The Best Family Sedan for the Money
The midsize family sedan is the most competitive segment in the automotive market.
There are over 20 moderately priced models available for sale right now, including the 2012 Toyota Camry, 2012 Volkswagen Passat, and 2012 Hyundai Sonata.
The folks over at KickingTires did some intense research this past week to determine which family sedan provides the best bang for your money.
They equipped each sedan with the options most drivers prefer, which include:
- Automatic transmission
- Automatic headlights
- Alarm system
- Bluetooth connectivity
- Remote keyless entry
- Auxiliary jack for portable music players
- Steering-wheel-mounted audio controls
- Tilt/telescoping steering wheel
- Cruise control
They then factored what it would cost for 2 years worth of gas at $3.67 per gallon for 30,000 miles.
And here was the outcome:
The 2012 Hyundai Sonata was ranked the most affordable family sedan for the money, beating the average by over $2,000.
The runners up were the 2012 Chrysler 200 and 2011 Subaru Legacy followed by the 2012 Toyota Camry.
This is a great way to see which cars actually result in the lowest overall cost when you factor in the options most buyers want.
My Recommendation for Car Shoppers
TrueCar No-Haggle, Edmunds Price Promise, and 1-800 Car Show are the quickest way to see the lowest car prices in your area. These sites show you no-haggle prices from dealers closest to you - and the deals are usually really good. This should be the first step you take when negotiating your car price. Follow this up with my checklist to make sure you squeeze out every last bit of savings.California Residents - Important:
There is a new online car buying service called Roadster, available only to California residents, which I highly recommend you try - especially if you hate the stress of haggling with a car salesman. They provide an expert concierge who negotiates the price of the car and delivers it to your home with zero hassle - you never have to interact with a dealership. Here is my in-depth review of Roadster and why I recommend it.- Gregg Fidan
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About: Gregg Fidan
Gregg Fidan + is the founder of RealCarTips. After being ripped off on his first car purchase, he devoted several years to figuring out the best ways to avoid scams and negotiate the best car deals. He has written hundreds of articles on the subject of car buying and taught thousands of car shoppers how to get the best deals.
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