Best Family Cars Overall

The Honda Accord reigns

The 2009 Honda Accord (*Est. $20,905 to $28,955) continues its reign as the best family sedan. However, two rivals -- the budget-pricedHyundai Sonata (*Est. $18,700 to $26,550) and sporty Mazda6 (*Est. $18,550 to $28,465) -- are doing their best to capture the crown.

The Honda Accord still strikes the best balance for most families, reviewers say: It's roomy, comfortable and reliable, with better fuel economy and performance than most family sedans. "The Honda Accord does most things well and few things poorly," Edmunds.com concludes, naming it a Top Recommended Sedan under $25,000. The Accord also wins top honors from Kelley Blue Book and Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine. ConsumerGuide.com rates it a Best Buy. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says the Accord ties the Hyundai Sonata for first place among fuel-efficient large cars. In 2009, Car and Driver named the Accord one of its 10Best cars, just as it has for 23 out of 27 years.

Critics do detect some flaws in the Honda Accord. Road noise, boring styling and a confusing array of dashboard buttons are common complaints, although for most reviewers these aren't deal-breakers. A bigger concern is the Accord's mixed safety rating. This family car is named a Top Safety Pick by the nonprofit Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, with good scores in front, side and rear crash tests there. But in government crash tests, the Accord fails to protect rear passengers in a side crash as well as other family sedans do. Finally, critics note that the Honda Accord can cost thousands more than other excellent family cars. "It just seems a bit expensive in the current tight economic climate," The Globe and Mail of Toronto concludes.

The once-mighty Toyota Camry (*Est. $19,395 to $29,045) still lands near the top of nearly every leading midsize sedan test -- but usually behind the Honda Accord, Hyundai Sonata and Mazda6. Although the Camry is still the bestselling family car in America, and experts say it is a very good car, its competitors are even better. The Camry gets some safety demerits, too: Its rear-crash protection is only "marginal," and unlike the Accord, Mazda6 and Sonata, the Camry does not include electronic stability control as a standard feature.

One American sedan competes with the Japanese on their level, reviewers say: the Chevrolet Malibu (*Est. $21,605 to $26,880). In fact, after testing separate groups of import and domestic family cars, The Truth About Cars ranks the Malibu atop all others -- better than the Mazda6, Accord, Altima and Camry. "It's a complete car with no manifest weaknesses," reviewer William C. Montgomery says of the Malibu. Other critics do point out some flaws, however, including the Malibu's slightly underpowered base engine (an optional V-6 helps, but fuel economy plummets). It's far from a sporty handler, but it's predictable and comfortable to drive. The Malibu gets mostly good crash-test ratings, but its marginal rear-crash protection keeps it from being a top safety choice.

A few other family cars rise to the top of some reviews, but don't eclipse the top-rated cars discussed above. The2009 Saturn Aura (*Est. $22,655 to $27,250) shows up on several Recommended lists, but it's overshadowed by its corporate cousin, the Chevy Malibu. Furthermore, General Motors has said it will either sell or ax the slow-selling Saturn brand as part of its restructuring plan, which raises questions about the Aura's future resale value.

The Subaru Legacy (*Est. $20,795 to $34,595) is the only family car that includes all-wheel drive as standard equipment, but that also hurts its fuel-economy estimate. An all-new 2010 Subaru Legacy was unveiled at the 2009 New York Auto Show (see our What to Look For page). The 2009 Volkswagen Passat (*Est. $28,300) gets good safety scores, but its high sticker price, so-so reliability and thirst for premium gas keep it off most critics' shortlists. Finally, the Kia Optima (*Est. $17,495 to $22,145), Mitsubishi Galant (*Est. $21,249 to $27,449) and Volvo S40 (*Est. $28,550 to $33,800) are basically ignored by critics.