THE SUB-$40,000 FAMILY SEDAN SHOWDOWN

FOUR MAINSTREAM MIDSIZE SEDANS DUKE IT OUT TO SEE WHICH ONE DESERVES YOUR MONEY

- WORDS KRISTEN LEE PHOTOGRAPHY DARREN MARTIN

Sedans once dominated America's new vehicle market, but trends change, and SUV sales have long since surpassed those of sedans. Nevertheless, that doesn't mean there are no good four-doors to buy. Although now relegated to a much smaller corner of the market, the 2025 Toyota Camry, Kia K5, Hyundai Sonata, and Honda Accord are four excellent midsize sedans still sticking around, still offering buyers an incredible amount of car for their money. But which one executes this brief the best?

The good news for this test is all the cars here are either completely new generations or newly refreshed, so there's a lot to look forward to.

Toyota introduced the all-new Camry earlier this year, and while it adopts the spirit of the new Prius' sharp looks, its appearance remains relatively conservative. The front now features sleek, hammerhead-style running lights, while the rear end is just ... a rear end that says “Camry” on it. If you expected a radically new-looking Camry, this isn't it, but also keep in mind Camrys exist to sell in bulk and not move the styling needling too much.

Inside, the use of piano-black trim is reduced to a bare minimum (a good thing). Instead, the Toyota implements different textures and fabrics to visually dress up the cabin. The XLE Camry we drove for this test had attractive gray microfiber with cross-stitching on its door cards and dashboard. Passenger-side louver-style trim melds seamlessly with the air vent, as does the large infotainment screen. There's one wireless charging pad but a separate cubby for a second device. Overall, there's a good spread of physical buttons.