Sedans and hatchbacks comprise a little under one in four of new vehicles sold in the U.S. That’s a steep decline from 2000 or even 2012, when cars and light trucks were split 50/50 in terms of consumer preference. Crossovers have taken a big bite out of the sedan market, leading some automakers to pare back their car offerings. Come 2021, the Buick, Ford and Lincoln brands will sell only SUVs, give or take the Mustang.
Don’t count sedans out just yet though. There are still lots of buyers—more than 3 million so far this year, according to MotorIntelligence—who prefer cars. Cars are easy to live with: They’re generally quieter, smoother, better handling and more fuel-efficient than their SUV counterparts. Some people just prefer the familiarity of a traditional car.
The winnowing of the sedan and hatchback universe means the remaining options must stand out in terms of performance, safety and efficiency. Style also is a huge factor now that over half the market has defected to crossovers and SUV in search of more utility.
While Detroit may be throttling back on four-doors, automakers from Asia and Europe are hedging their bets, and in some cases expanding their offerings to cater to these customers. The Forbes Wheels 10 Best Sedans for 2021 features three entries from Germany, three from Japan and four from South Korea.
The nominees and winners were selected by the 2020 Forbes Wheels Car of the Year panel, comprising four staff editors and seven contributors. Our criteria included performance, safety, technology, comfort and convenience, fuel economy, design and functionality. Because each category spans the full spectrum of pricing, we selected vehicles that stand out among their peers. Vehicles eligible for nomination include any car or truck for sale or in production during 2020; some debuted prior to 2020.
- Acura TLX All-new with sleeker styling and a renewed focus on driving fun
- Audi A5/S5/RS5 Sportback Slick style, great driving dynamics
- Genesis G70 On par with premium rivals but far less costly
- Genesis G80 Opulent, handsome, packed with tech and a bargain
- Honda Accord A benchmark family sedan, now with more style
- Hyundai Sonata Great value, solid safety suite
- Kia K5 Dramatically styled Optima successor
- Mazda3 Sporty fun with no sacrifice in practicality
- Mercedes-Benz E-Class Benchmark for midsize luxury sedans
- Volkswagen Golf / GTI High quality, practical value machine
Forbes Wheels Car of the Year Panelists
These top vehicles for 2021 were chosen by a 10-person panel of Forbes Wheels staff and contributors.
Sam Abuelsamid (contributor) is principal research analyst at consulting firm Guidehouse Insights (formerly Navigant Research) and is a frequent contributor to Forbes.com, covering innovation in the transportation sector.
Brian Armstead (contributor) is president emeritus of the Washington Automotive Press Association and a North American Car, Truck and Utility of the Year (NACTOY) Juror.
Bill Howard (Forbes Wheels Staff) is editor of Forbes Wheels. He is the past president of the International Motor Press Association and was previously executive editor and contributing editor for Ziff-Davis’ PC Magazine and ExtremeTech.
Alex Kalogiannis (contributor) has been an automotive writer for over 10 years and in addition to bylines at outlets such as Gear Patrol, Trucks.com and SlashGear, he was previously Car section editor at Digital Trends.
Alex Kwanten (Forbes Wheels Staff) has worked in automotive, marine and aviation for over a decade and reported on buying, selling and servicing cars for multiple industry publications, including Automotive News.
Carly Schaffner (Forbes Wheels Staff) has worked in the automotive industry for over a decade in both editorial and communication roles. Before joining Forbes Wheels, she was managing editor of Trucks.com.
Chris Teague (contributor) is a freelance automotive writer focused on new vehicle reviews, industry trends and breaking news, and has an MBA with a focus on data analysis that gives him insight into some of the auto industry’s biggest companies.
Lawrence Ulrich (contributor) is an award-winning auto writer, and former chief auto critic for The New York Times, Detroit Free Press and The Drive.
John Voelcker (contributor) was editor of Green Car Reports for nine years. He now is a reporter and analyst covering advanced auto technologies and energy policy, and a North American Car, Truck and Utility of the Year (NACTOY) Juror.
Andrew Wendler (Forbes Staff) grew up immersed in automotive, marine and aviation culture and spent a decade at Car and Driver as a writer and editor before joining Forbes Wheels.