With new car prices averaging close to $50,000, Americans are increasingly returning to car dealership showroom staples as they search for affordable, fuel-efficient vehicles: sedans.
The average price of a new midsize car in June 2026 was $34,091, according to Cox Automotive. That’s compared with an average price of $49,792 for a new midsize SUV, according to the company.
Stubbornly high gas prices are also driving car buyers to start considering sedans again. The average price for gasoline on Tuesday, July 28 is $4.09 a gallon. A gasoline-engine sedan can get about a 10 mpg advantage in average combined fuel economy compared with a large gasoline SUV, though the difference is not as stark when comparing sedans to smaller SUVs and hybrids.
Take those factors and add buzz from automakers in recent months as they tease the idea of reviving sedans, and it begs the question: Is the sedan on the verge of a comeback?
“I do think there’s become kind of an SUV fatigue I’d call it, that everyone is experiencing from consumers to car designers to rental agencies,” said Karl Brauer, executive analyst at iSeeCars. “There’s a group of people looking just to not look like everyone else. A sedan offers that ‒ which is funny because they were considered boring and now they are cool.”
Erin Keating, an executive analyst for Cox Automotive, said in a statement that her group’s data shows Americans are still value-sized in their cars, even as they grumble about both car and gas prices.
Whether they are shopping for midsize sedans or crossover SUVs, consumers “are gravitating toward the center of the market where value, utility, and affordability intersect,” Keating said. “In 2026, ‘mid’ is in.”
With that in mind, the USA TODAY Cars Team took a look at the best midsize and large sedans that are on the market so far in 2026, according to CarGurus.com.
2026 Genesis G80: Premium Features Without the Premium Price
The 2026 Genesis G80 has an ultra-luxurious cabin, bold driving dynamics, and plenty of great standard features. It starts at $59,450 and offers 20 mpg in city driving and 29 mpg on highways.
Like its big brother, the Genesis G90, the G80 has an understated curb appeal. Its exterior is more classy than bold, and its front grille is its defining characteristic. The G80’s interior quality stands out because once you pop the door open, it feels like something out of a James Bond film.
Aside from being comfortable and stylish, the 2026 Genesis G80 is also fun to drive thanks to a gutsy power train and nimble handling.
2026 Toyota Camry: Peppy Acceleration, Fuel Efficiency and Cabin Space
The Toyota Camry is one of the best-selling cars on the market. It’s affordable, efficient, and spacious.
The 2026 Camry is the first model in the sedan’s history that only comes with a hybrid power train, joining other Toyota models like the Sienna, Sequoia, and Land Cruiser.
The 2026 Camry stands out because of its incredible value proposition. Its distinct hammerhead front-end design gives the midsize sedan an aggressive and sporty look, different than the exterior design of previous generations. Its fuel economy is its most spectacular spec.
The Camry starts at $29,600, and it offers 53 mpg in city driving and 46 mpg on highways.
Toyota’s Camry is the ideal commuter car in many ways, from its engaging driving dynamics (thanks to an electric motor power boost) to its stellar fuel economy. It’s the everyman car, so balanced that it’s tough to find a weakness.
2026 Lexus ES EV: Costs Less Than the Hybrid — Yes, Really
The 2026 Lexus ES marks a significant redesign, arriving larger, more powerful and more expensive than its predecessor.
The new ES abandons gasoline-only power — including the V6 that set it apart from other midsize sedans — for hybrid and all-electric power. It offers dramatic new looks, a stylish and comfortable interior and modern drivetrains.
In a departure from other brands’ practice, Lexus priced the fully electric ES below the hybrid. EV prices start at $47,500, while base hybrid stickers at $49,700. All prices exclude a $1,395 destination charge.
The ES’ dramatic new exterior design features a long nose and fastback rear, rakish LED lights and 19- or 21-inch wheels. The 2026 ES is 6.5 inches longer and 2.2 inches wider than its predecessor. Its wheelbase grew 3.1 inches.
The extra size comes at a weight penalty, but the ES hybrid’s EPA estimated fuel combined city/highway economy improved.
Electric model’s names end with an “e” and hybrids get an “h”: ES 350e and 350h.
Jamie LaReau, senior autos writer for USA TODAY Co., and Mark Phelan, an auto critic and columnist for the Detroit Free Press, contributed to this report. Keith Laing is an automotive reporter on the National Trending Desk at USA TODAY.
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