The Ford Fusion is now my favorite followed closely by the Chevy Impala.  The Fusion is a very sporty looking car and from what I hear it handles great.  What I like about the Impala is the large cabin and great gas mileage.

Crysler CT 300 ---- yea you can buy it for under 20k, if they will locate one for you, seams all they want to sell now is the ones with 15k worth of upgrades.

It is a rather thin field -- domestic sedans under $25k. The Big 3 have been focused largely on other segments, leaving even the newer products to trail import competition in execution, like the Chrysler Sebring.

I agree, the Ford Fusion and its siblings definitely stand out. Nice size, entertaining dynamics, clean execution. Available in AWD is a key distinguishing factor.

The new Malibu looks promising, though my expectations are tempered by experience with the Aura.