NAVIGATION
Introduction
Tenth Place
Ninth Place
Eighth Place
Seventh Place
Sixth Place
Fifth Place
Fourth Place
Third Place
Second Place
First Place
Conclusion
Editors' Evaluations
Stereo Evaluations
Specifications and Performance
Top 12 Features List
Consumer Commentary
Final Rankings and Scoring Evaluations

USEFUL TOOLS
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Comparison Tests

2003-2004 Family Sedan Comparison Test
Editors' Evaluations
By Erin Riches
Date Posted 12-23-2003

Drive
Ride
Design
Cargo/Passenger Space

Drive

Engine Performance
Vehicle Score Rank
Nissan Altima 9.7 1
Honda Accord 9.0 2 (t)
Mitsubishi Galant 9.0 2 (t)
Toyota Camry 9.0 2 (t)
Volkswagen Passat 8.0 5
Mazda 6 7.5 6
Chevrolet Malibu 7.3 7
Hyundai Sonata 6.0 8
Chrysler Sebring 5.0 9
Suzuki Verona 2.0 10

Transmission
Vehicle Score Rank
Nissan Altima 9.0 1
Chevrolet Malibu 8.3 2 (t)
Honda Accord 8.3 2 (t)
Mitsubishi Galant 8.3 2 (t)
Volkswagen Passat 8.3 2 (t)
Toyota Camry 8.0 6
Mazda 6 7.0 7 (t)
Suzuki Verona 7.0 7 (t)
Hyundai Sonata 6.7 9
Chrysler Sebring 5.7 10

Braking
Vehicle Score Rank
Toyota Camry 9.7 1
Volkswagen Passat 9.0 2
Nissan Altima 8.3 3
Mazda 6 8.0 4 (t)
Mitsubishi Galant 8.0 4 (t)
Honda Accord 7.7 6 (t)
Hyundai Sonata 7.7 6 (t)
Chevrolet Malibu 6.0 8 (t)
Chrysler Sebring 6.0 8 (t)
Suzuki Verona 6.0 8 (t)

Suspension
Vehicle Score Rank
Mazda 6 9.5 1
Volkswagen Passat 9.3 2
Mitsubishi Galant 9.0 3
Nissan Altima 8.7 4
Honda Accord 8.3 5
Toyota Camry 8.0 6
Chevrolet Malibu 7.7 7
Chrysler Sebring 6.7 8
Hyundai Sonata 6.0 9
Suzuki Verona 4.0 10

Tires
Vehicle Score Rank
Mazda 6 9.0 1
Mitsubishi Galant 8.7 2
Honda Accord 8.3 3 (t)
Nissan Altima 8.3 3 (t)
Toyota Camry 8.3 3 (t)
Volkswagen Passat 8.0 6
Chevrolet Malibu 7.7 7 (t)
Chrysler Sebring 7.7 7 (t)
Hyundai Sonata 7.7 7 (t)
Suzuki Verona 7.0 10

Steering
Vehicle Score Rank
Mazda 6 9.5 1
Volkswagen Passat 9.3 2
Honda Accord 8.3 3
Nissan Altima 8.0 4
Mitsubishi Galant 7.7 5 (t)
Toyota Camry 7.7 5 (t)
Chrysler Sebring 7.0 7
Chevrolet Malibu 6.3 8
Hyundai Sonata 5.3 9
Suzuki Verona 4.0 10

Visibility
Vehicle Score Rank
Suzuki Verona 10.0 1
Honda Accord 8.0 2
Nissan Altima 7.7 3 (t)
Toyota Camry 7.7 3 (t)
Chevrolet Malibu 7.3 5 (t)
Hyundai Sonata 7.3 5 (t)
Chrysler Sebring 7.0 7 (t)
Mazda 6 7.0 7 (t)
Mitsubishi Galant 6.7 9
Volkswagen Passat 6.3 10

