Which Family Sedans Have The Longest Range? Here’s The Top 10

If you like to pile the family into the car and head out on the open road, range is an important consideration. Stopping for gas is everybody’s least favorite part of any road trip, although we all appreciate a bathroom break once in a while. Below are the 10 family sedans with the longest range as compiled by the editors of the New York Daily News.

First off, the list includes only sedans powered by gasoline engines. No diesels or hybrids or plug in hybrids. The list is made up of conventional cars that don’t carry the price premium associated with the latest technology. All the cars have either an automatic or CVT transmission. All have four doors. Prices listed are for the least expensive version of each car and include transportation.

May we have a drum roll, please!

Tied for first place honors at the top of the list are the Hyundai Sonata and Kia Optima. It’s no surprise that the have exactly the same range. They are corporate cousins with the same powertrains and the same size fuel tanks (18.5 gallons). Each is rated by the EPA at 31 mpg combined. Total range for either car is 573.5 miles.

The Sonata/Optima twins are spacious inside with plenty of comfort for long distance travel. They also have the best factory warranty of any cars in the group. The Sonata starts at $22,436 and the Optima at $23,050.

In third place is the Nissan Altima. This sedan has generous interior room and one of the most powerful engines in the group. It has a range of 558 miles based on its 18 gallon tank and EPA rated 31 mpg combined fuel economy. The Altima starts at $23,335.

Fourth on the list is the Subaru Legacy. What is remarkable about its overall range of 536.5 miles is that it is the only car in the group equipped with full time four wheel drive. It is rated 29 mpg combined by the EPA and has an 18 gallon tank. Prices start at $22,815.

Fifth overall is the Honda Accord, the largest sedan the company sells in the US market. Passenger space is plentiful in this comfortable tourer. With a 17.2 gallon tank and a combined fuel economy rating of 30 mpg, it can travel 516 miles between fill up and lists for $23,990.

Coming in sixth on the Top 10 list is the Volkswagen Passat. Another large and comfortable car with an especially roomy rear seating area, it is rated at 27 mpg combined. With its 18.5 gallon tank, that translates into a range of 499.5 miles. Prices start at $23,260.

Seventh with 492 miles of range is the Mazda 6. Known for its agile handling, it has an EPA rating of 30 mpg combined and a 16.4 gallon tank. List price is $23,830.

Tied for 8th place are the Chevrolet Impala and the Volkswagen CC. The Impala is the largest car in the group. It comes with an 18.5 gallon tank and is rated 25 mpg combined. Total range in this generously sized touring car is 462.5 miles. It lists for $28,175.

It shares honors with the Volkswagen CC, the large and stylish sedan from the German car company. Rated at 25 mpg combined and equipped with an 18.5 gallon tank, it also can travel 462.5 miles on a tankful of gas. It is the priciest car in the group at $35,340.

Coming in 10th on the list is the one of America’s favorite sedans, the ultra-reliable Toyota Camry. With an EPA rating of 27 mpg combined and a 17 gallon fuel tank, it can go 459 miles between fillups. It’s base price is $23,935.

The Wrap Up

All of these cars can be had in various trim levels from basic to fully loaded and prices will vary accordingly. Fuel economy, as we all know, depends on how your drive and how heavy your right foot is on the gas pedal. But the EPA testing process applies equally to all ten cars and math is math. Multiply mpg by gallons and you get range.

If traveling the furthest distance between trips to the gas station without plugging in or paying extra for hybrid technology is important to you, this guide will help point you in the right direction toward the car that best suits your needs.

Source: New York Daily News.  Photos are all courtesy of the manufacturers named in the story.