USED CARS - Sports Sedans Reviews

Car and Driver magazine is the most thorough reviewer we found for sports sedans. Cars are tested on everything from drive quality to fuel economy and cargo space. Edmunds.com also does a great job and offers a fresh view on the vehicles that it tests. Consumer Reports excels in judging factors that other magazines and websites tend to overlook, particularly long-term predicted reliability. Reliability is also heavily weighted in reviews at CarCritic.com.

Consumer Guide isn't the best source for editorial reviews, but this publication has good information on specifications, fuel economy, options and pricing. Consumer Guide also includes real-world gas mileage as measured during their tests. While not a scientific calculation, these figures give you a good picture of the kind of mileage you can expect compared to the EPA estimate, which is based on theory and mathematics. Kiplinger's magazine and Money magazine also have good reviews. Kiplinger's offers picks based on road tests and safety features, but also factors long-term running costs and potential resale value into its recommendations. A five-model comparison review at Money magazine offers good insight into large sedans like the Toyota Avalon and Chrysler 300C, which are larger and more luxurious than most family sedans, but don't really have the sporty handling, stiffer suspension and rear-wheel-drive that generally defines the sports-sedan class.

A couple of highly rated sports sedans get some mixed reviews for long-term reliability, despite good reviews for other aspects. The most notable of these cars is the V-6 equipped Chrysler 300 (*est. $23,880 to 30,760) and V-8 equipped Chrysler 300C (*est. $34,525 to $40,420). Although this car is only in its third model year, owners complain of above-average trouble with the transmission, suspension and power equipment, especially for the V-8-equipped Chrysler 300C. In real-world fuel economy tests at Consumer Guide, the V-6 equipped Chrysler 300 averages about 19.7 mpg in mixed driving, which isn't bad for a large sedan. However, the V-8 equipped Chrysler 300C gets only 14.4 mpg in mixed driving, far below its EPA estimate of 17 mpg city/25 mpg highway. Without the optional side airbags, side-impact crash-test ratings are poor. Despite this, the Chrysler 300 is noted as one of the ten-best cars for 2007 at Car and Driver magazine.

There's a lot of crossover when it comes to sports sedans, so if you're not quite sure what you want, you may want to also peruse our reports on more expensive luxury sedans and less expensive family cars . Sports sedans are generally defined by both a sporty look and sporty drive feel, with stiffer suspension, more responsive handling, a more powerful engine and usually with rear-wheel drive -- all of which result in a more immersive driving experience.  ... Continued

Our Consensus Report shows how many times products are top-ranked by reviewers included in our
All The Reviews Reviewed chart.

It's easy to see that the BMW 3-Series tops most reviewers' list for the best sports sedan. And in most reviews, the Infiniti G35 is noted as a close competitor. The Acura TL, since it doesn't have rear-wheel-drive, isn't classed by many experts as a true sports sedan, but other reviews say it blends sportiness with near-luxury and has great amenities and reliability. Large sedans such as the Toyota Avalon and Chrysler 300 and 300C are big, roomy and heavy. They can't compete with the handling of other sports sedans, but they are an option for those who want something more than a family car. We found excellent reviews for the Infiniti M35 and cover this car in our report on luxury cars .