2009 Honda Accord

Experts' main concern, however, is the Accord's oddly low score in a federal side crash test. The Accord earns perfect scores in government frontal and rollover tests, plus the highest possible recommendation from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) based on its good performance in frontal, side and rear crash tests there. However, backseat passengers in the Accord have an 11 to 20 percent chance of suffering a serious injury if a pickup or SUV crashes into the side of the car at 31 mph, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration tests show. For most family sedans, the risk is less than 6 percent.

Still, the Accord now handily beats its old nemesis, the Toyota Camry (*est. $19,395 to $29,045) on almost every measure in reviews (although the less expensive Camry is still the best-selling car in America). But two rivals are challenging the Accord's supremacy among critics.

The Hyundai Sonata (*est. $18,700 to $26,550) isn't as agile as the Accord, reviews say, but tests show it's just as good in every other way, and it costs thousands less, making the Sonata a better pick for families on a tight budget. The Mazda6 (*est. $18,550 to $28,465) also costs less than the Accord, and most experts find the Mazda both sharper-looking and sportier to drive. The Mazda6 is even roomier than the Accord, and it earns perfect government crash-test scores, although the IIHS had not yet tested it when we checked. In exchange for more size and power, however, the Mazda6 gives up a couple of mpg, and experts have not had a chance to judge this new car's dependability (although they say Mazdas have been reliable in recent years).

The Honda Accord seats five, and its folding rear bench seat includes a center armrest/trunk pass-through. The base Accord LX trim (*est. $20,905) includes a 177-horsepower, 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine. It delivers 25 mpg in mixed driving with the five-speed manual transmission (22 mpg city/31 mpg highway), or 24 mpg with the five-speed automatic (21 mpg city/30 mpg highway). Plenty of experts test the Honda Accord LX and none complain about any lack of features, though William C. Montgomery at TheTruthAboutCars.com notes that the stereo sounds thin.

The step-up Honda Accord EX (*est. $23,605) boosts horsepower to 190 without hurting fuel economy. For $3,000 more, you can get even more power with the Honda Accord EX's optional 271-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6. That engine is mated to a five-speed automatic transmission and incorporates Variable Cylinder Management, a system that discreetly shuts down two or three of the six cylinders when they aren't needed. Fuel economy with the V-6 still dips by a few mpg (19 mpg city/29 mpg highway/22 mpg combined).

The Honda Accord EX trim also adds a few standard features, including power lumbar support for the driver's seat and a six-CD changer. An Accord EX-L version (*est. $25,605) adds luxury standard features such as heated leather seats and XM satellite radio, plus an optional navigation system with Bluetooth hands-free calling that isn't available on lower models. The Honda Accord EX-L's price rises steadily as you add options; an EX-L with a V-6 engine stickers for $28,705. The Honda Accord is backed by a three-year/36,000 mile basic warranty.

There's no shortage of review coverage for the class-leading Honda Accord. It's a contestant in almost every head-to-head family sedan comparison we found, including those at Car and Driver, Cars.com, TheTruthAboutCars.com, Motor Trend, The Globe and Mail of Toronto and Edmunds Inside Line. All are valuable, expert analyses that judge the cars' practical value for families. Each review weights certain factors (such as price) differently, so it's good to take them all into account when judging the Accord. As usual, if we could read only one review, we'd pick the one at Consumer Reports; it covers just about every aspect of the Accord and ranks it clearly against the competition. Tests at ConsumerGuide.com and MotherProof.com aren't head-to-head, but each publication tests and rates a wide variety of family sedans. We found objective fuel-economy and crash-test data at government websites and at the nonprofit IIHS. J.D. Power and Associates is one of the few sources besides Consumer Reports that conducts its own reliability surveys.