The new Mazda6 is a complete redesign, making it one of the largest in the midsize sedan segment.

If the Mazda6 was once overlooked in the swarm of midsize sedans, it won't be anymore. The redesigned 2009 model has dynamic styling and what may be the best-looking backside in the business. In this price range of about $18,000 to $25,000-plus, there are too many choices for most consumers to evaluate them all. The top three sellers are the Honda Accord, Nissan Altima and Toyota Camry.

Like many of the toddlers she grew up around, Debbie Anderson was photographed at the wheel of a pint-size car, her sister and parents standing nearby. “It was a customary family picture,” she said of the occasion more than 50 years ago, explaining that it was an Anderson tradition. “My father and his mother had each been photographed in the car when they were young.”