sedan recommendations

[Quattro Pete]

As far as the availability of new 2021 mid/full size family sedans with a V6 engine for under $30k is concerned... zero.

I am seeing new 2021 Dodge Chargers SXT on Autotrader for mid $20K. They come with a 292 HP 3.6 V6 and 8-speed auto trans. Not sure if FCA ever equipped them with DI. The interior is extremely dated, as is the entire design.

Alas, from a reliability perspective, I think OP is better off with a Toyota.

 

[BLND1]

Not really sure why OP is completely against DI and turbos.

Turbo Diesel = gift from god

TGDI = Antichrist

I don’t get it. A turbo has some extra hoses? It’s not like VVT, cylinder deactivation, and multiple ignition cycle engines are particularly “simple.”

Any PI NA engine is going to have to add complexity to meet MPG CAFE goals. All of that complexity is internal. Scary.

 

[Nick1994]

Not really sure why OP is completely against DI and turbos.

Turbo Diesel = gift from god

TGDI = Antichrist

I don’t get it. A turbo has some extra hoses? It’s not like VVT, cylinder deactivation, and multiple ignition cycle engines are particularly “simple.”

Any PI NA engine is going to have to add complexity to meet MPG CAFE goals. All of that complexity is internal. Scary.

Turbo diesels are garbage these days. And no one makes them in a sedan anyways.

 

[Nyati]

Well I used to have a Taurus although that was a 2001. Went to a Mercedes E-350. I would recommend the 2016 E-350 if you weren't against European cars. Last year of the W212 so most reliable of the year although even the earlier 2014-2015 models were actually pretty good. Direct injection is pretty much standard these days but at least the E-350 still had a regular V6 and at 302hp has decent power. That year also saw Apple Carplay and Android auto availability and then you don't have to worry about 2017+ which went with 4 cylinder turbos. They were probably under 30k at some point, probably still are, luxury used car prices haven't gone up as much as other cars. You also get way more toys than I ever had on the Taurus.

I have a 2013 E350 Mercedes- haven’t had one single problem with it. I know you said no European- but it’s been trouble free and cheap to maintain. I do oil changes myself.

 

[JeffKeryk]

I have no objection to Toyota; I had owned a couple of Tundras was back in the day.

I like the v-6 Avalon, except for the price. I like the 2.5L Camry, and that might end up where I land; but still not cheap.
I was just asking for options, and I guess to some degree I was complaining about how little the market has to offer me now.
A nice mid-to-large size sedan with a n/a v-6 is pretty hard to come by these days; almost an oddity. It wasn't that long ago that they were the norm, but DI/turbos have taken over a large portion of the market.

Something else I didn't mention (and I realize that sometimes a compromise is inevitable) is that I prefer either cloth seats, or if they are leather they absolutely must have the "cooled" air feature. (I hate sitting on hot leather; big guys like me perspire a lot on a long trip). So cloth seats are typically found on the bargain line of the car models, and leather is featured in most of upper level stuff. To get cooled leather seats, it's pretty much always going to be the top-o-the-line model in any car I choose.

I might start looking to see if I can find a decent one-owner low-mileage Avalon only a few years old.

Yes - I am searching for a unicorn and realizing they pretty much went extinct.

Lexus GS350. Great car. If you can afford to feed it and feed it Premium. RWD and Lexus quality baby!
Of course an Avalon is an ES, so there's that too...

 

[CharBaby]

All these are valid purchasing criteria, but let's first come up with a list of new sedans for under $30K with powerful non-DI non-turbo engines and no CVT.

Hmmm, Camry?
Is the new Altima 2.5L a DI fuel system?
Mine(2015) isn't.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Hmmm, Camry?

Yes, although most reviews seem to think that Camry's 2.5 engine is very underwhelming and noisy. Alas, it kind of still fits the OP's requirements.

Is the new Altima 2.5L a DI fuel system?

