Cars.com Names 2016 Volkswagen Passat Best Midsize Sedan

CHICAGO, June 6, 2016 -- Cars.com has teamed up with MotorWeek to determine the segment leader in its Midsize Sedan Challenge. The current selection of midsize sedans on the market was put to the test to determine the best overall performer. With a panel of expert judges and a local Atlanta couple in the market for a new sedan, Cars.com evaluated nine of the most popular 2016 models: the Chevrolet Malibu, Honda Accord, Hyundai Sonata, Kia Optima, Mazda6, Nissan Altima, Subaru Legacy, Toyota Camry and the Volkswagen Passat.

"The Passat came in first place with both our expert judges and in-market shoppers," said Patrick Olsen, Cars.com's editor-in-chief. "This midsize sedan is a refreshed version of the Passat that won Cars.com's Best of 2012 award; it's still tremendously roomy and for 2016 got a ton of tech upgrades like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration. In addition to the roominess, tech and safety, the standout feature of the Passat is its driving ability. Everyone who drove it unanimously agreed, the Passat is plain old fun to drive."

Midsize sedans are the best-selling car segment in the U.S., but according to Olsen, "For years, this segment really blended together with unimpressive features, a mediocre ride and generic design. Today's midsize sedans are of an entirely different breed with impressive technology, driving ability and sleek design."

The tests resulted in the following ranking:

2016 Volkswagen Passat
2016 Kia Optima
2016 Chevrolet Malibu
2016 Hyundai Sonata
2016 Honda Accord
2016 Subaru Legacy
2016 Toyota Camry
2016 Mazda6
2016 Nissan Altima

Cars.com's regular series of Challenges puts different segments to the test in a series of head-to-head evaluations to provide shoppers with transparent, unbiased information. To compete in the Midsize Sedan Challenge, each vehicle had to have an automatic transmission, get at least 28 MPG and could not cost more than $28,000. The testing process included:

A 220-mile course on varying road types to test each sedan for real-world MPG
Round-robin testing where each expert drove each sedan back-to-back on the same course to test for overall ride, acceleration, handling, braking and more.
Testing by real consumers who are in the market for a new midsize sedan to evaluate for features, cargo space, technology, overall ride and more.

Full results and scoring details from the Midsize Sedan Challenge can be found on www.cars.com/news.

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Launched in 1998 and owned by TEGNA Inc., Cars.com is an award-recognized online destination that offers information from experts and consumers to help car shoppers and owners buy, sell and service their vehicles. With more than 30 million monthly visits to its web properties, Cars.com offers millions of new and used vehicle listings, expert and consumer reviews, side-by-side comparison, build and price tools, unbiased editorial content, service and repair resources, multiple options to sell a vehicle and much more.