If you have been searching for information about sedans, you might come across many different questions. What is a sedan? Is a Honda Civic a sedan? Are SUVs safer than sedans? What is the difference between a coupe and a sedan? With so many options on the market it can be difficult to understand what makes a sedan different from other vehicles.
This guide answers every question you might have about sedans, from a basic definition to specific models, sizes, weights and how they compare to other vehicle types.
What Does Sedan Mean in Cars?
A sedan is a passenger car with four doors, a closed roof and a separate trunk. Mostly sedans can seat four to five passengers across two rows. The most defining characteristic is its three-box design, which means the car has three separate sections: The engine compartment at the front, the passenger cabin in the middle and the trunk at the rear.
The word “sedan” is still debated. One commonly accepted explanation is that it comes from the sedan chair, a covered chair carried by people to transport passengers during the 17th and 18th centuries.
When people ask what does sedan car means or what does a sedan looks like, the answer is straightforward. A sedan is a standard passenger vehicle with a separate area for passengers and another for luggage. Unlike hatchbacks, the trunk is not connected to the passenger cabin. This design helps in reducing road noise and provides secure luggage storage.
What Is the Difference Between a Coupe and a Sedan?
The main difference between a coupe and a sedan is the number of doors and the shape of the roof. A sedan has four doors and a taller roof over both rows of seating. A coupe has two doors and often has a lower, more sloping roof that gives it a sportier look but the back seat is difficult to get in and out of.
Some car companies blur this definition. For example, Mercedes-Benz calls some of its four-door cars “coupes” because they have a sloping roof. In everyday use, a car with four doors, a separate trunk and a taller roof is generally called a sedan. If it has two doors and a sportier, lower body it is a coupe.
Is a Sedan a Compact Car and What Are the Types of Sedans?
Subcompact Sedan
It is the smallest sedan category. These cars are fuel efficient, easy to park and the most affordable to purchase. Examples include the Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris. They are a good choice for city driving, daily commuting and one or two passengers with light luggage.
Compact Sedan
This is one of the most popular categories globally. Compact sedans offer a balanced fuel average therefore they are practical and affordable choices. The Honda Civic is one of the most popular examples in this category.
MidSize Sedan
A midsize sedan offers more interior space than a compact. The Toyota Camry and Honda Accord are examples of midsize sedans in the American market.
Full Size Sedan
A full-size sedan is built to provide more interior space and a more comfortable ride than smaller sedans. The Chrysler 300 and Toyota Avalon are well-known examples of this category.
Executive and Luxury Sedan
Executive and luxury sedans belong to the premium category. These vehicles are built to provide more comfort and luxury. They offer high-quality interiors, advanced technology, powerful engines and extra space for passengers. Popular examples include the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, BMW 5 Series, Lincoln Continental and Cadillac CT5.
Is a Honda Civic a Sedan and Is a Toyota Corolla a Sedan?
Yes to both. The Honda Civic is available in sedan form and is one of the best known compact sedans in the world. It has the capacity to seat five adults, has a separate trunk and is offered with four doors. The Civic is one of the most reliable compact sedans available.
The Toyota Corolla is also a sedan. The Corolla has been one of the best selling cars in the world for decades and is available as a four door sedan with a separate trunk. The Civic and Corolla are compact sedans.
Does Ford Make a Sedan, Does Lincoln Make a Sedan and Does Chevy Make a Sedan?
Ford left the sedan market in 2019 when it discontinued making the Fusion and Focus in North America to focus on trucks and SUVs. As of the current market, Ford does not produce a traditional passenger sedan for the North American market.
Lincoln, which is Ford’s Luxury brand, still produces sedans. The Lincoln Continental was one of the most iconic American luxury sedans in the modern era but its production was stopped in 2020.
Chevrolet’s sedan lineup has also gotten smaller over the years. The Malibu was Chevrolet’s main sedan offering, but it has faced discontinuation as consumer preferences shifted toward SUVs and trucks.
Who Makes the Genesis Sedan?
Genesis is the luxury vehicle brand of Hyundai Motor Group, the South Korean car company. Before 2015, Genesis was Hyundai’s luxury vehicle division. In 2015, Hyundai made Genesis a separate luxury brand with its own lineup of vehicles.
The Genesis sedan lineup includes several models across different size classes. The G70 is a compact luxury sedan competing with the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class. The G80 is a midsize luxury sedan. The G90 is Genesis’s popular full-size luxury sedan.
What Engine Is in the Mercedes C63S AMG Sedan?
Performance enthusiasts often ask what engine is in the Mercedes C63S W205 AMG sedan. The W205 generation of the C63S AMG, which ran from approximately 2015 to 2021, was powered by a 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine. This engine produced approximately 503 horsepower in the C63S specification.
