(From the top) Honda Accord, Hyundai Sonata, Nissan Maxima and the Pontiac G8
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JOE PHILLIPS
Friday, June 20, 2008
Can
mild-mannered
be
sexy?
Ed
Norton
does
it
in
“The
Incredible
Hulk,”
and
so
can
you,
with
a
little
help
from
one
of
the
unassuming
—
but
surprisingly
fun
—
sedans
below.
Most
have
all-new
sheet
metal,
with
posh
interiors
and
the
latest
techno
gear.
Still,
these
are
four-door
haulers,
not
date-night
coupes
and
convertibles.
But
comfort
is
in
now,
thanks
to
the
mortgage
mess,
Wall
Street
jitters
and
that
ugly
“R”
word
(“repos,”
which
are
at
an
all-time
high).
All
the
sedans
here
are
truly
comfortable
and
affordable.
Another
plus:
they’re
fuel-efficient
—
and
these
days
that’s
oh-so
sexy.
Honda
Accord
Price:
$21,000
Mpg:
22
city/31
highway
There’s
a
reason
this
is
the
best-selling
car
in
America
—
perky
yet
gas-sipping
engines,
gobs
of
passenger
and
cargo
room,
stellar
long-term
reliability
and
a
dashing,
not
dull
design.
Four
trim
levels
come
with
lots
of
standard
features
that
include
power
windows/doors/locks,
keyless
entry,
cruise
control,
fold-down
rear
seats
and
six-speaker
CD/MP3
stereo.
Upgrade
and
you
get
one-touch
windows,
subwoofer,
automatic
headlights,
dual-zone
climate
control,
heated
seats
and
voice-activated
navigation
system.
All
models
come
with
ABS,
stability/traction
control
and
front/side/head
airbags.
This
is
the
largest
Accord
ever
and
offers
a
slick
mix
of
comfort
and
sporty
handling.
It’s
not
a
Mercedes
E-Class,
but
it
sure
looks
and
acts
like
one
—
at
half
the
price.
Hyundai
Sonata
Price:
$19,000
Mpg:
21
city/32
highway
Hyundai’s
Sonata
is
full
of
“buts.”
It’s
slightly
less
refined,
but
also
less
costly,
than
the
Honda
Accord.
The
ride
is
comfortable,
but
steering
and
cornering
aren’t
crisp.
There
are
two
engine
choices:
a
fine
four
cylinder,
but
a
lackluster
V6
that
isn’t
fuel
friendly.
Exterior
styling
is
a
bit
dated,
but
the
interior
is
all
new
and
fairly
quiet
(though
there
is
some
road
noise).
And
reliability
isn’t
as
high
as
Honda
or
Toyota,
but
the
Sonata’s
crash-test
scores
are
first-rate.
Plus,
all
Hyundais
come
with
a
long
five-year/60,000-mile
warranty
(10
years/100,000
miles
on
the
powertrain).
In
short,
the
Sonata
isn’t
perfect,
but
it’s
worth
a
look.
Options:
fog
lights,
steering-wheel
audio
controls,
power
seats,
auto-dimming
rearview
mirror
and
a
high-end
Infinity
sound
system.
Nissan
Maxima
Price:
$30,000
Mpg:
19
city/26
highway
Nissan
actually
downsized
this
latest
redo
of
its
popular
Maxima,
but
leaner
can
also
be
meaner,
both
in
looks
and
performance.
Sculpted
side
panels
and
a
macho
grille
add
butch
points,
while
the
shorter
chassis
and
lower
height
make
for
a
more
responsive
ride.
Using
aluminum
suspension
pieces
from
the
high-performance
Infiniti
M45
doesn’t
hurt
either.
The
engine
is
the
same
as
before,
but
intake
and
exhaust
improvements
actually
up
the
gas-mileage
mojo.
Inside,
there’s
a
hefty
steering
wheel,
rearview
camera,
Eucalyptus-wood
trim,
heated/cooled
front
seats,
nav
system
with
XM
traffic,
9.3
GB
digital-audio
hard
drive
and
a
dual-panel
moonroof
large
enough
to
see
some
Hubble-like
panoramas.
Pontiac
G8
Price:
$28,000
Mpg:
17
city/25
highway
Not
since
the
1960s
GTO
and
1970s
Firebird
has
Pontiac
had
a
true
muscle
car.
Now
there’s
the
G8,
an
all-new,
full-size,
rear-wheel-drive
sport
sedan
that
boasts
0
to
60
mph
in
just
5.3
seconds.
That’s
with
the
V8.
If
saving
gas
trumps
speed
in
your
book,
then
opt
for
the
V6
—
0
to
60
isn’t
that
much
slower
at
7
seconds,
anyway.
But
the
G8
is
about
more
than
power;
there’s
also
BMW-like
handling
and
styling
—
though
the
macho
hood
scoops
are
pure
Americana.
The
sassy
rear
spoiler
and
OnStar
communications
system
come
standard.
Two
must-have
options:
19-inch
alloys
and
a
club-scene,
11-speaker
Blaupunkt
stereo.
GM
is
still
struggling
to
make
a
comeback,
but
the
G8
may
get
it
there
just
a
bit
faster.
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