Sedans

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2013 Toyota Camry: Top-selling sedan still reliable, efficient

The 2013 Toyota Camry sedan looks sharper since its much-needed redesign for 2012. It retained its long-standing status as America’s top-selling car last year. Could 404,886 buyers be wrong? Maybe not, if all they wanted was a reliable, efficient car with a good quality reputation—although most models aren’t fun to drive—just an appliance. There are a variety of Camry models, including several gas/electric hybrids, to fit various budgets. List prices range from $22,235 for the base “L” four-cylinder model to $30,465 for the XLE V-6 version The 2012 front-wheel-drive Camry sedan got a widened, lower stance and upgraded interior. It also got a bit more-responsive handling, which isn’t saying much. But at least the SE V-6 sedan was—and is—rather fun

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Kia Optima, 2014: Style, substance, affordability

Kia Motors America debuted a vastly updated 2014 edition of its popular Optima, the fast-growing four-year-old midsize sedan, at the New York International Auto Show. Available in LX, EX, SX and SX-Limited trims, the 2014 Kia Optima arrives with updated front and rear fascias, retaining the vehicle’s dynamic and sporty proportions. The Optima’s new premium amenities and convenience options make Optima an even more competitive option in the competitive mid-size sedan segment. The 2014 Optima is expected to arrive in Kia retail showrooms in the third quarter of the year, and pricing will be announced closer to the vehicle’s on-sale date. The 2014 Optima cements the model’s status as a trailblazer of combining style and substance in an affordably priced

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Ford cooking with anything but gas in sustainable car-making initiative

For about a year, Ford has been touring the country with a marketing program, Fusion Meets Fusion. The initiative allows the carmaker to explain how it uses sustainable food sources to replace plastic and rubber in cars like the fuel-efficient Fusion sedan. Like in other locales, the Sacramento presentation was offered at an established local restaurant, Mulvaney’s B&L in midtown Sacramento. Restaurant co-owner and chef Patrick Mulvaney prepared a family-style meal incorporating soybeans, wheat straw, coconut and dandelion greens. Dandelion greens were used in the spring greens salad and whole wheat fettuccine; wheat straw was an ingredient in hay-scented chicken; soybeans were used in the salad served with salmon; coconut was prominent in the crème brulee dessert. Carrie Majeske, Ford‘s

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Car Review: 2013 Volvo S60 T5 is a four-door coupe with a sports car feel

It’s hard to keep track of Volvo. The Swedish manufacturerwhose emblem dates to the country’s early iron industry history, was sold to Ford in 1999. The American company, in turn, sold Volvo to China-based Geely. Buy a Volvo today, like the 2013 S60 T5, and you’re still getting a vehicle with engine parts originating from Sweden. But parts from Belgium, Germany and Japan are also in the mix. Volvo still also has its solid feel and sturdy construction demeanor, but long gone is its heavy box-on-wheels reputation. The S60 sedan is now well into its second decade and second generation in the niche category of “four-door coupe.” The Weekly Driver Test Drive For 2013, the Volvo S60 T5 offers All-Wheel

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2013 Buick Verano: Turbo sedan blends luxury, performance

Things sure are changing. For instance, here we have the new compact, turbocharged 2013 Buick Verano sedan with an available six-speed manual transmission. Buick is after a younger crowd with the front-drive Verano Turbo, which also comes with a six-speed automatic transmission at no extra charge. It reached for a younger group with its 1960s muscle cars and 1980s Grand National models. In fact, the 1987 Grand National GNX Coupe could blow off a 1987 Chevy Corvette. But those cars, including Buick’s 1980s-1990s Reatta two-seater, just weren’t quite right for the times. Now, anything goes. And so we have the Verano Turbo’s smooth 2-liter turbocharged four-cylinder 250-horsepower engine. It kicks out 260 pound/feet of torque at only 2,000 rpm. The

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Honda Accord, 2013: Family sedan turned luxury car