Fun to Drive
Vehicle Score Rank
Mazda 6 9.0 1
Mitsubishi Galant 8.3 2 (t)
Volkswagen Passat 8.3 2 (t)
Nissan Altima 7.7 4
Honda Accord 7.0 5
Chevrolet Malibu 6.7 6
Toyota Camry 6.3 7
Chrysler Sebring 6.0 8
Hyundai Sonata 4.7 9
Suzuki Verona 3.0 10

Ride

Seat Comfort Front
Vehicle Score Rank
Honda Accord 9.0 1
Mazda 6 8.5 2
Mitsubishi Galant 8.3 3 (t)
Volkswagen Passat 8.3 3 (t)
Nissan Altima 8.0 5 (t)
Toyota Camry 8.0 5 (t)
Chevrolet Malibu 7.3 7
Chrysler Sebring 6.3 8 (t)
Hyundai Sonata 6.3 8 (t)
Suzuki Verona 5.0 10

Seat Comfort Rear
Vehicle Score Rank
Honda Accord 9.0 1 (t)
Toyota Camry 9.0 1 (t)
Nissan Altima 8.3 3
Chevrolet Malibu 8.0 4
Mitsubishi Galant 7.7 5 (t)
Volkswagen Passat 7.7 5 (t)
Suzuki Verona 7.0 7
Mazda 6 6.5 8
Hyundai Sonata 6.0 9
Chrysler Sebring 5.3 10

Wind & Road Noise
Vehicle Score Rank
Toyota Camry 9.0 1 (t)
Volkswagen Passat 9.0 1 (t)
Honda Accord 8.7 3
Mazda 6 8.5 4
Chevrolet Malibu 7.7 5 (t)
Mitsubishi Galant 7.7 5 (t)
Nissan Altima 7.3 7
Hyundai Sonata 7.0 8
Chrysler Sebring 6.0 9
Suzuki Verona 4.0 10

Rattles & Squeaks
Vehicle Score Rank
Honda Accord 10.0 1 (t)
Suzuki Verona 10.0 1 (t)
Volkswagen Passat 10.0 1 (t)
Nissan Altima 9.7 4 (t)
Toyota Camry 9.7 4 (t)
Hyundai Sonata 8.7 6 (t)
Mitsubishi Galant 8.7 6 (t)
Mazda 6 8.5 8
Chevrolet Malibu 7.3 9 (t)
Chrysler Sebring 7.3 9 (t)

Design

Interior Design
Vehicle Score Rank
Honda Accord 9.7 1 (t)
Volkswagen Passat 9.7 1 (t)
Mitsubishi Galant 8.0 3 (t)
Toyota Camry
8.0 3 (t)
Mazda 6
7.5 5
Nissan Altima 7.3 6
Chevrolet Malibu
6.0 7 (t)
Suzuki Verona
6.0 7 (t)
Hyundai Sonata 5.7 9
Chrysler Sebring
5.0 10

Interior Material
Vehicle Score Rank
Volkswagen Passat 9.3 1
Honda Accord 8.7 2
Toyota Camry 8.3 3
Mitsubishi Galant 7.0 4
Mazda 6 6.5 5
Chevrolet Malibu 6.0 6 (t)
Nissan Altima 6.0 6 (t)
Suzuki Verona 6.0 6 (t)
Chrysler Sebring 5.3 9
Hyundai Sonata 5.0 10

Climate Control Design/Operation
Vehicle Score Rank
Honda Accord 9.0 1
Nissan Altima 8.3 2 (t)
Toyota Camry 8.3 2 (t)
Suzuki Verona 8.0 4
Chevrolet Malibu 7.7 5 (t)
Mitsubishi Galant 7.7 5 (t)
Mazda 6 7.5 7
Chrysler Sebring 7.3 8 (t)
Hyundai Sonata 7.3 8 (t)
Volkswagen Passat 7.0 10

