One and Done: The Best Midsize Sedan in America

Here is how this story begins and ends: The 2013 Honda Accord is the best midsize sedan in America, and it belongs in your driveway. If you clicked this link to find the answer to that question, you now have it. Thanks for the pageview.

But there's more to the story here, and it starts and ends with coffee. Specifically in this case, under an umbrella on the patio at Martha's 22nd St. Grill in Hermosa Beach on a cloudy morning. There were five of us, one for each car -- the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu LTZ, the 2013 Nissan Altima, the 2013 Honda Accord EX-L, the 2012 Toyota Camry LE, and the 2013 Ford Fusion -- and each reviewer brought his own conflicting interests, driving needs, habits, and experience. Among us were two married guys, another who might as well be, and two bachelors of decidedly different backgrounds. Case in point: One of us doesn't drink coffee, which begs the question: How do you even argue with that person when he says, "I think the such-and-such car has the best cup holders." NO, YOU DON'T DRINK COFFEE, YOUR POINT IS INVALID. But all of this is really just support for the fact that the 2013 Honda Accord is the best midsize sedan in America (and it belongs in your driveway). That much was unanimous. Uncontested. Even the Honda-hating non-coffee drinker agreed. Exactly how we came to that conclusion, and how close the Accord's victory was, is where the story lies.

Cars and Coffee

The gourmet coffee at Martha's was excellent, the stuffed French toast even better, and the great service, and gently crashing waves in the background made for a setting that was too comfortable to leave. So we drank more coffee, fine-tuned the test criteria, and picked our pre-road test favorites:

See all 97 Photos

Accord - 2 Fusion - 1 Altima - 1 Camry - 1 Our testing method included driving each car in a number of typical road situations, like on the freeway, in traffic, in and out of busy parking lots, and on backcountry roads. We drove each car back-to-back and on the same road and weather conditions, which we feel is the best way to subjectively evaluate the practicality and nuance of each vehicle. Then we sat in the backseat, fitted a Britax infant carrier and toddler's booster seat into each car, and filled the trunk with as many grocery bags we could fit. We asked and found answers to questions like, "Which car provides the best value," "What is the difference between the car I want, and the car I would buy with my own money," and, "Which car would I recommend to a family member?" Finally, despite months of planning, it wasn't possible to get a completely level playing field, because automotive fleets don't always carry every single model with every price point. As a result, our midsize best-sellers ranged from about $23,000 to just more than $32,000. However, keep in mind that the price difference between these vehicles when equipped the same is surprisingly narrow, just a few hundred dollars one way or the other.

View All Pages

One and Done: The Best Midsize Sedan in America

The best midsize sedan in America, and four other cars.

Learn More About The Chevrolet Malibu

Cars and Coffee

More Car Comparisons Articles

Comparison Test: Hatchback Hypermilers in the…