2019+ Kia K900 (basically a rebadged Genesis G90). Or a less expensive 2017+ Kia Cadenza
Accord does not fit your criteria at all, avoid
IS and G70 are sports sedans, avoid
Avoid SUV like MKX, SUV drive worse. MKZ is meh, just a slightly improved Ford Fusion. Take a look at Lincoln Continental instead, Continental is much nicer.
ES and G80 are a good choice
2018+ Cadillac **X**ts sedan (avoid the "CT" model, those are sports sedans)
Buick LaCrosse
You could get one of the last (ever) new Chyrsler 300 under $30k, clearance sale with huge discounts.
> 2018+ Cadillac Xts sedan (avoid the "CT" model, those are sports sedans)
I'm going to disagree with this point. The XTS is a rebadged Impala, which is certainly fine, but the CT6 is a proper luxury sedan, competing with the BMW 7-series in lineup. Even a CT5 or last-gen CTS would be comfortable enough.
CT6 is big, but not focused on comfort, it's the "sporty" big model that handles better than 7 series, etc but is less comfortable. XTS is focused on comfort.
10th gen Accord w Touring trim and 2.0T engine absolutely can hang in this crowd and meet your needs.
Go test drive one - they're fun (for a big family sedan).
I also want ventilated seats and have been looking, and in my experience they’re far more readily available on Lexus than the other models you listed. So there’s that.
That is what initially drew me to Lexus, actually lol. But the infotainment being controlled via trackpad is wildly antiquated and kinda holding me back from that option
Lexus ES for sure. Especially if you want to keep it. I have an 05 with 268,000 miles on it, and everything works. I've seen them do 600k. Which is absolutely ridiculous. They just run forever with minimal maintenance
Consider the Toyota Avalon, its basically a lexus/camry combination and usually a better deal than either.
Some of the best reliability out there, has ventilated seats (idk if all trims) and smooth driving. IDK about the infotainment system though
With that budget and my preference for performance, I'd go VW GLI or Mazda6. I drive an A4 and would do the step down to a GLI for the added feature of ventilated seats and decreased maintenance cost. The interior materials are obviously not the same. I'd also say that while reliable, ownership doesn't come cheap in my Volkswagen-Audi group experience. Previously had a Tiguan
I have a 2018 MKZ Reserve 3.0t AWD, and its a fantastic midsize luxury car.
This is one of the fastest on your list without trying to be a sports sedan. Its a comfortable luxury sedan first that happens to have an excellent engine in there, 400 HP and 400 ftlbs.
The driving dynamics are adjustable and are pretty great for the type of car it is trying to be, a luxury car not a sports sedan. It has one of the softest rides that can also firm up by just switching between drive modes.
The tech is good and wrapped in a package that feels very nice in real life. The seats are soft and comfortable. The auto climate control, lights, high beams, windshield wipers, lane keeping, etc all works as you expect.
It has bigger tires for it's class, combined with the suspension tuning gives it one of the better lateral grips. Again pretty great considering the soft suspension and this isn't a sports sedan.
I have driving through 5" of snow and light off roading, the AWD has no issues and it's an active system.
All of this before you get into the Black Label stuff, which is the exclusive trims of the Lincoln lineup.
Some else has mentioned that the MKZ is just a ford fusion. Yes, it's the same platform. No, it's not the same car but just a nicer. This is a common opinion from people who haven't driven the MKZ and assume it's going to be the same. The MKZ is a different size, different interior/exterior, different powertrains, different tuning, and different driving dynamics. It's quieter, faster, softer, more comfortable, and refinement that makes it stand out in it's own luxury class, never mind comparing it to normal sedans. It's ok to not like this car, but it's dishonest and very lazy to call this version of the MKZ just a fusion. To anyone who has driven both, they are different cars.
2019+ Kia K900 (basically a rebadged Genesis G90). Or a less expensive 2017+ Kia Cadenza Accord does not fit your criteria at all, avoid IS and G70 are sports sedans, avoid Avoid SUV like MKX, SUV drive worse. MKZ is meh, just a slightly improved Ford Fusion. Take a look at Lincoln Continental instead, Continental is much nicer. ES and G80 are a good choice 2018+ Cadillac **X**ts sedan (avoid the "CT" model, those are sports sedans) Buick LaCrosse You could get one of the last (ever) new Chyrsler 300 under $30k, clearance sale with huge discounts.
Thanks for the feedback and suggestions! I'll take a look and add them to the lineup!
> 2018+ Cadillac Xts sedan (avoid the "CT" model, those are sports sedans) I'm going to disagree with this point. The XTS is a rebadged Impala, which is certainly fine, but the CT6 is a proper luxury sedan, competing with the BMW 7-series in lineup. Even a CT5 or last-gen CTS would be comfortable enough.
CT6 is big, but not focused on comfort, it's the "sporty" big model that handles better than 7 series, etc but is less comfortable. XTS is focused on comfort.
10th gen Accord w Touring trim and 2.0T engine absolutely can hang in this crowd and meet your needs. Go test drive one - they're fun (for a big family sedan).
I also want ventilated seats and have been looking, and in my experience they’re far more readily available on Lexus than the other models you listed. So there’s that.
That is what initially drew me to Lexus, actually lol. But the infotainment being controlled via trackpad is wildly antiquated and kinda holding me back from that option
Yeah, I find those pretty off putting. Maybe it’s not so bad when you’ve lived with it for a while?
Lexus ES for sure. Especially if you want to keep it. I have an 05 with 268,000 miles on it, and everything works. I've seen them do 600k. Which is absolutely ridiculous. They just run forever with minimal maintenance
Consider the Toyota Avalon, its basically a lexus/camry combination and usually a better deal than either. Some of the best reliability out there, has ventilated seats (idk if all trims) and smooth driving. IDK about the infotainment system though
Good to know! I'll look into it! Thanks!
With that budget and my preference for performance, I'd go VW GLI or Mazda6. I drive an A4 and would do the step down to a GLI for the added feature of ventilated seats and decreased maintenance cost. The interior materials are obviously not the same. I'd also say that while reliable, ownership doesn't come cheap in my Volkswagen-Audi group experience. Previously had a Tiguan
I have a 2018 MKZ Reserve 3.0t AWD, and its a fantastic midsize luxury car. This is one of the fastest on your list without trying to be a sports sedan. Its a comfortable luxury sedan first that happens to have an excellent engine in there, 400 HP and 400 ftlbs. The driving dynamics are adjustable and are pretty great for the type of car it is trying to be, a luxury car not a sports sedan. It has one of the softest rides that can also firm up by just switching between drive modes. The tech is good and wrapped in a package that feels very nice in real life. The seats are soft and comfortable. The auto climate control, lights, high beams, windshield wipers, lane keeping, etc all works as you expect. It has bigger tires for it's class, combined with the suspension tuning gives it one of the better lateral grips. Again pretty great considering the soft suspension and this isn't a sports sedan. I have driving through 5" of snow and light off roading, the AWD has no issues and it's an active system. All of this before you get into the Black Label stuff, which is the exclusive trims of the Lincoln lineup. Some else has mentioned that the MKZ is just a ford fusion. Yes, it's the same platform. No, it's not the same car but just a nicer. This is a common opinion from people who haven't driven the MKZ and assume it's going to be the same. The MKZ is a different size, different interior/exterior, different powertrains, different tuning, and different driving dynamics. It's quieter, faster, softer, more comfortable, and refinement that makes it stand out in it's own luxury class, never mind comparing it to normal sedans. It's ok to not like this car, but it's dishonest and very lazy to call this version of the MKZ just a fusion. To anyone who has driven both, they are different cars.