Looking for fun sedan suggestions

[wesley133]

I currently drive a 1999 Saturn SL1 which should turn 200k miles next week. I've had the car for 9 years and think I deserve a new vehicle.

We have three kids, and my wife drives a 2005 Honda Odyssey. We usually take the Odyssey when we go somewhere as a family, but I would like something with a bit more room in the back seat so we don't always have to take the minivan when running errands.

I would like something with more power, but that still gets decent mileage. Vehicles that I have been considering are the Saturn Aura (XR) or Ford Fusion (SEL). Leather heated seats would also be nice.

I want something reliable, I will be using the car as a daily driver and will be putting about 15k miles on a year.

I guess that I am looking for suggestions of other vehicles that I might be over looking, for example, I just saw a 2004 Lincoln LS. I also like the Honda Accord, but like all Honda's they seem to hold their value too well (at least when you are on the buying side)

I would like to stay in the $7k-10K range, but I could go up to $15k if I find a really nice deal.

What year/models would you consider?

[akboss]

If someone says they are looking for a more entertaining brand of car to drive, I first suggest Mazda. The Mazda6 offers a great combination of sporty driving character, performance and affordability - all while maintaining a good reliability and safety rating. Secondly, I would look at Nissan - the Altima SE is a lot of car for the money, but a lot of people lease and abuse them so watch for signs of wear on the interior. Lastly, Volkswagen offers one of the best (affordable) driving experiences on the market, but a lot of people don't want to put up with the reliability issues.

If you want a no-nonsense sporty sedan, I would refer you to a Mazda6 V6 or a Nissan Altima 3.5 SE. Also consider the offbeat choice of the Mitsubishi Galant, but reliability and build quality are not up to the standards of the Nissan.