Best Midsize Sedans (2023 Shopper’s Guide)

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What was once the default choice for a standard family car, the midsize sedan remains a stellar option for an affordable, reliable, comfortable, and fun-to-drive daily roundabout. Despite the dominance of pickups, small crossovers, and large SUVs, the best midsize sedans will give any sport-utility vehicle a run for the money by combining seating for five, generous cargo room, sharp handling, and fuel-efficient performance.

2023 Honda Accord

The Honda Accord is a mainstay on American roads and the first car from a legacy Japanese automaker to commence production in the USA. It has since ruled the midsize sedan class for its bulletproof engine, ergonomic cabin, and sterling reliability reputation.

The 2023 Honda Accord marks the eleventh generation of America’s favorite family sedan. It tops our best midsize sedans list by packing all the positive attributes buyers want in a family car. Honda removed the 2.0-liter turbo engine and 10-speed automatic from the outgoing Sport 2.0 and Touring trims. Instead, high-end variants now have a standard hybrid powertrain that returns an EPA-rated 48 combined mpg.

Pros

• Rear Legroom
• Refined Styling
• Sporty Handling
• Excellent Visibility

Cons

• No AWD Option
• Higher Starting MSRP

Powertrain & Fuel Economy

The 2023 Honda Accord LX and EX have a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with 192 horsepower and 192 lb-ft of torque. It returns an EPA-estimated 29 in the city, 37 on the highway, and 32 combined with a standard front-wheel drivetrain and a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT).

On the other hand, the Accord EX-L, Sport-L, and Touring receive a naturally-aspirated 2.0-liter engine and a hybrid powertrain with two electric motors. The hybridized powertrain churns out 204 horsepower and 247 lb-ft. of torque to the front wheels while eking out a stellar 51/44 city/highway and 48 combined. The 2023 Accord is not available with an all-wheel drivetrain.

Passenger Room & Cargo Space

The eleventh-gen Honda Accord is 2.7 inches longer than the outgoing variant, offering 40.8 inches of rear legroom. Meanwhile, the trunk provides 16.7 cubic feet of cargo room, with a lower liftover height and a wider opening for easier loading and unloading. If you need more space, the rear seats fold to carry longer and bulkier items.

Interior Layout: Supersized Civic

The 2023 Accord has inherited Honda’s sleek honeycomb grille and hidden air vents first seen in the new Civic. In addition, there’s a standard digital instrument cluster and a seven-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. However, the Accord EX-L, Sport-L, and Touring have a larger 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen. The standard equipment includes 17-inch wheels, LED headlights, two USB ports, and Wi-Fi connectivity.

Honda Accord Safety Ratings & Features

Honda built the 2023 Accord using the latest version of the brand’s Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) body structure to meet IIHS Side Impact Crashworthiness Evaluation 2.0 and anticipated future standards. The outgoing tenth-gen Accord is a 2022 IIHS Top Safety Pick+ with a five-star overall safety rating from NHTSA.

Every new Accord leaves the Marysville, Ohio factory with Honda Sensing, a collection of advanced driving aids. The package includes adaptive cruise control, frontal collision warning, lane departure mitigation, automatic high beams, and lane-keeping assist.

Honda Accord Warranty

The 2023 Honda Accord has a three-year/36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty, a five-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty, and a five-year perforation warranty with no mileage limits. Furthermore, hybrid Accords receive an additional eight-year/100,000-mile high-voltage battery warranty. Options are available to extend the warranty on an Accord.

2023 Honda Accord Starting MSRP

The 2023 Honda Accord is available in six trim variants: LX ($28,390), EX ($30,155), Sport Hybrid ($32,440), EX-L Hybrid ($34,085), Sport-L Hybrid ($34,420), and Touring Hybrid ($38,435).

2023 Toyota Camry

The 2023 Toyota Camry is still going strong despite its eighth-gen underpinnings that first debuted in 2018. Like the Accord, the Camry is an existential part of any best midsize sedans list for its reliability and outstanding value for money. Admittedly, the Camry looks sportier than how it drives, but Toyota has a Camry TRD variant that infuses race-proven hardware into the package. Even the base Camry LE has excellent features like 17-inch wheels, LED headlights, and dual-zone climate control.

