Family Cars : Ratings of Sources

Our AssessmentEdmunds.com editors pick 2011's Top Recommended Sedans in several price categories, including several family sedans. Experts here test and critically evaluate virtually every major car on the market, making it one of the best resources for car shoppers.

Our AssessmentIt's boring for driving enthusiasts, but Motor Trend testers grudgingly admit that the Toyota Camry is the best family sedan overall. It beats the six other top-selling sedans -- including the redesigned 2011 Hyundai Sonata.

Our AssessmentThe Insurance Institute for Highway Safety evaluates how well cars protect their occupants in four different types of crashes: frontal offset, side impact, rear and rollover. Cars receive ratings based on the results for each test. In order to merit recognition as a Top Safety Pick, a car must get the highest rating of Good in all four tests and offer electronic stability control. This year, 10 family cars are awarded the Top Safety Pick designation.

Our AssessmentThis nonprofit organization goes beyond crash-test scores to pick the safest vehicles. It takes into account not only crash ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, but also the vehicle's weight and stability (as people in heavier, more stable vehicles are less likely to die in multiple-car crashes). Unlike the two crash-test agencies, InformedForLife.org's calculated "risk index scores" allow you to compare vehicles across weight classes and categories to find the safest one -- for example, to figure out whether a SUV you're considering is really safer than a family sedan. Very, very few vehicles manage to meet all of the safety criteria. The 2011 Ford Taurus does, though, putting it in the top 5 percent of safest vehicles. It narrowly bests the 2011 Buick LaCrosse, simply because the Taurus is heavier.

Our AssessmentKBB conducts hands-on tests and recommends 10 top midsize sedans. All but one more-expensive model fit into the family sedan category. Kelley Blue Book also offers full reviews for most cars on the market.

Our AssessmentIn addition to the above comparison, Cars.com names Best Bets among 2011 family cars, based on safety, practicality, comfort and performance. This site reviews most cars, paying careful attention to features and specs. Although reviewers don't appear to have driven a lot of the cars, they do often note major flaws -- such as missing safety features -- that other reviewers overlook or ignore.

Our AssessmentTheTruthAboutCars.com is another website with witty reviews full of interesting and useful details. Testers usually tackle new or refreshed cars, including half a dozen of the latest family sedans. The reviewers don't pick a list of favorites, but the individual reviews explain very clearly whether a given car is good, bad or mediocre, and what kind of driver might like it.

Our AssessmentMotor Trend considers only new or significantly redesigned cars for its Car of the Year award. Each car gets an individual write-up with testers' impressions and star ratings in several categories. The 2011 Car of the Year is the Chevy Volt, but three family sedans are among the contenders: the Hyundai Sonata, Kia Optima and Toyota Avalon. However, the Toyota Camry (which hasn't been redesigned, and therefore can't compete for Car of the Year) beat the 2011 Sonata in Motor Trend's seven-car family sedan shootout (above).

Our AssessmentKiplinger.com picks the best 2011 cars in a wide range of classes. Editors test-drive the cars and evaluate their performance, safety and value. The resulting short reviews are unique in that they include predicted five-year service costs, predicted three-year and five-year resale value, and insurance costs. The Honda Accord is judged the best in the $25,000 to $30,000 category for the fourth year.

Our AssessmentUnlike other sources that concentrate solely on fuel economy, GreenerCars.org takes emissions into account when picking the greenest family sedans. The Kia Optima makes it onto the midsize cars list (which is laden with cars most people would call compacts), but only when equipped with a manual transmission. For large cars, Hyundai's Sonata ranks superior, with the Chevrolet Impala and Toyota Avalon also earning spots.

Our AssessmentThe Hyundai Sonata is the only family sedan to make it onto this list of 2011 All-Stars. Its great looks, responsive drive and powerful, efficient engine made it "a serious contender" for this magazine's Automobile of the Year award, which ultimately went to the Chevy Volt.

Our AssessmentJ.D. Power and Associates conducts massive owner surveys to find the best cars in initial quality, consumer appeal and more. This landing page offers ratings searchable by car category; we found family sedans in both the "Large Cars" and "Midsize Cars" categories. Links lead to written reviews for each car, which sometimes fail to explain why a car scored well or poorly. The Honda Accord and Ford Taurus win awards for initial quality, and the Taurus and Ford Fusion win for "automotive performance execution and layout." The Fusion and Buick Lucerne win dependability awards.

Our AssessmentBankrate.com takes three criteria -- price, performance and "going green" -- and picks the three best sedans in each category. Only one family sedan gets a nod, though: the 2011 Kia Optima, in the price category. Each car gets a short write-up explaining its strong points.