The Big Test: 2014/2015 Midsize Sedans
Chevrolet Malibu vs. Chrysler 200 vs. Honda Accord
vs. Kia Optima vs. Mazda6 vs. Nissan Altima
Time flies. Not since 2010 have we had a midsize sedan roundup this large, and by now most of those cars have been succeeded by a new generation or have a replacement waiting in the wings. Midsize sedans continue to rock the U.S. sales board, with the Toyota Camry, Nissan Altima, and Honda Accord taking the fourth through sixth spots in the first quarter of 2014, right behind Detroit's pickup trucks. Add the Ford Fusion, another two spots down, and that's four midsize sedans in the top-10 best-selling vehicles of the year through March.
But let's get down to business: Who's up to bat and who's warming the bench? In this comparison, we have the 2014 Chevrolet Malibu and 2014 Kia Optima, both recently refreshed, along with the all-new 2015 Chrysler 200. We also let in three big players that were launched within the past couple years: last year's three-car midsize comparo winner, the Mazda6, the second-place finisher Honda Accord, and the Nissan Altima. That's a total of six midsize sedans. Each manufacturer was instructed to give us what they consider the best version of their midsizer available for a base price of $26,000 or less, destination fees included. From there, options could be added however they saw fit.
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