The mid-size sedan battle continues to heat up.
Toyota's all-new Camry is the perennial sales king in this crowd but with pressure from Hyundai's Sonata and Volkswagen's all-new Passat, Toyota clearly stepped up its game. So much so that Consumer Reports gave it a recommendation. Considering Consumer Report's tougher stance lately -- particularly with Honda -- and the highly competitive market for mid-size sedans, this should be considered an achievement.
But as the Camry gains momentum, the all-new Volkswagen Passat slowed down. Though its hot off the heels of a Motor Trend 2012 Car of the Year nod, the Passat didn't make such an impactful dent with the Consumer Reports crowd.
An interesting element to note about the Passat TDI is that the EPA estimates it can achieve 31/43, city/highway; however, Car and Driver reportedly received 45 mpg on a long trip from Ann Arbor, MI to Long Island, NY. And Motor Trend reported 34.3 mpg in an automatic Passat TDI. I bring this up since Consumer Reports mentions the Camry Hybrid achieved an "amazing" 38 mpg, meanwhile the TDI racked up 37 mpg overall and 51 mpg on the highway, which seems to be downplayed.
Maybe the Toyota is that good?
The way things are shaping up, it looks like we could have an all-new battle between diesels and hybrids. Remember the Jetta TDI vs. Prius fight that everyone discussed a couple years back? Can you say "do over?"
Consumer Reports has picked what it believes is the best family sedan: It's the 2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid.
Though few observers were particular bowled over by the new Camry's less-than-bold looks, Consumer Reports found a lot of practical considerations. "The Camry has a nicer interior, more responsive handling, and better fuel economy than previous models," the magazine says in a statement. And the gas mileage in the hybrid? an "amazing" 38 miles a gallon...
...Among other models, Consumer Reports wasn't as kind to the Volkswagen Passat, which it says has "grown larger and softer." It doesn't handle as well and the interior seems more ordinary compared to previous Passats. Fuel economy is ordinary except on the diesel version, which managed "an excellent" 37 mpg overall and 51 mpg on the highway. Passat is Motor Trend's Car of the Year and is a candidate for the coveted North American Car of the Year...
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