Sedans

A sedan is the car the crossover was built to replace, and for a large share of buyers that swap cost more than it gave back.

A sedan starts cheaper, burns less fuel, and corners with a composure a tall SUV cannot match.

The trouble is the badge stretches from a $22,000 commuter to a rear-drive sport-luxury car, so the real work is matching the right sedan to how you actually drive.

Here is how the class sorts out.

Where a sedan beats the SUV that replaced it

Carmakers spent a decade steering buyers into crossovers, yet the sedan still wins the three numbers that hit your budget and your commute.

It starts cheaper than the SUV it shares a platform with, it uses less fuel thanks to a lighter body and lower roofline, and it handles better because its weight sits closer to the road.

If you rarely fill an SUV's cargo hold or its back seat, a sedan does the same daily driving for less money every month.

The gap in space is real, but so is the gap in price and fuel.

How sedans scale from compact to sport-luxury

The word sedan covers three very different cars, and the size class tells you more than the badge.

Moving up a class buys room and refinement but costs you price and, usually, fuel economy.

Most first-time and budget buyers are best served by a compact, which parks easily and sips fuel.

Families who want a real back seat step up to a midsize without paying the SUV premium.

Drivers who rank the way a car steers above all else look at a sport sedan like the BMW 3 Series.

Gas, hybrid, or electric changes the monthly cost

Powertrain is the biggest lever on what a sedan costs to run, and this class offers all three cleanly. The shapes look similar, but the fuel bills are not.

A hybrid sedan is the easy win for most commuters.

The Toyota Camry now comes only as a hybrid and returns up to 52 mpg in the city, while the Corolla Hybrid climbs to 53.

Browse the full hybrid lineup if a low fuel bill leads your list.

An electric sedan like the Tesla Model 3 skips the pump entirely and covers up to 363 miles on a charge.

Home charging decides the electric case: with it the running cost drops sharply, and without it a hybrid usually makes more sense.

A plain gas sedan such as the Honda Civic still wins on up-front price and simplicity for lower-mileage drivers, so compare every electric option before you commit.

The compact sedan: the cheapest new car that lasts

Nothing puts you in a brand-new car for less than a compact sedan.

The Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla anchor the class on resale, while the Hyundai Elantra, Nissan Sentra, and Kia Forte undercut them on sticker.

These cars carry four adults, return strong highway economy, and cost little to insure, which is why they fill our best first cars shortlist.

For a student, a new driver, or anyone watching the monthly payment, a compact sedan is the lowest-risk new car on the lot.

Start with the budget price band to see the whole field at once.

The midsize sedan: family room without the SUV price

Step up one class and you get a back seat adults will sit in for hours and a trunk that swallows a family's luggage.

The Honda Accord and Camry lead the segment on resale and refinement, while the Hyundai Sonata, Kia K5, and Nissan Altima push value and bolder styling.

A midsize sedan matches a compact crossover for usable interior room yet costs less to buy and less to fuel.

A midsize sedan is the honest alternative to a compact SUV: the same daily space, a lower price, and a better drive. Cross-shopping a commuter against a family car?

The Civic versus Camry comparison shows how the two classes stack up.

When the drive comes first: the sport sedan

Some buyers rank the way a car steers above cargo room or fuel bills, and that is where the sport-luxury sedan earns its premium.

Rear-wheel drive, near-even weight balance, and a firm chassis give a car like the BMW 3 Series a precision no tall crossover reaches.

If cornering feel is the reason you are buying, a rear-drive sport sedan delivers what a raised SUV physically cannot.

These cars ask more at the pump and the service desk, so read up on rear-wheel drive and browse the most fun-to-drive cars before you sign.

How we rank the sedans here

Every sedan profile on this page is scored on the same measures: real fuel economy, back-seat and trunk space, reliability history, and five-year cost to own.

We read EPA mileage figures and NHTSA safety data alongside long-term reliability records, and a reviewing expert signs off on the buying advice before it goes live.

Start with the class that fits your job above, or compare two rivals head to head to see how narrow the gap between them really is.