How to Compare the Best Four-Door Sedans

What features a car buyer wants in a new auto is different for every driver. The best four-door sedan for one may include a top of the line stereo system; for another driver, it's a smooth ride; and for yet for another car buyer it's comfortable seating and energy efficiency. Sedans come in many shapes and sizes including sub-compact, compact, mid-size and full-size.

Instructions

1

Write down your requirements for a new car. Which features matter to you, and which features have no bearing? Do you care more about fuel efficiency than the size of the car? Or do you feel more comfortable in a full-sized sedan that rides smoother? All these factors play into your decision to choose the right four-door sedan for your personal needs.

2

Search the web for car comparison websites. These include Cars.com, Edmunds.com and Motor Trend. These reliable sites provide research on virtually every make and model car that is on the market today and how they compare between four-door sedan models. Be sure to take note of which vehicles hold their value better - Toyota, Volkswagen and Honda are all at the top of this list.

3

Compare your checklist of personal requirements with the research you have conducted. In the subcompact sedan category, you'll get higher gas mileage but you typically sacrifice ride comfort. These include the Smart, Nissan Versa and Chevrolet Aveo. You gain increased comfort and a smoother ride in a compact sedan such as a Toyota Corolla, Hyundai Elantra, Chevrolet Cobalt or Honda Civic. In the full-size sedan category, you'll definitely sacrifice fuel economy for luxuries including leather (and heated) seating, navigation systems, multimedia displays, automatic seat adjustments, automatic climate control and a very smooth ride. Full-size sedans include the Lincoln Town Car and the Mercury Grand Marquis.

4

Visit several dealership to test drive a range of sedans. The salesperson should show you all the features of the car including trunk space, dash controls and seating. Make sure you are able to easily get in and out of both the front and rear seats of the car (particularly for the elderly). Check if the trunk is spacious enough for luggage and groceries. Ask about rear-seat fold-down for larger items. Sit in the back seat and check roominess, adjusting front seats forward and backward to ensure maximum legroom for passengers. Also check to see how many passengers can fit in the back seat. In terms of engine size, some like the smoothness of a V-6 or V-8 engine, but a four cylinder engine is far more economical and the ride in some models is comparable to midsize or even full-size cars. Safety features should include side, front and side curtain airbags in addition to a high safety score.