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Sedans
It's hard not to see advertisements for the Malibu. With its keen redesign for 2008, Chevrolet has put everything it has into the marketing of the car named after the southern California beach city.
The guy next to me
in the supermarket parking lot caught my attention and said in a deep
European accent: "Is that the BMW diesel? I didn't know you could get
it in the States?" He was right — until now. The 2009 335d is BMW's
first 50-state-legal diesel. Imagine that — a diesel sports sedan.
A guy in a back parking lot of a
Chinese restaurant, speaking with a French accent, starred at the
2009 Volkswagen CC Sport and said: "I've never seen that car in
the United States before. I've only seen it in Germany." It wasn't the first nor the last time
someone asked about the new VW sedan. It's the German manufacturer's
second attempt at a luxury sedan via a sleeker design of the Passat.
The Honda Civic is among the most common vehicles on the road. With its sibling the Accord, it's an automotive industry version of a comfortable recliner in your living room. It's not fancy, but you know what you're getting and you like it. With the 2009, Honda Civic Si, however, what ever staid, plain or other non-sexy thoughts you might have about the Honda Civic, forget them. The refreshed Civic Si, first introduced in 2006, has morphed into a sports car.
The Chrysler 300C SRT8 is considered the poor man's Bentley in California because like the Bentley it has the size, speed and serious power to very quickly transport four adults from point A to point B in comfort and style. In Europe, the
300C has earned the reputation as the quintessence large American sedan
with broad shoulders and the larger than life swagger and attitude of
the early classic American big boy sedans. In Colorado, I found the 300c SRT8 to be the most frustrating and vexing car I've ever reviewed.
The Lexus IS350 debuted in 2006 and is still in its first edition. For 2009, one of the brand's two premium midsize cars has a few minor mechanical changes, including a more advanced stability control system. The interior and exterior designs also received a slight styling makeover. But Lexus has largely left well-enough alone. The IS350 is a four-door sedan with seemingly more of a desire to be a two-door sports coupe. It's positioned in competition market segment, matched largely against the Infiniti G series, Cadillac CTS and perennial favorite, BMW 3-Series.
The Audi lineup has many changes for 2009, particularly in its luxury cars. The A3, however, is Audi's entry level offering reviewed with a starting price of about $30,000 — approximately the average price of a new car in the United States. Like other Audi models in 2009, the A3 gets a good interior and exterior makeover — new hood, new front and rear fenders as well as standard leather upholstery and satellite audio. And while higher-end Audis are certainly keen, it's smaller, more efficient cars consumers seemed focused on. And that's where the Audi 3 may find itself getting more respect than its more costly siblings.
The redesigned 2009 Nissan Maxima has morphed well into its seventh generation. And it's the edition that's the most wonderfully confusing of the model's long-time tag, “four-door sports car.” With an increase of 35 horsepower to 290 in its 3.5-liter V6, the new Maxima has a fine presence and further blurs the distinct line in what once were clear car segments. Paddle shifters to the sleek, shorter new body, it all adds to a new appeal for the more than 30-year-old model.
With its Mazda 5 sibling on several 2008 top vehicle lists, the Mazda 6, a redesigned four-door sedan, should be given consideration for the 2009 list. It’s situated in the midsize sedan category, arguably the most competitive in the automotive industry midsize with heavyweights Honda Accord, Toyota Camry and Chevy Malibu. The Mazda 6, about 6 inches longer and 4 inches longer than the 2008 model, is available in four trims, including my weekly driver, the Grand Touring model. Mazda is still an unheralded manufacturer, but it’s hard to understand why.
Since its debut in 2004, the Kia Amanti has been one of the most unheralded cars on the road. And it’s difficult to understand why more premium midsize sedan buyers haven’t considered the Korean manufacturer’s top-of-the-line offering. I hadn’t driven the Amanti since its debut model. It’s been redesigned once, but for 2008 the Kia remains largely unchanged from a year ago. It still features exterior characteristics reminiscent of Audi, Lincoln and Mercedes, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
Copyright 2009 The Weekly Driver. All rights reserved.
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