When your family expands from you and the dog to the two of you and the dog, the fun things in your driveway don’t necessarily need to change right away. But when it becomes the two of you plus the dog and the baby, the Camaro has to go. Some of us are lucky enough to have a performance car that doubles as a family car. For many, however, that price premium is more than we can rationalize to our significant others. But all hope is not lost. Here are 15 family cars that can still hang when the road takes more twists and turns than the latest mystery novel.
2015 Subaru Legacy
When it comes to family cars, the 2015 Subaru Legacy is one of the more conservative offerings. Outside of the calling-card all-wheel-drive system, Subaru’s EyeSight suite of active safety technology makes the Legacy a great choice for family sedans, but there’s still hope for a fun drive. You don’t even need to get the 3.6R model to get a capable handler. A 3.6R Limited ran our figure eight in 27.6 seconds at 0.64 g (avg), but a 2.5i Premium did the deed in 27.6 seconds at 0.63 g (avg).
The 2015 Hyundai Sonata is one of the better-styled offerings in the often staid family sedan segment. How does it stack up in the handling department? A Sonata with a turbocharged, 2.0-liter I-4 we tested went around our figure eight in 27.5 seconds at 0.70 g (avg).
2016 Kia Optima SXL
The 2016 Kia Optima SXL is a reasonably good handler in addition to being one of the more generous deals in the segment. With a figure eight time of 27.4 seconds at 0.64 g (avg), the Optima was just a hair faster the Hyundai Sonata Sport, its platform mate.
2013 Ford Fusion Titanium
The Ford Fusion is another midsize sedan that puts form first without sacrificing function entirely. Along with the aggressive styling, the Fusion Titanium is no slouch in the handling department; a 2013 model pulled off a 27.2 seconds at 0.64 g (avg) time around our figure eight. Just remember, those EcoBoost engines typically deliver eco or boost but not both at the same time.
2013 Toyota Avalon Limited
The Toyota Avalon is a big, comfortable, and dependable sedan. With Lexus LS amounts of rear seat room, there’s more than enough space to fill all the seats and still remain comfortable. A 2013 Toyota Avalon Limited we tested pulled a 27.2 seconds at 0.66 g (avg) around our figure eight, surprising us with more athleticism than we expected from the big sedan.
2014 Kia Cadenza
The Kia Cadenza is a full-size, front-wheel-drive, near-luxury sedan that sits below the K900, which has been a bit more aggressively marketed. It’s an easy vehicle to forget about, but it offers tons of equipment and the polish we’ve come to expect of a modern Kia for a reasonable price, making it an incredible deal in the segment. Handling isn’t thrown out the window, either; a 2014 model we tested got around the figure eight in 27.2 seconds at 0.67 g (avg).
2013 Nissan Altima SL
If you want your Nissan Altima to handle the curvy bits as well as the morning commute, the 3.5-liter V-6 is a must. A 2013 Altima SL we tested ran the figure eight in 27.1 seconds at 0.66 g (avg). Not much distinguished the Altima from the more expensive Maxima in 2013, so we say go for the Altima for the best bang-for-the-buck family car that still handles well.
2014 Volkswagen Passat
The Volkswagen Passat is an excellent example of a family sedan that doesn’t totally give up on handling despite its humble life goals. We opted for the sportier TSI SE Sport trim on a 2014 model we tested, which managed to complete the figure eight in 27.0 seconds at 0.64 g (avg). It’s no GTI, but it’s far roomier.
2015 Toyota Camry
The most important thing to remember if you want to have fun driving your Toyota Camry is to avoid the four-cylinder. The V-6 is the best thing that happened to the otherwise vanilla sedan. A 2015 Camry XSE we tested saw 27.0 seconds at 0.68 g (avg) on the figure eight.
2014 Mazda6
The Mazda6 is a perennial journalist favorite, and for good reason. It’s comfortable and has all the amenities you’d expect in a family sedan, but it’s a blast on back roads. With a figure-eight time of 26.9 seconds at 0.63 g (avg), the 6 is far from the sportiest thing in the segment, but the way it goes about its business keeps us coming back for more.
2013 Honda Accord Sport
We were surprised when we found that the best handler of the Accord crop we’ve tested didn’t have a V-6 or two doors. It was a 2013 Honda Accord Sport sedan with a four-cylinder and a CVT. That tester did 26.7 seconds at 0.68 g (avg) on the figure eight. It’s no Civic Si, but it’s a lot better than it needs to be.
2015 Chrysler 200
The 2015 Chrysler 200S doesn’t have an SRT-badged version, but it should. A 2015 model we tested ran the figure eight in 26.7 seconds at 0.72 g (avg).
2016 Chevrolet Impala
Quiet, refined, and roomy define the Chevrolet Impala, but so does competent handler. In fact, the Impala is more than competent, as it landed in the top three of our list with a 26.6 seconds at 0.67 g (avg) lap around our figure eight. Chevrolet claims it has the most powerful naturally aspirated engine in its class. Whether or not that remains the case, one thing is sure: The Impala will definitely stay composed on your local back road if you choose to push it a little harder.
2015 Chevrolet Malibu
It’s almost impossible to get more “plain family car” than the previous-generation Chevrolet Malibu. The new model is roomier, nicely appointed, and far more refined, but it doesn’t outperform the 2015 Malibu LTZ Turbo we tested at 26.4 seconds at 0.70 g (avg). The best numbers we saw from the 2016 model were 26.4 seconds at 0.68 g (avg). If it were my money, I’d be willing to trade a little peak handling for the refinement of the new model.
2015 Subaru Outback
A 2015 Subaru Outback we tested with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder went around our figure eight in 26.3 seconds at 0.63 g (avg). What else completed our figure eight in 26.3 seconds? A 2004 Cadillac CTS-V, a 2013 Subaru BRZ, a 2003 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra (yes, the Terminator), and a 2015 Mini Cooper S Hardtop four-door. Those all posted a higher average g number, but from start to finish, the numbers don’t lie. The Outback is mighty capable.
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