Family-car feud.(Family Sedans - 4-cyl. - Road Test)(Evaluation)

The four family sedans in this month's auto test are among the best on the market, and three of the them have been updated in the past year. The Volkswagen Passat, which has been our top-rated family sedan since 1999, received a mild freshening last spring, with subtle styling changes and 20 more horsepower. The Toyota Camry, America's best-selling car from 1997 through 2000 and one of our top-rated sedans, received a major redesign for 2002, its first since 1997. Among its many enhancements are all-new styling, more interior space, a stronger four-cylinder engine, and more safety features.

The Nissan Altima, which made its debut in 1993, was also redesigned and has been transformed from an unremarkable, run-of-the-mill sedan into a major competitor. In addition to new styling, it offers a roomier, better-appointed interior, improved ride and handling, a stronger four-cylinder engine, and, for the first time, the availability of a V6. The Honda Accord, meanwhile, continues to be one of the top sellers and one of our top-rated family cars despite its four-year-old design. It's due for a major overhaul for 2003.

To see how they compare, we've put together a two-part report. For this issue, we tested four-cylinder versions of all four cars. In the next issue, we'll detail how a V6-equipped Camry and Altima compete against six-cylinder competitors from Dodge and Pontiac, and we'll also see how they rank against our previous tests of a six-cylinder Accord and Passat.

Sticker prices for this month's similarly-equipped test cars ranged from $22,154 for the Nissan Altima to $25,380 for the Volkswagen Passat; models with a V6 cost several thousand dollars more. Four-cylinder models typically provide about 1 to 4 mpg better overall fuel economy than the V6 editions, although the trade-off is less power and typically more noise and vibration.

RECOMMENDATIONS

The Passat and Camry, virtually identical in our overall test scores, remain the best choices among midpriced four-cylinder family sedans. They differ more in character than performance, with the Passat providing the driving experience of a well-balanced sports sedan and the Camry emphasizing comfort and quietness.

The Volkswagen Passat is a well-rounded vehicle with very good braking, ride, and handling; a spacious and comfortable interior; and top-quality fit and finish. Excellent seats and impressive crash-test results round out the package. The standard engine is now a 170-hp, 1.8-liter turbocharged Four that's clean enough for the Passat to be rated an Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV). Acceleration is lively, but the engine occasionally hesitates on takeoff and sounds a bit noisy--the only gripe we have with this impressive car. Reliability has been above average.