2012 Volkswagen Passat

Base MSRP $20,590

The new 2012 Passat is no longer a premium-priced model; Volkswagen has made this redesigned model fully competitive in price and features with other high-value models such as the Hyundai Sonata and Kia Optima, and configured it size-wise to directly take on the Honda Accord. VW meanwhile has increased standard feature content and simplified the Passat to just 16 build combinations, all while lowering prices--meaning that if it's simply a well-equipped mid-size sedan you're seeking, the Passat is likely going to look like a great deal. The Passat remains one of the few mid-size sedans to offer the option of a manual transmission and the only non-luxury mid-size to offer a diesel. That TDI model comes with an astonishing 43-mpg EPA highway rating--enough to beat some hybrids.