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The design of a complex system such as an automobile consists of the design of many highly complex subsystems. To address this level of complexity, traditionally the designers use a sequential and spiral design process with the goal of achieving a final feasible design that meets all of the competing and, sometimes, conflicting subsystem requirements. This process is highly influenced by designer's subjectivity and may lead to a suboptimal system design. Furthermore, the influence of subsystems on the overall design is reduced as the design progresses sequentially along the design spiral. This paper explores the development and applicability of an alternative Multidisciplinary Design Optimization (MDO) method, utilizing decomposition based optimization schemes. A simplified Synthesis Design Model (SDM) is developed that expresses the marketability of a standard midsize sedan on the U.S market based on fuel efficiency, curb weight and market price.