New sports sedans offer practical, but fun ride

If you're in the market for a practical car, but are looking for something a bit more fun than a regular four-door, a sport sedan may be just for you!

It's hard not to notice the 2016 Nissan Maxima, one of the bolder designs to come out this year. Strongly styled body panels create a flowing shape. The aggressive styling continues inside, with colors and textures that suggest a high-end luxury car.

The Maxima is high-end for a sedan and actually falls more into the category of sport sedan. It offers a little more sizzle and performance than the average four-door.

A V6 engine has always been a staple of the Maxima, and this new one not only puts out an impressive 300 horsepower, but is paired to a continuously variable transmission to offer impressive fuel economy numbers -- 22 city mpg and 30 highway mpg.

Not bad for a sport sedan with lots of room inside.

Chevrolet's got a sport sedan of its own, but styling is definitely on the mild side. The SS (that's its simple name) prefers to be bold under the hood in the form of a 6.2 liter V8.

The SS isn't new, but this option is: a manual transmission. Enthusiasts cried out for it and General Motors listened. You can still get an automatic.

Also new this year is magnetic ride control suspension that makes for both a comfortable ride and crisp handling.

Compared to the more popular family sedans, the Mazda 6 sells in much fewer numbers, but it's often the preferred choice of driving enthusiasts, so can be considered a sport sedan among its competitors.

You can still shift your own gears if you like. Even though the manual transmission's days may be numbered in cars like this, Mazda is sticking with it to drive home the point of driving fun.

Check out the 19-inch wheels on a touring trim model. The Mazda 6 isn't especially powerful, but it can get around corners quite nicely.

Getting around, with a bit of style and some fun if you want to have it, that's what separates a sport sedan from other sedans. For many buyers, the sport part is the best part.