This comparison looks at fully-loaded family sedans. Specifically, those from the 2008 model year  or newer that have a CarsDirect Target Price of below $28,000 while equipped with an engine that has at least 200 horsepower while mated to an automatic transmission, as well as heated power leather seats and a sunroof. The twenty-four cars that meet these criteria are listed at left.

This price range brings in mostly well-optioned mainstream family sedans, but a few premium-branded or larger cars also meet the criteria. On the higher end of the family sedan market, comfort, safety, refinement, and interior quality are important.

These twenty-four make up a varied group. A number of them are little more than typical mainstream sedans with more features. Others are much more luxurious, others are sportier.

Most cars in this group can seem competitive. Read on to see which ones really aren't, which are the best values and which are overpriced, which are nice cars but don't work well enough as family sedans, and which one delivers the best blend of luxury with traditional family sedan virtues without breaking the bank.

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Want numbers, not words? For numerical evaluations of the cars, and for their overall ranking order, skip to Evaluations.

What's missing?

-Though some of their competitors were included here, the Buick Lucerne, Chrysler 300, Pontiac G8, and Toyota Avalon were above this group's price ceiling.

-Though several 2009 versions of the cars in this group are already on sale, the only one included here is the updated Hyundai Sonata. 2008s were included instead of pricier 2009 models whenever they were still available on dealer lots when there were no design changes, and redesigned 2009s like the Acura TSX were too expensive.

-The Kia Optima, an IFCAR family sedan Top Pick, lacks an engine with enough horsepower to meet the group's criteria.

-The Mercury Grand Marquis is an archaic boat of a car that is nearly a foot longer than the next-largest car in the group. It has been argued that the car's size puts it in a class by itself; if that is the case, avoid that class entirely in favor of a smaller vehicle that uses modern interior packaging to offer even better space along with better fuel economy and handling, and a lower price.