Here Are Some Six Cylinder Sedans You Probably Forgot About For Under $25,000

Sometimes you want to kick it old-school and have a comfortable four-door with a big (but not too big) motor under the hood that pumps out respectable horsepower without being a total drain at the pump. With the adaptation of turbos and hybrids, these six-cylinder models are mostly gone. 

When you think of a V6 sedan, some obvious ones immediately come to mind. From the 1990s into the mid 2000’s, almost every mid-size sedan had an option for a larger displacement motor. Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Nissan Altima, and of course your domestics like the Ford Fusion and Chevy Malibu. Rear-drive models like the Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300 were plentiful, but there was also a selection of larger front-wheel drive cruisers like the Chevy Impala, Nissan Maxima, and Toyota Avalon with six-cylinders being the standard power plant.

Most of these models have gone by the wayside, either discontinued completely or replaced with more efficient turbo or hybrid options. However, there is a certain charm and simplicity to these cars as they offer a solid balance of passing power, decent fuel economy, and easy maintenance. If you happen to be shopping for a four-door with more than four cylinders and under $25,000, here are some wildcards that are worth putting on your radar.

Most buyers associate Subaru with wagons and crossovers like the Outback and Forester, but the four-door Legacy was a solid, though underappreciated, alternative to the Accord and Camry. In the early 2000’s, Subaru offered the Legacy GT with a 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that was essentially a “WRX for adults.” You could even get one with a manual transmission. The turbo-four was later replaced by the 3.6-liter cylinder motor also found in the Outback of the same generation 

With only about 120 3.6R versions listed for sale nationwide, according to Autotrader, the six-cylinder Legacy is rare as far as mid-size sedans go. Unlike the rest of these cars with a traditional V6 configuration, Subaru uses a horizontally opposed (boxer) six that produces a respectable 256 horsepower and returns up to 28 MPG on the highway. Naturally, that motor is paired with Subaru’s symmetrical AWD system for all-weather traction. Later model years of these loaded Legacys also had a slew of safety tech, making this car a solid family commuter with a motor that shares similarities to the Porsche 911.

For those of you who remember the well-loved TSX, which was essentially a Euro-spec Accord, and the super stylish TL from the 2000s, you will know that Acura kind of lost its way after those models when it came to the four-door segment. Both nameplates were eventually merged into the TLX, which was slightly bigger than the Accord but not quite full-size either.

While the TLX was more upscale than its Honda cousin, it was a bit of a hard sell given the price premium, especially with the awkward styling. The TLX had a standard four-cylinder motor, but when equipped with the solid 290 hp, 3.5-liter V6, and Acura’s “Super-Handling All Wheel Drive,” you had a sporty and far more reliable alternative to some of the offerings from Audi, BMW, or Mercedes. What the TLX lacked in prestige, it made up for in durability. At under $25,000, there are fewer than 150 V6 SH-AWD units available. 

Before the Genesis brand really made a bid to be the next Lexus, Hyundai and Kia attempted an “upmarket” push and attempted to sell some higher-end cars at price points that weren’t super palatable for the typical value-targeted customer for those automakers. The Kia Cadenza and Hyundai Azera twins were aimed at Lexus ES buyers but ended up being better alternatives to the Toyota Avalon and Nissan Maxima. While the Kia was marketed as the “sportier” of the two, both models used the same formula.

With a 3.3-liter V6 making a class-standard 290 horsepower sent to the front wheels, both the Cadenza and Azera were quintessential highway cruisers. That power plant was backed by Hyundai/Kia’s 10-year/100,000-mile warranty, but that coverage doesn’t transfer to the second owner as it resets to a 5-year/60,000 warranty. However, these cars were packed with creature comforts and tech making 7 or 8-year-old models still competitive with what you can get from the showroom today.

Saving the best for last and while this one is technically a hatchback with its roof-hinged trunk access, it certainly presents as a sedan. The last generation Buick Regal was a domestic car in name only, as these cars were imported from GM’s European-made Opel/Vauxhall divisions. This means buyers had access to legitimate competitors, BMW and Audi, made across the pond and that just happened to have a Buick badge.

While the Regal Sportback came in more pedestrian trims that would blend in at any rental counter, the GS came equipped with the ubiquitous 3.6-liter V6 found in other GM products. This tried and true motor produced 310 horsepower and was mated to an all-wheel-drive system. Critics quickly noted that the interior fell short of other luxury cars, but the Regal GS offered a lot of features for the dollar and some of the most comfortable seats you can buy.

Tom McParland is a contributing writer for Jalopnik and runs AutomatchConsulting.com. He takes the hassle out of buying or leasing a car. Got a car buying question? Send it to [email protected]