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

To cut through the confusion, we've culled the field down to three must-see sedans that offer the best combination of performance and value for 2009 -- Honda Accord, Toyota Camry and Chevrolet Malibu.

For a little more than $20,000, you're guaranteed a great family car with front-wheel drive and plenty of room for five adults.

You'll get all of the comfort and convenience features you want -- a five-speed or even six-speed automatic transmission, power windows and door locks, a power-adjustable driver's seat, keyless remote entry and a six-speaker AM/FM/CD sound system.

You'll also get all of the safety features that we think are nonnegotiable -- stability control, advanced antilock brakes and a full array of airbags, including side-impact head-protection curtains spanning both rows of seats.

While most reviews compare midsize sedans with V6 engines, seven out of every 10 buyers order four-cylinder models. So that's how we equipped our choices.

Honda Accord

This is one of the finest midsize cars ever.

From its tough-looking exterior to its nicely refined interior, the 2009 Honda Accord LX-P breathes quality, reliability and comfort.

It's an able performer with a superb ride. Its 177-horsepower, four-cylinder engine is the most powerful you can get in a midsize car, yet with a five-speed automatic, it delivers 21 miles per gallon in the city and 30 m.p.g. on the highway.

The "P" in LX-P stands for "Premium." And "Premium" means 16-inch alloy wheels, power windows -- one-touch for driver and passenger -- with illuminated switches, a driver's seat that power-adjusts eight ways including for lower-back support, an alarm system and a chrome exhaust pipe.

Big in all the right ways, the Accord's interior offers a generous combination of headroom and legroom, front and rear.

By offering virtually no options, Honda makes it sublimely easy to choose an Accord. You pretty much just point and pay. You won't be disappointed spending $23,225 (including destination charges) for an Accord LX-P.

Toyota Camry

If you want to buy a dead-on reliable classic, here it is. And if you never want to think about your car, here it is. Consider that a compliment.

The Camry's ride is plush, its exterior is very nice to look at and its interior is very nice to travel in, especially if you're enjoying the roomy rear seat.

Its 158-h.p., four-cylinder engine and five-speed automatic transmission won't take your breath away. But let's face it, you buy a Camry for quality and reliability, not racetrack-shredding performance. And with fuel economy of 21 m.p.g. in the city and 31 on the highway, who's going to complain?

The Camry is almost iconic in its dependability and the ideal choice for most car buyers in America.

You see, the $22,370 Camry LE acts exactly the way most folks think a car should. It's in no way fussy, and never begs forgiveness for glaring sins because it doesn't have any.

For the price, you get lots of standard features, plus sweet details like lumbar support for the driver, a knee airbag for the driver and electronics that will keep running after you turn off the engine.

When the time comes to say farewell, the resale value can't be beat.

Chevrolet Malibu

The redesigned Malibu that hit showrooms last year is one of the most refreshing surprises to enter the midsize sedan market in several years, and it's one of the best all-around cars General Motors makes.

Nothing like its white-bread forebears, the new Malibu is rich-looking yet styled in a way that says "American car" without a hint of cheesiness.

The Malibu's rakish profile and assertive fenders add real zoom in a segment that's usually a little sleepy.

Inside, the Malibu is all about easy-to-use functionality. The interior parts and overall quality can't measure up to the best Japanese cars, but they're close enough that you'll never feel cheated.

This year, the Malibu got way better with the addition of an available six-speed automatic to back up the standard 2.4-liter, four-cylinder engine. That's one more gear ratio than you get with the Camry and Accord, and the closely spaced ratios allow you to wring the most out of the engine's slightly loud 169 h.p.

The transmission doesn't make the Malibu more fuel efficient in the city. It's still rated at 22 m.p.g. But you'll get 33 m.p.g. on the highway, 3 m.p.g. better than Malibus with the old four-speed automatic.

Indeed, a Malibu with the six-speed transmission gets just 1 m.p.g. less than a hybrid version that costs $900 more, and it will travel farther on a gallon of gas than Camry or Accord.

The Malibu LT with the 2LT package has a sticker price of $25,375. It includes the six-speed transmission and provides some nice comfort and convenience features such as Bluetooth connectivity for your mobile phone, heated seats with a power driver's chair and a leather-wrapped steering wheel.

By Bill Visnic

Interest.com Contributing Editor