Nine important points you need to know before you buy a sedan.
Price: Sedan prices range from $14,000 to over $100,000. Look to spend at least $19,000 to buy something that is safe and offers some equipment. For up to $27,000, you can find several great options.
Engine and Fuel-Efficiency: To prioritize fuel-efficiency, look for sedans with four-cylinder engines. Modern engines manage to balance power and efficiency while being small and light. Consider hybrids for long term savings too.
Drive: A majority of sedans have front-wheel drive. They’re space and fuel-efficient and allow for more passenger and cargo space. High-performance and luxury sedans have rear-wheel drive. For inclement weather and heavy winters, sedans with all-wheel drive are the safer, but costlier option.
Towing: The towing capacity for most sedans is limited to 1000 pounds. Some rare large sedans can tow up to 3,000. But sedans aren’t typically meant to tow loads. You could buy optional tow packages as a factory option or as an aftermarket add-on.
Access: Enter and exit from all four doors during your test drive. Good sedans offer wide-opening doors, and enough headroom so everyone can enter and exit comfortably without hurting themselves.
Cargo: Check the trunk’s volume. If you usually carry a lot of cargo, look for sedans that offer a folding rear seat that allows longer items to pass through the trunk into the passenger area.
Safety: Sedans are some of the safest cars on the road. They’re maneuverable, built strong, and packed with safety equipment. Try and buy sedans with safety features like Forward Collision Warning, Automatic Emergency Braking, Electronic Stability Control, Lane Departure Warning, Blind Spot Monitoring, and curtain and knee airbags.
Entertainment: Cars today come packed with infotainment features that sync with your phone, play music off the internet, have multiple speakers, USB ports, satellite and HD radio, touchscreens with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and can update you on the condition of the car and tires.
Navigation and Connectivity: These systems can sync with your phone, or have their subscription service to guide you to your destination via GPS. They also have telematics systems that connect you to a call center for concierge services or emergency support.