Moreover, the Camry has an optional all-wheel drivetrain, a great feature if you require more grip from a family sedan. New for 2023 is a Camry SE Nightshade trim that has bespoke 19-inch alloy wheels and a blacked-out theme.

Pros

• Comfy Ride
• Optional AWD
• Roomy Interior
• Capacious Trunk
• Affordable MSRP

Cons

• Excessive Road & Wind Noise
• Lackluster Four-Cylinder Engine

Powertrain & Fuel Economy

The 2023 Toyota Camry has a standard 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and an eight-speed automatic with 203 horsepower and 184 lb-ft. of torque. This engine is available with a standard front-wheel or optional all-wheel drivetrain. Meanwhile, the Camry TRD receives a 301-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 and various upgrades like a custom suspension and sportier exhaust.

Our favorite is the Camry Hybrid and its 208-horsepower hybrid powertrain that pairs a continuously variable transmission (CVT) and a front-wheel drivetrain to deliver a remarkable 52 combined mpg. Meanwhile, the V6 returns an EPA-estimated 22 in the city, 32 on the highway, and 26 combined, while the 2.5-liter engine achieves 28/39 city/highway and 32 combined.

Passenger Room & Cargo Space

The Camry’s interior roominess is a selling point, offering 38 inches of rear legroom and 15.1 cubic feet of cargo space in the trunk. The Honda Accord still beats the Camry in rear legroom and truck space, but only by a slim margin. And like the Accord, the Camry has 60/40 folding rear seats to carry longer items.

Interior Layout: User-Friendly Interface

The Toyota Camry makes do without unnecessary gimmicks or trimmings inside its ergonomic cabin. Instead, it has a standard seven-inch infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. The Camry XLE has a nine-inch infotainment touchscreen, cowhide upholstery, heated front seats, and wireless charging, to name a few.

Toyota Camry Safety Ratings & Features

The 2023 Toyota Camry is an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ with a stellar five-star overall rating from NHTSA. All Camrys leave the factory with Toyota Safety Sense 2.5+, a comprehensive suite of advanced driving aids like dynamic radar cruise control, lane keeping assist, automatic high beams, road sign recognition, and forward collision mitigation.

Toyota Camry Warranty

The 2023 Toyota Camry has a three-year/36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty, a five-year/60-000 mile powertrain warranty, and a 60,000-mile corrosion warranty with no mileage limits. Furthermore, Camry Hybrids receive an eight-year/100,000-mile hybrid warranty and a 10-year/150,000-mile battery warranty. Options are available to extend the warranty on any Toyota Camry.

2023 Toyota Camry Starting MSRP

The Toyota Camry is available in six trims: LE ($27,315), SE ($28,855), XLE ($32,065), XSE ($32,615), and TRD ($34,380). The Camry Hybrid starts between $29,450 and $34,890, depending on the chosen features and packages.

2023 Kia K5

We selected the Kia K5 over its Hyundai Sonata sibling for its value-for-money proposition and refined styling. The K5 entered the market in 2021 as Kia’s newest midsize contender to replace the aging Optima, and Kia’s left no stone unturned to give the Accord and Camry some worthy competition.

The K5 looks the business and has a more emotional disposition than the Honda and Toyota. It also offers a comfy ride, loads of tech, and a more affordable base price. Factor in Kia’s impressive 10-year warranty and available all-wheel drive, and the K5 is one of the best midsize sedans on the market.

Pros

• Comfortable Ride
• Handsome Styling
• Reasonable MSRP
• Long Factory Warranty

Cons

• Tight Rear Headroom
• Sporty GT Trim Still Bland

Powertrain & Fuel Economy

The 2023 Kia K5 LXS, GT-Line, and EX trims have a punchy 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with 180 horsepower and 195 lb-ft. of torque. It sends power to the front wheels via an eight-speed automatic, but an all-wheel drivetrain is optional for the LXS and GT-Line. The K5 FWD achieves an EPA-rated 29 in the city, 38 on the highway, and 32 combined. The AWD variant has an EPA rating of 25/33 city/highway and 28 combined.

