Money

New Cars 2011: What to Look For in Mid-size Cars

By Jerry Edgerton

Updated on: August 13, 2010 / 10:53 AM EDT / MoneyWatch

This is is the third of a series on the 2011 models and your money. MoneyWatch has written about the Outlook for 2011s and What to Look For in Small Cars. Coming up: What to Look For in Small SUVs, Mid-size SUVs, Minivans, Luxury Cars, and Hybrid and Electric cars

The mid-size sedan leaders among 2010 models are the usual suspects: Toyota Camry, Honda Accord and Chevrolet Malibu. But for 2011, there's major family sedan news from Buick (yes, Buick) and from the Korean corporate twins, Hyundai and Kia.

Continuing its push to produce stylish cars that buyers will want, GM just came out with a sleek, fun-to-drive Buick. A fun-to-drive Buick? Really. The recently absent Buick Regal nameplate is back in a sporty version.

The Hyundai Sonata and Kia Optima are getting extensive redesigns; Sonata will also add a hybrid version in December. From an obscure and slightly suspect brand that initially introduced the 10-year, 100,000-mile warranty to overcome shoppers' doubts, Hyundai has gained steadily in manufacturing quality. (It ranked seventh this year in the J.D. Power Initial Quality survey this year, well above average.) Recently, it broke into the top five among brands considered by shoppers on Kelley Blue Book's web site, kbb.com. (The top four: Ford, Toyota, Chevrolet and Honda).

Here's a rundown of what's new in styling, engines, pricing, and value for 2011 mid-size cars. Like most cars in this class, they have seating for five and trunk space of around 15 cubic feet. (Luxury sedans will be covered in an upcoming post.)

Buick Regal-The Regal is the latest move by GM to try to change Buick's image away from making unresponsive land yachts for blue-haired oldsters to attracting younger buyers, as it does in China. So forget that unresponsive steering from your parents' or grandparents' Buick. In fact, some reviewers even say the Regal's sporty handling challenges luxury sport sedans. Based on GM's Opel Insignia, which is popular in Europe, the Regal has a 2.4-liter, four cylinder engine rated at 19 mpg in city driving, 30 on the highway. (A turbo-boosted engine is coming for the 2012s). Priced at $26,245 for the CXL --the only choice for 2011 --the Regal costs thousands more than some other mid-size entries. But it might seem like a good value vs. the luxury Lexus ES and Audi A4, both starting over $30,000. As long as you can get past saying "I'm driving a Buick."

Hyundai Sonata-The 2011 Sonata, already in showrooms, ranks first among affordable mid-size cars, based on reviews compiled by U.S. News. Indeed its starting list price of $19,195 for the GLS model competes with some small car choices. (See: New Cars 2011: What to Look for in Small Cars.) And the Sonata's swooping, coupe-like styling is a pretty serious departure from past designs. The four-cylinder engine is rated at 23 mpg in the city, 34 on the highway. (Unlike most other mid-size models, the Sonata doesn't offer a V-6 engine.) Hyundai says the hybrid model (starting at $24,900) will likely be rated at 37 mpg city, 29 highway). The gas-powered 's price range goes up to $25,295 for the top-of-the-line SE. At this price level, competitors like the Ford Fusion--with its voice command SYNC system for music and phone calls--may be a better value.

Kia Optima-This less-expensive mid-size from Hyundai's corporate sibling, coming out this fall, has garnered praise by reviewers for its distinctive styling and upscale interior. The Optima will be one of the company's first cars to have a SYNC-like voice command system. Bargain shoppers--probably young--who like this styling and don't care about bragging the brand of car they're driving can get a wide range of features for the money with the Optima. For instance, satellite radio equipment is standard. In seating capacity, luggage space, and safety equipment (stability and traction control are standard) the Optima stacks up well against the Hyundai and the mid-size sales leaders. Unlike the Hyundai, Kia ranked below average in the J.D. Power survey, but that didn't include this Optima or other new Kias. Mechanically similar to the Sonata, the Optima's four-cylinder engine, not yet tested, will likely get similar mileage ratings (23 city, 34 highway). Full pricing for the Optima has not yet been released, but the base model will start at $18,195. The hybrid Optima will be out next year as a 2012.