2021 Sedan Of The Year: Elimination Round #2

Last week, we saw the Cadillac CT4-V, Dodge Charger, and Honda Civic Si leave the competition. Three other sedans will be leaving us today, making the once-extensive list of contestants even smaller. Here they are:

Audi A4

The Audi A4 was updated in 2020 to keep up with the Mercedes C Class and BMW 3 Series. It received refreshed styling and improved performance. But, they got rid of the manual transmission, and that disappointed us. It does get Quattro AWD, but it decreased the fuel economy. The 24 city rating is equal to the Mercedes, but the BMW is at 26. The A4's 31 highway rating is beaten by both competitors. Also, don't forget that this is still an Audi, so the higher the trim level is, the higher the price is. That may sound normal, but the A4 gets expensive fast despite its affordable MSRP. The styling is improved, but with the amazing-looking Q8 and RS 7 in the lineup, we know that Audi could have done better. The last straw with the A4 was the steering. It is less responsive than before, making turning around corners boring. We appreciated Audi's effort to make the A4 better than the competition, but the slim updates just weren't enough.

Genesis G70

Genesis has updated the G70 compact sedan for the 2022 model year. We like how it looks and drives, and the pricing is fair. But, we had a few problems with it. The biggest complaint is the rear legroom. It is far too small, and although we understand that this is a compact sedan, the competitors have better rear legroom. Genesis could have either tweaked the front legroom to increase space in the rear and make the front and rear even, or they could have stretched the wheelbase a bit and increased only the rear legroom and trunk. Another problem is that the new wagon is not coming to the US. The wagon really would have promoted the G70 and made it more appealing. The wagon probably has improved rear legroom, too. Also, Genesis is still a budding brand, so those who want their car to be recognized should look into a Mercedes, Audi, Acura, or BMW.

Mercedes CLS

The Mercedes CLS has a nice design and powerful AMG variant, but a few issues set it back from the competition. It is loud on rough, bumpy roads, and the ride is shakier. That is not something we would expect in a luxury car, and especially a performance sedan. Mercedes has the ability to make the ultimate luxury vehicle. Just look at the G Wagon and S-Class. So, why doesn't the CLS have a better behavior on rough surfaces? Also, we weren't impressed with the handling. That is obviously related to the rough ride, since unbalanced handling makes cars bounce on turns. All of that ride and handling nonsense took away the CLS's spot in our competition.

Safe

These competitors are safe for this week!

- Acura TLX

- Audi A8

- BMW 5 Series

- Genesis G80

- Hyundai Elantra

- Hyundai Sonata N Line

- Jaguar XF

- Kia K5

- Lexus LS

- Mazda3 2.5 Turbo

- Mercedes-Benz E Class

- Nissan Sentra

- Toyota Mirai

- Volkswagen Arteon

Image Credits: Audi, Genesis, Mercedes