitting in each seat to see how comfortable they are. Look for a center rear seat with a three-point safety belt instead of a lap belt. Some large sedan models have a front bench seat, with three seating positions. If your rear seat passengers are going to be children, rear leg room may not matter. If you intend to seat adults in back, they should be able to sit comfortably with the front seats pushed a good way back. You can check this by adjusting the driver's seat so that it fits you, then sitting in the seat behind it.
Cargo space: When looking at trunks, don't look at just the size, but also at the dimensions of the opening and how high you have to lift objects to place them in the trunk. If you have any large items that you need to carry on a regular basis, you may want to bring them with you when you to shop. Some sedans are available with a fold-down rear seatback that allows cargo in the trunk to extend into the cabin. A split-back design is the most versatile because one side can be folded down while a person occupies the other rear seat. Some cars include only a small central pass-through that lets you carry long, narrow objects but lacks the overall versatility of a folding seatback. Compare the size of the opening to determine the overall usability.
Safety features: All new sedans have standard dual front air bags, three-point safety belts in the outboard seating positions, and top-tether and LATCH child-seat attachments in the rear seats. Some sedans also offer side air bags and/or head-protection bags. Antilock brakes are standard or optional on most models. Also look for safety features such as electronic stability control, traction control, tire-pressure monitors, safety-belt pretensioners, occupant-sensing air-bag systems and daytime running lights.
Published on Tuesday, March 17, 2009 - Email to a friend
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