jaydunn

Good question. I think the Passat has moved out of the "family sedan" price range.

LexBob2

The Passat probably isn't as mainstream, nor sell the number of cars as the ones that C&D compared. Especially in the U.S and Canada.

proximal

One of the test requirements was a base price below 22k. The Passat starts closer to 24k.

LexFather

Again, I really don't care, they are all family sedans to me that the get the job done. Outside the Avenger, there is no bad car here.

mmarshall

The Avenger, particularly the sheet metal, hardware, and interior, is tinny and cheap. The Camry has a poorly-done dash and console but, overall, is at least one step higher.

GSteg

iTrader: (15)

I drove an avenger once (rental from the airport). I think I rather walk next time

TRDFantasy

Just like Edmunds, they test the Camry LE, the LEAST sportiest model in the Camry lineup and THEN they complain about lack of sportiness? Talk about a contradiction. At least Motor Trend got it right when they tested the Camry SE.

speedflex

Maybe this can clear things up a bit. The intro says:

As it turned out, the baloney theme was appropriate, because we were evaluating salt-of-the-earth Everyman family sedans, a segment that accounts annually for two million U.S. sales. Each of our competitors was fitted with a DOHC 16-valve four-cylinder engine and an automatic transmission. We aimed for base prices in the $22,000 vicinity, although we wound up with a $4300 variance—a sum sufficient to purchase 1228 bologna sandwiches.

Nextourer

Question. Why is the Camry and Altima based on the lower versions (LE and 2.5S models) while the Sonata and Accord and Fusion get the top of the line 4 cylinder versions? (Limited, EX, SEL).

Note, only the EX gets the 190hp engine. If they tested the LX, it would have had the 170hp version.

Also, if they tested the XLE, they wouldn't get plastic hubcaps (they're definitely nitpicking which means there really isn't much wrong to say about the Camry lol).

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

Price!....

MPLexus301

iTrader: (3)

The Camry SE stickers at just over 22K and that comes with 17" alloys, the body kit, leather wrapped steering wheel, and a few other goodies.

Sounds like the better candidate to me, but like 1sick said, there really are no bad cars here.

LexFather

Also, C&D may REQUEST a certain vehicle but the carmaker send something else.

Like when silly Lexus sent them IS 300s/GS 430s with 16" tires in their later comparos...wtf..

TRDFantasy

If C&D was looking at MSRP which it looks like they were, here is a base MSRP comparison of a bunch of models (4 cyl models with auto trans):

Accord EX: $23,860
Accord LX: $20,360
Camry SE: $22,390
Camry LE: $21, 225
Malibu LT: $21,280
Avenger SXT: $20,195
Fusion SEL: $21,625
Sonata SE: $19,570
Sonata Limited: $22,470
Altima 2.5S: $21,305

So the Camry SE wasn't tested according to price? Give me a break. You have to wonder why then did C&D test the Accord EX and not the LX? The Accord EX has the highest base price out of ALL the cars on the list, and it also won the comparison.

Despite what C&D claims, price was obviously not a factor in this comparison as you can see there was a big variance in base prices between all the different vehicles. The most expensive car on the list also happened to win the comparison, further undermining C&D's credibility. The Sonata Limited had the second-highest base MSRP and it looks like C&D had no problem testing that model rather than a Sonata SE.

While Toyota may have made mistakes like that in the past, I don't buy that any more. Toyota is not stupid, and when a performance magazine like C&D requests a "family sedan" I'm sure Toyota knows to send them an SE and not an LE. If C&D specifically requested an LE then you have to question their credibility and why they would ask for an LE over an SE.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

Well then as Mike says, maybe Toyota only made available an LE...

C&D can't always get exactly what it wants. Let's see if someone writes in a letter complaining about them not using an SE.

sirkfc

I don't know about that. All the IS's in the comparison tests have been ones that cost 48 to 49K, complete with the radar cruise and stuff, even though hardly anybody has that car. It killed the value proposition of the car vs. the BMW 335, which was an IS strength for most people in reality.