Revised Poll. Best front wheel drive, mid-size sedan of the past decade

[cdelena]

Best for what? I have owned several on the list and driven most and just because they are FWD and rated as mid-sized does not mean they are desirable for every market. It will also vary by year model.

I liked the Accord for the price in some years. I liked the Lexus for the quiet luxury. I liked the driving dynamics of the Altima in some years / models. The new Fusion and Malibu are far better than older models.

I am afraid the question is too broad for a meaningful answer.

[Steve-o]

Tie between the Fusion and Accord. If Ford would just wake the heck up and offer a manual trans with the V6 in the Fusion, theyd knock the Accord off my list. I like the fact that you can get a manual with a V6 in the Accord, I just wished it wasnt so funky lookin. Put it this way... a Fusion with an Accord V6/manual powertrain would be perhaps the most perfect family car for me.

[Stratford, Ct. Resident]

Something else worth mentioning is that the Mazda6 is closer to being midsize than a Jetta. Did you mean to list the Passat instead of the Jetta?

[mustang84]

I went with the Fusion. Best MPG's in midsize class for both standard and hybrid models, innovative Sync technology, wide array of sporty and economical models, AWD offered, good build quality and reliability. It went from being unknown in 2006 to a top 10 bestseller in 2009.

[rosecitywanderer]

Originally Posted by hoffdano

On a slightly related note - I unfortunately rented a Sebring last week. What a horrible car. The color was peeling off the armrests/grab handles in the interior - just 24K miles on it. Noisy, anemic engine, stiff vague steering, a groan when parking. All around terrible vehicle. But it was proudly built by the UAW in the Sterling factory (according to a window decal)!

I feel your pain, my friend. Last winter my sister got into an accident with my mom's Lexus. Since she couldn't drive the rental, she drove my Santa Fe and I was relegated to driving the Dodge Avenger (the Sebring's twin). What an absolutely awful vehicle that thing was. It had hard, stiff seats, crappy stereo, poor fit and finish, and a gutless engine. Its only real redeeming feature was that road noise was pretty well isolated from the cabin.

I have never been so happy to get back in my Hyundai.

[DavieJ89]

Originally Posted by Stratford, Ct. Resident

Something else worth mentioning is that the Mazda6 is closer to being midsize than a Jetta. Did you mean to list the Passat instead of the Jetta?

actually yes i did mean the passat, i had them mixed up

there are various design generations, some cars have several over the past decade. the nissan altima has 3, the 1998-2001 version, 2002-2006 (i own a 2003 altima) and the 2007-present version. Same applies to Camry and Accord

so if you like a specific generation of a car in the past decade please state it

thisi s my own bias but i like the 2002-2006 nissan altimas. especially if its the Altima SE-R

[Rob98LS1]

Chose Honda Accord.

The altima and the accord really stand out to me as top players for the midsize front wheel sedans. They have been really consistent top contenders and their later versions really are great considering their 250hp + V6s, comfortable and nicely designed intereiors as well as plenty of room.