2009 Mazda6

That's why The Wall Street Journal's Jeff Sabatini recommends the four-cylinder version of the Mazda6. It delivers 23 mpg in combined driving with the six-speed manual transmission (20 city/29 highway) or 24 mpg with the five-speed automatic (21 city/30 highway), which is average for a family sedan. "Since you can get fully 20% better fuel economy by choosing the four-cylinder version, while saving nearly $3,000, it's an easy choice," Sabatini says. "Don't succumb to the red mist of horsepower: There's just no compelling reason to choose a six-cylinder engine in a midsize car."

For a midsize car, critics say the Mazda6 is impressively roomy. Its trunk is bigger than any other top family sedan's -- including the full-size Toyota Avalon (*est. $27,845 to $35,185) -- and 6-foot-plus testers fit in both the front and back seats with ease.  The extra space makes the new Mazda6 more competitive than the old one, according to reviewers. Most say it doesn't hurt the car's agility, but editors at Edmunds.com disagree, saying the Nissan Altima is now more fun to drive. Still, "While the amply proportioned 2009 Mazda 6 may no longer be the sportiest family sedan on the market, it has unquestionably become one of the best," Edmunds.com says.

The Mazda6 earns perfect scores in every government crash test. It's also the only top-rated family sedan to offer an optional blind-spot warning system, which beeps and flashes if the driver tries to change lanes while an object is in his or her blind spot. However, it comes only as part of a $1,610 Convenience Package, which also includes dual-zone air conditioning, Bluetooth calling, upgraded audio, xenon headlights, cloth/leather seats and more.

The Mazda6 seats five, with a 60/40 folding split rear bench. Seven trim levels are offered. The four Mazda6 i trims include the four-cylinder engine. The base Mazda6 i SV (*est. $18,550) omits keyless entry, floor mats, cruise control, steering-wheel-mounted audio controls and an MP3 jack, all of which come standard on the Mazda6 i Sport (*est. $20,450). The Mazda6 i Touring (*est. $21,850) adds more standard features, including fog lights, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter and push-button ignition, plus the option to buy the aforementioned Convenience Package or moonroof/Bose audio package.

The Mazda6 i Grand Touring (*est. $25,110) makes the Convenience Package standard, adds heated leather seats, a HomeLink system that can operate your garage door and house lights, and a power driver's seat that recognizes your keyfob and automatically adjusts to your preferred seating position, plus the option to buy a navigation system. The Mazda6 s Sport (*est. $24,330), s Touring (*est. $25,360) and s Grand Touring (*est. $28,465) echo their i-model counterparts, only with the V-6 engine.

Reliability has been good for Mazdas in recent years, experts say, but they have not made predictions for this new model. The Mazda6 is covered by a three-year/36,000-mile basic warranty.

Critics have been eager to test the redesigned Mazda6 against the big-name family sedans; it's a contestant in head-to-head tests at Car and Driver, Cars.com and TheTruthAboutCars.com, not to mention Consumer Reports' always-excellent rankings. TheTruthAboutCars.com also analyzes the Mazda6 in an in-depth single-car review, as do Edmunds.com, The Wall Street Journal and Autobytel.com. Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine includes only short blurbs with its extensive list of annual best-car picks, but it does provide some unique owner-cost data. A long-term test blog at Edmunds Inside Line is particularly valuable because few reviewers have any long-term experience with this brand-new model. Although the IIHS had not yet crash-tested the new Mazda6 when we checked, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration had. The Environmental Protection Agency provides official fuel-economy data.