Meanwhile, the range-topping GT features a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder gas engine with 290 horsepower and 311 lb-ft. of torque. The K5 GT is only available with a front-wheel drivetrain, but it gains a slick eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission in return. Despite its sportier intent, the front-wheel drive Kia K5 GT returns 24 in the city, 32 on the highway, and 27 combined.

Passenger Room & Cargo Space

The Kia K5 has a slightly longer wheelbase than the Accord or Camry but offers less rear legroom at 35.2 inches. Moreover, the K5’s sloping roofline impedes rear headroom for passengers above six feet tall, and it’s the price to pay in achieving that rakish and sporty silhouette. Then again, the K5 combines 16 cubic feet of trunk space, a wider trunk opening, low liftover height, and 60/40 split folding rear seats for easier cargo stowage.

Interior Layout: Loaded With Tech

It’s hard to argue with Kia’s value proposition for the K5. The base LXS comes standard with LED headlights, dual-zone climate control, an eight-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a six-speaker audio system, keyless entry, remote start, and USB ports for the front and rear. The top-of-the-line GT has 19-inch wheels, a sportier suspension, upgraded brakes, a 10.25-inch touchscreen, navigation, wireless smartphone charging, and more.

Kia K5 Safety Ratings & Features

The Kia K5 is an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ and has a five-star overall rating from NHTSA. Moreover, all K5 sedans are standard with Kia’s Drive Wise package. It features lane-keeping assist, forward collision warning, driver attention warning, rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot warnings, and high beam assist. Higher trim levels have more safety nets like adaptive cruise control, parking sensors, and evasive steering assistance.

Kia K5 Warranty

The K5 has a five-year/60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty and a lengthy 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty. Despite the long coverage from the factory, options are available to extend the warranty of any Kia vehicle. 

2023 Kia K5 Starting MSRP

The 2023 Kia K5 is available in four trims: LXS ($26,415), GT-Line ($27,815), EX ($30,315), and GT ($32,815).

2023 Subaru Legacy

Subaru has updated the 2023 Legacy with a refreshed façade consisting of redesigned LED headlights, a new front grille, and a redesigned bumper. The updates still make the Legacy a quirkier choice than your typical Accord or Camry, but it has all the strengths of the Subaru brand and a host of new tech features.

The Subaru Legacy is the only entrant on our best midsize sedans list with a standard all-wheel drivetrain, making it a good choice if you live somewhere with harsh winters. Moreover, all Legacy models have torquey Boxer powertrains that sit lower in the engine bay for improved handling and steering response.

Pros

• Standard AWD
• Supportive Seats
• Pleasant Ride Comfort

Cons

• Styling is an Acquired Taste
• Distracting Center Touchscreen

Powertrain & Fuel Economy

The 2023 Subaru Legacy has a standard naturally-aspirated 2.4-liter Boxer four-cylinder that generates 182 horsepower and 176 lb-ft. of torque. However, the Sport and Touring have a turbocharged 2.5-liter Boxer-four with a healthy 260 horsepower and 277 lb-ft. of torque. All engines pair with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) that sends power to all four wheels using Subaru’s symmetrical all-wheel drivetrain.

The naturally-aspirated Subaru Legacy achieves an EPA-rated 27/35 city/highway and 30 combined. Meanwhile, the turbocharged variant returns 23 in the city, 31 on the highway, and 26 combined.

Passenger Room & Cargo Space

The Subaru Legacy has a shorter wheelbase than the Kia K5. However, it offers more rear legroom (39.5 inches) than the Kia but falls short of the Camry and Accord. Furthermore, trunk space is not the best, falling short again at 15.1 cubic feet, although it has enough room for large suitcases or golf bags.

Interior Layout: Ergonomic & Stylish

Like the Kia K5, the Subaru Legacy gets high marks for its simple yet stylish cabin layout. Front and center are dual seven-inch touchscreens with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but high-end models receive an 11.6-inch touchscreen and a 12-speaker Harman Kardon audio system. The standard equipment list includes dual USB ports and satellite radio.

Subaru Legacy Safety Ratings & Features

The 2023 Legacy has a five-star overall rating from NHTSA and is an IIHS Top Safety Pick. All Legacy sedans are standard with Subaru EyeSight. The package includes automatic high beams, lane departure warning, lane keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, and forward collision mitigation.