The current generation C63S AMG has changed to a 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbocharged engine paired with an electric motor in a plug-in hybrid configuration. This change has been widely discussed because many Mercedes enthusiasts preferred the sound and driving feel of the previous V8 engine.
Is Lexus Sedan Gas Powered?
The Lexus sedan lineup has both gasoline-powered and hybrid models. The standard Lexus ES 350, for example runs on gasoline. The Lexus ES 300h is the hybrid version of the same model, using a combination of a gasoline engine and an electric motor.
Lexus has been one of the most consistent producers of hybrid sedans in the luxury market since the introduction of the Lexus GS 450h in 2006. The brand offers hybrid variants across much of its sedan lineup.
What Is the Largest Cadillac Sedan and What Is the Largest Lexus Sedan?
The largest Cadillac sedan is the CT6 which was a full size luxury sedan. Its production was stopped in 2020. The CT6 offered a long wheelbase, executive level interior space and many advanced technology features. Cadillac’s current sedan lineup is the CT4 and CT5 and the CT5 is the larger of the two.
The largest Lexus sedan is the Lexus LS which is a full-size luxury sedan. The LS 500 and LS 500h compete at the top of the luxury sedan segment against vehicles like the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW 7 Series and Audi A8. The LS is available in both standard and long-wheelbase configurations.
How Much Does a Sedan Weigh and How Long Is a Sedan?
| Sedan Type | Typical Weight Range |
| Subcompact sedan | 2,400 to 2,800 lbs |
| Compact sedan | 2,800 to 3,200 lbs |
| Midsize sedan | 3,100 to 3,600 lbs |
| Full-size sedan | 3,500 to 4,200 lbs |
| Luxury and executive sedan | 3,800 to 5,000 lbs |
Different classes of Sedans have different lengths. A compact sedan like the Honda Civic is approximately 182 to 184 inches long. A midsize sedan like the Toyota Camry runs approximately 192 inches. A full size luxury sedan can exceed 200 inches.
Are SUVs Safer Than Sedans?
This is one of the most common car related questions and the answer depends on the situation. SUVs have higher seating positions and greater mass, which provides an advantage in some collision types especially in crashes with smaller vehicles. However SUVs have historically had higher rollover risk than sedans due to a higher center of gravity.
Modern vehicle safety technology has reduced the safety gap between sedans and SUVs. Electronic stability control, which is common on all new vehicles, has reduced rollover rates. Current safety ratings from IIHS and NHTSA show that many modern sedans achieve the same or higher safety ratings as equivalent SUVs.
What Is the Most Reliable Sedan?
Reliability rankings change over time because new models are introduced and existing models are updated. Consumer Reports and J.D. Power both publish annual reliability rankings that represent the most current and consistent measures of sedan reliability.
Historically, Japanese brands including Toyota Honda and Lexus have consistently ranked at the top of sedan reliability surveys. The Toyota Camry and Honda Accord have been on top in the midsize segment for decades. The Lexus ES has been a consistent top performer in the luxury segment.
What Is the Tesla Sedan and How Much Does It Cost?
Tesla’s main sedan is the Model 3 one of the best selling electric cars in the world. It is a compact to midsize sedan that runs entirely on electricity. The Model 3 is available in different versions with different performance levels.
How much is a Tesla sedan? The Model 3 pricing starts at approximately $40,000 for the base rear-wheel drive configuration as of recent pricing, but the price varies by configuration and changes with time. The Performance variant costs significantly more.
Tesla also produces the Model S which is a full-size premium electric sedan and competes with the Mercedes-Benz EQS and other luxury electric vehicles. The Model S starts at approximately $74,000.
How Much Does It Cost to Wrap a Sedan?
- Partial wrap (roof, hood, or accent areas): $500 to $1,500
- Full color change wrap (standard vinyl): $2,000 to $3,500
- Full color change wrap (premium or chrome vinyl): $3,500 to $6,000
- Full wrap with complex design or print: $4,000 to $8,000+
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FAQs
What is a sedan?
A sedan is a passenger car with four doors, a fixed roof, seating for four to five people, and a separate enclosed trunk compartment. It follows a three-box design with engine, passenger and cargo sections.
What is a midsize sedan?
A midsize sedan is a passenger car larger than a compact but smaller than a full-size sedan. The Toyota Camry and Honda Accord are examples of midsize sedans in the American market.
What is a full-size sedan?
A full-size sedan has large interior space and passenger comfort. These vehicles are longer and heavier than midsize sedans and offer more rear legroom and trunk space. The Chrysler 300 and Toyota Avalon are examples.
Is the Honda Civic a sedan?
Yes. The Honda Civic is available as a four-door sedan and is one of the most popular compact sedans in the world.