David Z
2008-12-26 13:48:06 UTC
http://autos.yahoo.com/articles/autos_content_landing_pages/784/best-cars-for-the-money/
Best Cars for the Money
By Jamie Page Deaton
US News & World Report
The numbers don't look good. November car sales were down 30 percent from
last year. While shoppers are used to doom and gloom sales numbers coming
out of Detroit, the declines are now industry-wide, with Honda posting a 32
percent decline, Toyota sales dropping 34 percent, and even venerable
Porsche reporting a nearly 50 percent drop in sales.
While these numbers obviously spell trouble for automakers, what they mean
for car shoppers isn't immediately clear. The credit crisis has continued
for months and with belt-tightening becoming the new American pastime, car
shoppers are finding themselves adrift in a sea of bad industry news, rising
new car incentives, and little advice for consumers.
That's where this year's U.S. News Best Car for the Money awards come in.
Car shoppers face an uncertain economy and a shrinking ability to borrow.
The key to surviving the current marketplace is to stretch your dollars as
far as they'll go -- but that doesn't mean flocking to the biggest
incentives. It means focusing on cars that are proven winners and offer a
great value over the entire life of the car.
The Awards
The Best Car for the Money awards use data from U.S. News' online automotive
rankings (at www.rankingsandreviews.com) to find cars that are among the
best in their class. The rankings are based on the collective opinion of the
automotive press, which helps to eliminate subjectivity and elevate expert
opinion about each car. The awards also take initial price into account, but
more importantly, they incorporate the five-year total cost of owning the
car. Using data from IntelliChoice, an industry leader in determining new
car values and ownership costs, the awards include how much buyers can
expect to spend on maintenance and fuel, as well as how much of a hit
they'll take from the car's depreciation. As a result, the awards tell you
which cars are the best for your money over the long haul. Read more on the
awards methodology.
The Winners
Across 14 new car classes, the clear winner is Toyota. Five Toyotas won Best
Car for the Money in their classes, with Lexus, Toyota's luxury marquee,
pulling in another three. Chevrolet and Mazda each claim two awards and
Honda and Korean upstart Hyundai each claim one. Five of the award winners
are even available as hybrids - most of which are also great values.
Despite ranging in size from the tiny Honda Fit to the hulking Chevrolet
Tahoe, the winners have a lot in common. They share a high level of build
quality that makes for worry-free and low-cost ownership. One of the reasons
Toyota models take so many of the awards is because of their bulletproof
quality. That not only lowers the cost of maintaining Toyotas -- it means
that they retain value better than most other cars.
The winners have something else in common: they are favorites in the
automotive press. Not because they tear up drag strips or star in music
videos, but because they are extremely livable. Each winner occupies an
automotive sweet spot that makes it an attractive choice for the vast
majority of car shoppers. Take the Lexus ES, the Best Upscale Car for the
Money: it doesn't drive as sharp as the BMW 3-Series and doesn't look as
sharp as the Mercedes Benz C-Class, but taken as a total package, it's very
comfortable to drive and easy to live with on a daily basis -- not to
mention easier on your wallet.
Some winners, like the Mazda5, the Best Compact Crossover for the Money,
take the best of what class leaders like the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V have
to offer, but pack in an appealing lower price. The case of the Hyundai
Elantra, the Best Compact Car for the Money, proves what many have been
saying for years: Honda and Toyota should watch their backs because Hyundai
is making not just economical cars, but very good ones.
Time to Buy
It's a confusing time to be shopping for a new car. While there are some
incredible deals to be had, many of those incentives are for cars that don't
offer a lot of value in the long term. Worse, a car with thousands of
dollars in cash-back offers may be tough to drive, and laden with features
you don't need.
The U.S. News Best Car for the Money awards cut through fog surrounding the
auto industry to point out the cars that combine value with day-to-day
livability. As scary as it is to part with thousands of dollars in this
economy, by sticking with the cars that offer maximum satisfaction at a
minimal cost, your money will go further and your driving will be happier.