Subaru Legacy Warranty

The 2023 Subaru Legacy has a three-year/36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty and a five-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty. Options are available to extend the coverage on any Subaru vehicle, including the Legacy. 

Subaru Legacy Starting MSRP

The 2023 Subaru Legacy is available in five trim variants: Base ($25,415), Premium ($27,715), Limited ($32,465), Sport ($34,915), and Touring XT ($38,715).

2023 Nissan Altima

The 2023 Nissan Altima is the underdog on this best midsize sedans list. It carves a unique niche that straddles between the premium look of stalwarts like the Accord and the lower base price of the Legacy and K5. However, the Altima’s ultimate strength is its outstanding gas mileage. The Altima returns up to 32 combined mpg depending on the trim level and drivetrain, making it a fuel miser with room for five.

Pros

• Fuel Economy
• Available AWD
• Aggressive Styling

Cons

• Modest Handling
• Low-Rent Interior Quality

Powertrain & Fuel Economy

The 2023 Nissan Altima has a standard 2.5-liter naturally-aspirated gas engine with 188 horsepower and 180 lb-ft of torque. It has a front-wheel drivetrain and a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) that returns an impressive 28/39 city/highway and 32 combined mpg. However, should you select the optional all-wheel drivetrain, the numbers drop slightly to 26/36 city/highway and 30 combined.

The top-of-the-line Altima SR VC-Turbo has a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-banger that generates up to 248 horsepower and 273 lb-ft. of torque on 93 octane fuel. Despite the power increase, fuel economy is respectable, with an EPA-rated 25 in the city, 34 on the highway, and 29 combined. The “VC” in the engine’s name stands for Variable Compression, something Nissan developed to increase engine performance and efficiency.

Unlike the Honda Accord, the Nissan Altima is available as an all-wheel drive model, but only for the Altima SV, SR, and SL. The more powerful SR VC-Turbo is front-wheel drive only.

Passenger Room & Cargo Space

The Nissan Altima has a similar 111.2-inch wheelbase as the Camry, but the Toyota has more than three inches of additional rear legroom. Despite this, the Altima has decent room for five average-sized adults and a spacious trunk that swallows 15.4 cubic feet of cargo. It beats the Camry and Legacy in trunk space, but nothing has more than the Accord on this list.

Interior Layout: Decent Tech Features

We’d skip the base Altima S and go straight for the SV with 17-inch alloy wheels, keyless entry, push-button start, a power driver’s seat, four USB ports, an eight-inch touchscreen, satellite radio, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Meanwhile, the Altima SR VC-Turbo has dual-zone climate control, a nine-speaker Bose audio system, leather upholstery, and more.

Nissan Altima Safety Ratings & Features

The 2023 Nissan Altima is an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ with a five-star overall rating from NHTSA. Nissan’s Safety Shield 360 is standard in every Altima. It includes advanced driving aids like automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, radar-based blind-spot monitoring, automatic rear braking, forward collision warning, and more.

The Altima SL and SR VC-Turbo gain a 360-degree camera, traffic sign recognition, and Nissan ProPilot Assist, a hands-on driver assist system.

Nissan Altima Warranty

The 2023 Nissan Altima has a three-year/36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty and a five-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty, although options are available to extend that coverage.

Nissan Altima Starting MSRP

The 2023 Nissan Altima is available in five trim variants: S ($26,585), SV ($27,385), SR ($28,785), SL ($33,285), and SR VC-Turbo ($36,285).

Best Midsize Sedans: Conclusion

We still prefer midsize sedans in a sea of crossovers and SUVs when top priorities are styling, driving feel, and practicality – not to mention a lower, more affordable base price and better fuel economy. So despite their dwindling numbers, our five best midsize sedans will give similar crossovers a run for the money.

Alvin Reyes is an Automoblog feature columnist and an expert in sports and performance cars. He studied civil aviation, aeronautics, and accountancy in his younger years and is still very much smitten to his former Lancer GSR and Galant SS. He also likes fried chicken, music, and herbal medicine.