Comparison Tests
Consider the once and future familymobile.
We say "once" because before the minivan revolution of two decades ago and the big SUV wave that followed it in the early '90s, the four-door sedan (or the station wagon derived from the four-door) was the way we all went to church on Sunday.
We say "future" because, Have you seen gas prices lately? Mommy's favorite truck has become the tall hog in the driveway sucking up the grocery money.
The big V-8 sport-ute is looking more and more like yesterday's regrettable excess. Minivans are still perfectly sensible, except for one small detail--Mom would rather be seen in curlers and a mudpack.
So what's available that offers family space and mileage in the 20s if you don't drive like our executive editor? Not to get all Ozzie and Harriet on you, but have you tried a four-door sedan lately? It just happens that 30 large will get you a choice of four new and capacious models freshly introduced for 2005. Add two more that were new for 2004. Forget the word "downsized" that came along as a response to the first oil crisis and has diminished the traditional four-door ever since. These new ones have NBA space for rear passengers and vacation-size trunks, just like in the good old days.
The most talked about in this bunch is surely the Chrysler 300. Its short-neck-and-high-shoulders look takes us back about a half-century to a time when the hoods were all long and the side windows were short. But there's nothing retro about the way this big guy moves. If you avoid the brawny Hemi V-8 option, you'll even get sensible fuel economy.
Ford, too, reaches for tradition as it revives the "500" nameplate, but the new four-door wearing the old name hails from an unprecedented approach to the American car: The underpinnings are based on a Volvo platform. Don't bother calling the authorities -- Ford has owned Volvo for some time now. The result is the longest, widest, and tallest family hauler of our group, supersized to serve you.
GM bids to stay in the game by cooking up something rare, a new Buick. Adios, Regal; sayonara, Century (at the end of this year); hello, LaCrosse, a name with its own tradition on Buick concept cars. Under the freshly designed shape is a combination of new and "legacy" parts in a competitively priced package. Is the LaCrosse enough to break America's No. 1 carmaker out of its slump? We'll know in just a few pages.
Meanwhile, Japan's ichiban automaker also has a new four-door, the Toyota Avalon. "Japanese Buick"--that's been our take on past Avalons. But Toyota is on a mission to overtake GM in the world market. And its plan doesn't hinge on rebates. Quality cars rich in features is the Toyota way. Features? Imagine an Avalon in running togs. It's called the Avalon Touring Sedan, and we've rounded up one for this test.
Both the Nissan Maxima, assembled in Tennessee, and the Kia Amanti, from South Korea, made their debuts in 2004. The Maxima is a brisk performer, thanks to its standard-equipment 3.5-liter V-6 rated at 265 horsepower.
Kia, still a relatively young brand in the American market, is building a reputation for a long list of features at an inviting price. The Amanti sits atop the Kia line, and it's sized and priced just right for this 30-grand comparison of family sedans.
Before you write off this bunch as boring cars, we've chosen "touring" versions where available, so our cast includes the Buick LaCrosse CXS, Chrysler 300 Touring, Nissan Maxima 3.5SE, and Toyota Avalon Touring Sedan. Think of them as the space-with-spice entries.
Can the big four-door sedan recapture its position as the first choice in family haulers? The ballots have been counted. Let's see what they say.
