The following is what the experts say about choosing a sports sedan:

  • Sports sedans are all about handling, agility and driver feedback. Acceleration, handling and ride quality set the best sports sedans apart from the pack and apart from family sedans. Rear-wheel drive is usually the best layout on a sports sedan for a closer relationship between the driver and the car's response. Some other sedans lean more toward luxury than sportiness, offering plenty of engine power and nimble handling, but no rear-wheel drive. All-wheel drive is an increasingly popular option.
  • Sports sedans often double as family cars. Therefore, any model you buy should be able to accommodate at least four adults and their luggage. If practicality is not a concern, investigate some of the sports cars in our separate ConsumerSearch report.
  • Manual gearboxes are preferable to regular automatics. Depending on your priorities, you may find that a manual transmission gives the best feeling of being connected to the vehicle, with improved acceleration and precise control over the gear selection. However, a new breed of transmission, sometimes called "manu-matics" or paddle-shifters, provides the convenience of an automatic with the ability to select gears (without using a clutch pedal), or can be left in fully automatic mode.
  • The options can make all the difference. If you are going to be taking advantage of a sports sedan's powerful engine, having a complete safety-option package is important. Luxury touches like heated leather seats, a sunroof, keyless entry/start and sport suspension are either standard or optional on most cars.
  • Check out the tires. Some sports sedans are equipped with high-performance tires, while others only offer them as an option. To get the best performance, you'll want high-performance tires. More and more sedans these days are shipping with 17-inch or 18-inch wheels, which increase road contact and can be a performance benefit. However, be aware that the larger the tire, the harsher the ride and the more expensive the tire replacement cost. Also, some high-performance tires are not suitable for use in winter conditions.
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