Now approaching middle age, the Honda Accord has been among the top-selling cars in the United States for nearly 25 years. The first generation was launched on May 7, 1976 as a three-door hatchback with 68 horsepower, a 93.7-inch wheelbase and weighing about 2,000 pounds. For 2013, after several manufacturers began to match the Accord’s quality and offer better warranties, Honda acquiesced and debuted a complete redesign. Among a vast array of other attributes, the Accord now has a 109.4-inch wheelbase and weighs 3,559 pounds. The Accord, available in more than a dozen configurations and as a coupe and sedan, has come a long way, including the V6 Touring edition, my weekly driver. It features a 24-value, 3.5-liter, V6 with

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Mitsubishi Lancer 2013: tame to wild and unheralded

The Mitsubishi Lancer compact four-door sedan and hatchback come in models ranging from a tame 148-horsepower model to a crossfire-hurricane 291-horsepower version called the “Evolution,” which car buffs love. The often-overlooked Lancer was Mitsubishi’s second best-selling model in America in 2012, behind the Outlander Sport SUV. Most Americans don’t realize Mitsubishi is a huge conglomerate that sells vehicles throughout the world and that it’s an innovative outfit. Mitsubishi’s tough race/rally cars were among the world’s championship cars. Mitsubishi pulled out of world rally competition about seven years ago, although development continues for production classes that keep its race-bred Lancer Evolution model a feared performer. List prices for Lancer sedans and hatchbacks range from $15,995 to $34,695. Besides the top-line race-style

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Hyundai Sonata: A Weekly Driver 2012 Top 10

The Hyundai Sonata, a midsize family sedan, has steadily advanced in its highly competitive segment and is no longer a fringe alternative to the mainstream represented by the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. With its redesign in 2011, the Sonata had its most successful year (225,961 units sold). It was the first time a Hyundai model sold more than 200,000 units in a year, and the stellar year vaulted the Sonata into 11th on the season-end, best-selling list where Honda, Ford, Nissan and Toyota all had sedan entries. The 2012 Hyundai Sonata, therefore, largely remains the same as last year (why tinker with success?) with only a few updates. The new Sonata has a telematics service (Blue Link), a higher-resolution

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Mitsubishi Lancer 2013: Status quo for enduring sedan

Since its debut in 1973, the Mitsubishi Lancer has endured as a small sedan sold nearly globally and with about a dozen different names. For 2013, the Lancer in North America is available in DE, ES, SE, GT, Ralliart and the high-performance Evolution trim. The non-performance models have largely stayed the same for the past several years. The 2013 slight differences include the SE trim level standard roof rack mounts. The Weekly Driver Test Drive My weekly driver was the Lancer SE, an upgraded trim with a 2.4-liter, 168 horsepower, Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) and all-wheel drive. It also featured the new, standard roof rack mounts and an alloy wheel package. The Lancer’s standard chiseled exterior with its minor improvements

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Chevy Malibu review, 2013: New midsize sedan has continental flair

The 2013 Chevrolet Malibu seems to walk a line between being a mainstream American sedan and a higher-class European four-door. Chevy calls the Malibu its “first global midsize sedan.” Indeed, Chevy says in promotional material the new Malibu will be at home (in various forms) from New York to Sydney and Shanghai to Sao Paulo. Or to “nearly 100 markets on 6 continents.” The front-drive Malibu is no head-turner but is handsome enough to matter how it is sold. It has an integrated rear spoiler and low .29 drag coefficient to cheat wind resistance and noise. Chevy says it is the most aerodynamic Malibu ever. Indeed, the interior is very quiet. However, the low front end, which helps aerodynamics, can

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2013 Mazdaspeed3: Fun, value-priced pocket rocket

The 2013 Mazdaspeed3 compact hatchback is for those who like fast, responsive small cars, but don’t want to give up a good dose of practicality. The well-equipped front-drive Mazdaspeed3 is a far cry from the standard front-drive Mazda3, which is a pleasant, practical hatchback reasonably enjoyable to drive. The $24,200 Mazdaspeed3 looks like it’s spoiling for a fight. New for 2013 are items including 40-series tires on 18-inch “gunmetal” alloy wheels, black outside mirrors, a two-tone rear roof spoiler and rear lower valance. New for the interior is a $2,485 Technology Package that includes a blind-spot monitoring system, full-color touchscreen navigation system, HD radio, Pandora audio application, SMS test message audio delivery and voice reply. It also contains a pushbutton

