Shopping for a mid-size sedan can be mind-boggling with 50 different models and prices ranging from $15,000 to more than $30,000.

But we've done a lot of the work for you by finding the best of the bunch. We've honed our choices down to the three we feel offer the most comfort and performance, with an eye price and gas mileage.

Buy one of these and you can't go wrong. For a little more than $25,000 you'll have a great family car with front-wheel drive, a full array of safety and convenience features, V6 engines for quick acceleration and passing, and plenty of room for five adults and their luggage.

Toyota Camry

Long synonymous with quality and reliability, the 2007 Camry features an exquisitely crafted and well-appointed interior that you'd expect to find on a luxury car, and a near-silent, comfortable ride.

You can't ask for a safer car. The Camry includes everything from antilock brakes and a system to monitor tire pressure to seven airbags, including a knee airbag for the driver, which you won't find in any other mid-size car.

Its new look may strike some as quirky. And if you like spirited driving, the Camry might disappoint. It's designed to cocoon the driver from the outside world, not roar away from stoplights or whip around corners.

But this is a car that should be on everyone's shopping list. It's the standard by which all mid-size sedans should be judged.

We think you'd be well-served with a Camry SE, the 268-horsepower V6 and six-speed automatic transmission. You'll get an impressive 22 miles per gallon in the city and 31 m.p.g. on the highway, only a few miles per gallon less than mid-size sedans with less powerful four-cylinder engines.

Choose "Option Package B," which adds traction and stability control for $849 and the total sticker price will be $26,284, including destination charges.

Honda Accord

The Accord is no sports car, but it's more fun to drive than the Camry. Although its appearance may strike some as bland, we like its clean, uncluttered look, inside and out, with simple, intuitive controls.

Honda has a solid reputation for quality and reliability that ensures a high resale value when you trade it in. The engines are smooth, refined and powerful. The steering feels precise, giving the driver good control. It's all-around easy to live with.

We chose the Honda EX-L, which includes most of the features we liked most in the Camry. The Honda EX-L comes with a five-speed automatic transmission and a little less horsepower (244), but you benefit by getting even better mileage: 26 m.p.g. in the city and 34 m.p.g. on the highway.

Because the Honda EX-L comes with all the most-wanted amenities and safety features, including stability and traction control, the only extra charge is a destination fee, bringing the price to $27,995.

Saturn Aura

The all-new 2007 Aura is the snazziest Saturn you've ever seen. Its exterior design is handsome with a European flair. That, in and of itself, sets it apart in the class since the only Europeans in the segment are from Volkswagen.

The interior is contemporary, using different materials from other mid-size cars. The seats and trim feature textured leather unlike any vehicle sold in the U.S. It resembles leather used on expensive furniture to give it a classy look.

Recently named the North American Car of the Year, it scored four "excellent" ratings and one "good" on crash tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Anti-lock brakes, stability control and a full compliment of airbags are all standard.

We recommend the high end Aura XR, which comes with a 252-h.p. V6 and six-speed transmission that deliver plenty of oomph. While it gets the worst gas mileage of our picks -- only 20 m.p.g. in the city and 28 m.p.g. on the highway -- it's also the most affordable, costing just $24,995.

By Michelle Krebs

Interest.com Contributing Editor

And Carolyn Siegel

Interest.com Associate Editor

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