Audio System Design/Operation
Vehicle Score Rank
Mitsubishi Galant 9.0 1
Mazda 6 8.5 2
Honda Accord 8.3 3 (t)
Volkswagen Passat 8.3 3 (t)
Toyota Camry 8.0 5
Nissan Altima 7.7 6
Chevrolet Malibu 7.0 7
Chrysler Sebring 6.0 8 (t)
Hyundai Sonata 6.0 8 (t)
Suzuki Verona 6.0 8 (t)

Secondary Control Design/Operation
Vehicle Score Rank
Volkswagen Passat 9.3 1
Honda Accord 8.7 2 (t)
Toyota Camry 8.7 2 (t)
Chevrolet Malibu 8.0 4 (t)
Mazda 6 8.0 4 (t)
Nissan Altima 8.0 4 (t)
Suzuki Verona 8.0 4 (t)
Hyundai Sonata 7.0 8 (t)
Mitsubishi Galant 7.0 8 (t)
Chrysler Sebring 6.7 10

Exterior Design
Vehicle Score Rank
Volkswagen Passat 9.7 1
Mazda 6 9.5 2
Nissan Altima 8.0 3
Chrysler Sebring 7.3 4 (t)
Honda Accord 7.3 4 (t)
Toyota Camry 7.3 4 (t)
Mitsubishi Galant 7.0 7
Hyundai Sonata 6.7 8
Suzuki Verona 6.0 9
Chevrolet Malibu 5.7 10

Overall Build Quality
Vehicle Score Rank
Toyota Camry 10.0 1
Honda Accord 9.7 2 (t)
Volkswagen Passat 9.7 2 (t)
Suzuki Verona 9.0 4
Mazda 6 8.5 5
Nissan Altima 7.7 6
Hyundai Sonata 7.3 7
Mitsubishi Galant 7.0 8
Chevrolet Malibu 6.3 9
Chrysler Sebring 6.0 10

Cargo/Passenger Space

Entry/Exit
Vehicle Score Rank
Honda Accord
8.0 1 (t)
Nissan Altima 8.0 1 (t)
Suzuki Verona
8.0 1 (t)
Toyota Camry
8.0 1 (t)
Chevrolet Malibu
7.7 5
Volkswagen Passat 7.3 6
Chrysler Sebring
6.7 7 (t)
Hyundai Sonata
6.7 7 (t)
Mitsubishi Galant
6.7 7 (t)
Mazda 6
6.5 10

Expanding/Loading Cargo
Vehicle Score Rank
Toyota Camry 9.7 1
Honda Accord 8.7 2 (t)
Nissan Altima 8.7 2 (t)
Chevrolet Malibu
8.3 4 (t)
Volkswagen Passat
8.3 4 (t)
Hyundai Sonata 8.0 6
Chrysler Sebring
7.7 7
Mazda 6
7.0 8 (t)
Mitsubishi Galant
7.0 8 (t)
Suzuki Verona
7.0 8 (t)

Storage Space
Vehicle Score Rank
Honda Accord 9.3 1 (t)
Toyota Camry 9.3 1 (t)
Hyundai Sonata 8.3 3 (t)
Nissan Altima 8.3 3 (t)
Mazda 6 7.0 5
Mitsubishi Galant 6.7 6
Chevrolet Malibu 6.3 7
Suzuki Verona
6.0 8 (t)
Volkswagen Passat
6.0 8 (t)
Chrysler Sebring
5.7 10

Cupholders
Vehicle Score Rank
Honda Accord 9.0 1
Toyota Camry 8.7 2
Nissan Altima 8.0 3
Mitsubishi Galant
7.7 4
Mazda 6
7.0 5
Chevrolet Malibu 6.3 6 (t)
Volkswagen Passat
6.3 6 (t)
Hyundai Sonata
6.0 8
Chrysler Sebring
5.7 9
Suzuki Verona
4.0 10