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2013 Volkswagen CC: Elegant, keen engineering, strong performance

Styling of the elegant-looking Volkswagen CC has been sharpened for 2013, and it’s been given a third rear-seating section, making it a five-seater. The 2013 CC looks sharper, with new front and rear styling. And its new bi-xenon headlights are styled after those of Volkswagen’s costly Euro-market Phaeton. They look as if they could light up a Super Bowl game. Also new are LED taillights. The CC resembles a coupe with its flowing roofline and swept back rear windows. This four-door looks low-slung and is 188 inches long. But it’s rather narrow, as if built for European roads. The low front end can easily be damaged, and thick front roof pillars partially obstruct visibility when turning street corners. The old

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2013 Cadillac XTS: New sedan best Cadillac ever?

The all-new 2013 Cadillac XTS is a big front-wheel or all-wheel-drive sedan based on the Buick LaCrosse and upcoming Chevrolet Impala. It replaces Cadillac’s DTS and STS models and is arguably the best Cadillac sedan ever. The XTS is handsome, despite a stubby hood. Its clean, elegant design doesn’t have the many sharp angles and creases found on other Cadillacs. The uptown interior is deathly quiet. It has everything from comfortable seats and easily read gauges to soft-touch, high-quality materials, with either wood or metal. No cheap plastics here. The XTS stresses technology, luxury and prestige, with no pretensions to directly compete with stiffer German luxury-performance models. In short, the XTS is largely its “own man” and leaves Caddy models

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2013 best sedans: Ford Fiesta to Audi A8

Sedans are arguably the most competitive car segment, and the uniqueness of the Edmunds.com list for 2013 is that Toyota, which manufacturers the Camry and Corolla, both perennially among the top-10 selling cars in the United States, is not on the  recommended list in any sedan price category. None of the members of the Toyota Prius family of hybrid cars are on recommended sedan list, either, although Toyota products are listed in other recommended categories. Here’s the top-three in eight price categories for Edmunds.com, the online automotive information resource guide headquartered in Santa Monica, California. Under $15K Chevrolet Sonic, Ford Fiesta, Hyundai Accent Under $18K Mazda 3, Hyundai Elantra, Ford Focus Under $25K Ford Fusion, Honda Accord, Nissan Ultima Under

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2013 Volkswagen Golf R: Turbo hatchback a smooth, powerful, fast gem

The new hot rod Golf R hatchback is for driving enthusiasts and is unchanged from its 2012 debut. Demand was strong for last year’s model, so Volkswagen said the R is being offered again in 2013 in limited numbers. The R is the heir to the 2004 and 2008 Golf R32 models. It’s up against formidable rivals such as the BMW X128i, Ford Focus ST, Mitsubishi Evo, Mazdaspeed3 and Subaru WRX STI . The Golf R’s turbocharged 2-liter four-cylinder is the most powerful Golf engine ever offered in the United States. It’s a gem that produces 256 horsepower and 243 pound-feet of torque. The smooth engine features dual overhead camshafts, 16 valves, variable valve timing and direct fuel injection. Throttle

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2013 Toyota Avalon Hybrid: Redesign adds further appeal to surprising sedan

By Bruce Aldrich, Contributing Edtior The 2013 Toyota Avalon will debut in December, and the fourth generation sedan has a new mission statement — excitement. The car has a entirely new look, an upgraded interior and better handling. Expect to see design cues from the Avalon in future Toyotas. The real news is the hybrid Avalon. The hybrid drivetrain is the same used in the hybrid Camry. This Synergy Drive system uses a 2.5-liter gas motor, combined with an electric motor to provide 200 horsepower. I prefer the hybrid Avalon over gas models. The hybrid does everything the gas model does, but with less drama. The constant velocity transmission (infinite gears, unlike just six in the gas car) provides perfectly

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