I asked that earlier in this thread and didn't get a response. Anyway, Altima has a CVT so that's a no-go for the OP.

 

[dnewton3]

Yes, although most reviews seem to think that Camry's 2.5 engine is very underwhelming and noisy. Alas, it kind of still fits the OP's requirements.


I asked that earlier in this thread and didn't get a response. Anyway, Altima has a CVT so that's a no-go for the OP.

We currently have a 2.5L n/a Fusion for the wife. Great car, but the engine is "underwhelming and noisy" also. Hence my desire for a v-6.


The other thing that bugs me is that "a la cart" options are a thing of the past. WAY back in the day, you could spec order individual options all the way down a build sheet at the dealer. Not so now; not for a long time. You can get "packages" (bundles, etc) with some things you may want, but it forces you into other stuff you may not want. There's no such thing as getting your perfect car now; it's a compromise car, and it's been that way for a while.

Sales Guy: "Well, Mr. Newton, if you want more power, you have to get the XYZ model, and that comes standard with AWD. However you mentioned you also wanted Bluetooth capability, and that requires you get the Navigation+Radio set, which is only available in the Premium Package, and that comes with active cruise control, ambient mood lighting, interactive heads-up display, and rich Corinthian leather seats. But if you want cooled leather seats you have to get the heated/cooled seats in the All-Weather group, which is part of the Ultimate package, and that comes with a moonroof, quad-Dolby theater surround sound, 20" wheels and pearlescent paint with triple-coat protection. But we don't stock those on the lot; because most of what we have on hand is the Super-Duper-Luxury-PamperedButt package with panda-hide seats. That's what we sell the most of."
Me: "But all I wanted was a sedan with decent power, a reliable (simple) drivetrain, cloth seats and a bluetooth-capable for around $30k OTD."
Sales Guy: "Hahahahahahahahahaha .... Oh, wait, you were serious about that?????"
Me: (mutter, grumble; disgusted exit)

 

[wag123]

Hmmm, Camry?
Is the new Altima 2.5L a DI fuel system?
Mine(2015) isn't.

Yes, the 2021 Altima has DI.
dnewton3, if you find that your 2018 Taurus has adequate power (7.1 sec 0-60), you can purchase a new 2021 Accord Hybrid (6.9 sec 0-60) or 2021 Camry Hybrid (7.1 sec 0-60) within your price range.
The Accord has port injection, the Camry has the D-4S dual injection. Neither car can be described as being stripped. Both come with cloth seats (your 1st choice), power everything (including driver's seat), bluetooth, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and a full suite of safety features. The Camry has a CVT automatic but it is of a totally different design than the CVT's used in other cars and is extremely reliable. The Accord does not have a transmission, it uses a wet clutch to engage the engine to the drivetrain as needed, but it mostly runs on electric power only (using the engine to drive a high output alternator to power the electric motor to drive the car as well as charge the battery). Unfortunately, neither drivetrain can be described as being "simple".

 

[drtyler]

Search for the cleanest, low mileage Crown Vic or Grand Marquis that you can find. They are still out there. Probably come in under $10k.

 

[JeffKeryk]

We currently have a 2.5L n/a Fusion for the wife. Great car, but the engine is "underwhelming and noisy" also. Hence my desire for a v-6.


The other thing that bugs me is that "a la cart" options are a thing of the past. WAY back in the day, you could spec order individual options all the way down a build sheet at the dealer. Not so now; not for a long time. You can get "packages" (bundles, etc) with some things you may want, but it forces you into other stuff you may not want. There's no such thing as getting your perfect car now; it's a compromise car, and it's been that way for a while.

