The Familial and Frugal

Families have it tough these days. Gas is nearly five bucks a gallon. A salary raise (assuming there even is one) barely makes a dent in the stack of bills, which seems to grow at the same rate as the kids. And what about the kids? Well, they want everything from an iPhone and a wii to designer jeans and a trip to Europe. Oh, and don't forget to feed them and save for their college fund. What's that? Recession? Ah, that's just a bogus projection. Suck it up and take a second job or mortgage.

Life's a...well, you know. On the bright side, when it comes to buying a gas-miserly car that can haul the family to and from work, school, Costco, and the ball field, there are plenty of choices that won't break the bank. After all, spending hard-earned cash on an SUV or a van, both of which drink gas like a frat boy does Budweiser, seems irresponsible right about now. Indeed, a four-door sedan that can swallow five passengers and a week's worth of groceries, yet delivers around 25 mpg and costs around $25,000, makes a heck of lot more sense.

To this end, we've gathered 10 family sedans-each powered by a four-cylinder engine mated to an automatic transmission-and subjected them to instrumented as well as subjective analysis at the test track and on the highways and mountain roads around Tehachapi, California. Notably, we also included two additional measurements that seem especially appropriate here -- interior noise and a real-world quantification of ride quality gleaned from the highway portion of the evaluation loop. Because this is a highly location-specific value, it's quoted on a 10-point relative scale, a low value representing a smoother ride. After a full week of intensive scrutiny, we ranked them based on performance, fuel economy, refinement, practicality, value, and safety.

Which were the five best? Which weren't? For the latter, we've listed 10th through 6th places below. For the former, check out technical editor Kim Reynolds's insightful and entertaining comparison test. And be sure to peruse our reviews and specs on each of the 10.

10th place: 2008 Dodge Avenger SXT
Drum brakes, four-speed transmission, cheap plastics, and sailboat steering make this a frightful drive. Gaps between last and first don't get any wider than this.

9th place: 2009 Mitsubishi Galant Sport Edition
Looks old, feels older, and saddled with many of this comparison's worsts, including power-to-weight and EPA and observed fuel economy. Good news: It beat the Avenger. Bad news: It beat only the Avenger.

8th place: 2008 Chevrolet Malibu LTZ
Poor finish for arguably the best looker. Shame that sexy skin hides a weight problem the Ecotec and six-speed can't handle.

7th place: 2008 Nissan Altima 2.5 SL
Steepest sticker, yet not the best ride, performance, or value. CVT and light steering create an effortless drive, yet fully loaded, it still seems lacking.

6th place: 2008 Kia Optima EX
Though due for a refresh, Kia finishes on top of the second tier. Room and economy are fine, it just needs the same refinements the Sonata received.