Sales Guy: "Well, Mr. Newton, if you want more power, you have to get the XYZ model, and that comes standard with AWD. However you mentioned you also wanted Bluetooth capability, and that requires you get the Navigation+Radio set, which is only available in the Premium Package, and that comes with active cruise control, ambient mood lighting, interactive heads-up display, and rich Corinthian leather seats. But if you want cooled leather seats you have to get the heated/cooled seats in the All-Weather group, which is part of the Ultimate package, and that comes with a moonroof, quad-Dolby theater surround sound, 20" wheels and pearlescent paint with triple-coat protection. But we don't stock those on the lot; because most of what we have on hand is the Super-Duper-Luxury-PamperedButt package with panda-hide seats. That's what we sell the most of."
Me: "But all I wanted was a sedan with decent power, a reliable (simple) drivetrain, cloth seats and a bluetooth-capable for around $30k OTD."
Sales Guy: "Hahahahahahahahahaha .... Oh, wait, you were serious about that?????"
Me: (mutter, grumble; disgusted exit)

Back in the day it was thought that GM had thousands of BOMs in a single year. Manufacturing nightmare. Unsustainable cost.

 

[xgmad]

We are considering replacing one of our family fleet with a new (or nearly new) car. Want a sedan; don't need or want an SUV and already have a truck.

I'm trying to find choices that are moderate in pricing (below $30K) and have either 4 or 6 cyl engines that are not DI with turbo. Looking for port-injection naturally aspirated first off, or would consider DI if it's naturally aspirated. Prefer to not have something European.

Am I just out of luck at this point? Seems like pretty much everything is moving to DI with a turbo.

Volkswagen jetta, up until 2014 , they are great.

I had a post of problems I had with the 2.5 before it got totaled a month ago.

2.0 (2.slow) is a great engine if you get it naturally aspirated.

 

[xgmad]

Turbo diesels are garbage these days. And no one makes them in a sedan anyways.

Volkswagen does! TDI is god!

 

[Nick1994]

Volkswagen does! TDI is god!

Volkswagen hasn’t made a diesel in 6 years.

And they haven’t made a good one since the ALH which ended in 2003.

I’ve had a TDI, been there done that. Never again.

 

[badtlc]

We are considering replacing one of our family fleet with a new (or nearly new) car. Want a sedan; don't need or want an SUV and already have a truck.

I'm trying to find choices that are moderate in pricing (below $30K) and have either 4 or 6 cyl engines that are not DI with turbo. Looking for port-injection naturally aspirated first off, or would consider DI if it's naturally aspirated. Prefer to not have something European.

Am I just out of luck at this point? Seems like pretty much everything is moving to DI with a turbo.

Dodge charger with the 3.6L.

 

[zzyzzx]

I think that you are out of luck AND you should wait until 2022.

 

[mshu7]

Camry XSE. Despite it being an NA 4-cylinder, it doesn’t at all feel like a 4-banger. NvH and power felt more like a V6. Traditional transmission and great gas mileage to boot.

I drove one recently and it blew me away. Never thought a Camry would have impressed me as much as it did.

 

[FZ1]

Toyota Camry with the 2.5, it uses the DS4 injection system which has both DI and port injectors.

This^^^^^^^^^^^!

 

[Ignatius]

I believe the Accord hybrid has a 2.0L naturally aspirated. If I was in the market, that'd be my choice.

I came to post the same thing, the Accord Hybrid is a very solid vehicle all around and the fuel economy is exceptional. Price is hard to beat as well.

 

[meep]

Lexus GS350. Great car. If you can afford to feed it and feed it Premium. RWD and Lexus quality baby!
Of course an Avalon is an ES, so there's that too...

I’ll second that. It’s a RWD Camry with a well-upgraded interior but not over the top. I’ve the 3.5 V6 and it’s more engine than I need - they make a turbo 4 which had I known about, I would have chosen first - lighter nose, better mpg. The 350 handles well, it also handles heavy, but it’s a nice bank vault of a car with a bunch of power. Very quiet on the interstate for it’s size, and fun to get around town in. The v6 does NOT get good gas mileage in town. I’ve got to work at it to get 22 in town. 27-28 hwy at 70. But 20-22 in town with a 17 gallon fuel tank is a bit confining.