And, who knows? Happy new car buyers may be just the stimulus this economy
needs.
2009 Award Winners
Toyota Camry
Best Midsize Car for the Money
Honda Fit
Best Subcompact Car for the Money
Mazda Mazda5
Best Compact Crossover for the Money
Hyundai Elantra
Best Compact Car for the Money
Toyota Highlander
Best Midsize Crossover for the Money
Lexus RX
Best Luxury Crossover for the Money
Chevrolet Tahoe
Best Full Size SUV for the Money
Mazda Miata
Best Sports Car for the Money
Lexus GS
Best Luxury Car for the Money
Toyota Tacoma
Best Compact Truck for the Money
Chevy Silverado
Best Full Size Truck for the Money
Toyota Sienna
Best Minivan for the Money
Toyota Avalon
Best Large Car for the Money
Lexus ES
Best Upscale Car for the Money
Best Cars for the Money
By Jamie Page Deaton
US News & World Report
The numbers don't look good. November car sales were down 30 percent from
last year. While shoppers are used to doom and gloom sales numbers coming
out of Detroit, the declines are now industry-wide, with Honda posting a 32
percent decline, Toyota sales dropping 34 percent, and even venerable
Porsche reporting a nearly 50 percent drop in sales.
While these numbers obviously spell trouble for automakers, what they mean
for car shoppers isn't immediately clear. The credit crisis has continued
for months and with belt-tightening becoming the new American pastime, car
shoppers are finding themselves adrift in a sea of bad industry news, rising
new car incentives, and little advice for consumers.
That's where this year's U.S. News Best Car for the Money awards come in.
Car shoppers face an uncertain economy and a shrinking ability to borrow.
The key to surviving the current marketplace is to stretch your dollars as
far as they'll go -- but that doesn't mean flocking to the biggest
incentives. It means focusing on cars that are proven winners and offer a
great value over the entire life of the car.
The Awards
The Best Car for the Money awards use data from U.S. News' online automotive
rankings (at www.rankingsandreviews.com) to find cars that are among the
best in their class. The rankings are based on the collective opinion of the
automotive press, which helps to eliminate subjectivity and elevate expert
opinion about each car. The awards also take initial price into account, but
more importantly, they incorporate the five-year total cost of owning the
car. Using data from IntelliChoice, an industry leader in determining new
car values and ownership costs, the awards include how much buyers can
expect to spend on maintenance and fuel, as well as how much of a hit
they'll take from the car's depreciation. As a result, the awards tell you
which cars are the best for your money over the long haul. Read more on the
awards methodology.
The Winners
Across 14 new car classes, the clear winner is Toyota. Five Toyotas won Best
Car for the Money in their classes, with Lexus, Toyota's luxury marquee,
pulling in another three. Chevrolet and Mazda each claim two awards and
Honda and Korean upstart Hyundai each claim one. Five of the award winners
are even available as hybrids - most of which are also great values.
Despite ranging in size from the tiny Honda Fit to the hulking Chevrolet
Tahoe, the winners have a lot in common. They share a high level of build
quality that makes for worry-free and low-cost ownership. One of the reasons
Toyota models take so many of the awards is because of their bulletproof
quality. That not only lowers the cost of maintaining Toyotas -- it means
that they retain value better than most other cars.
The winners have something else in common: they are favorites in the
automotive press. Not because they tear up drag strips or star in music
videos, but because they are extremely livable. Each winner occupies an
automotive sweet spot that makes it an attractive choice for the vast
majority of car shoppers. Take the Lexus ES, the Best Upscale Car for the
Money: it doesn't drive as sharp as the BMW 3-Series and doesn't look as
sharp as the Mercedes Benz C-Class, but taken as a total package, it's very
comfortable to drive and easy to live with on a daily basis -- not to
mention easier on your wallet.
Some winners, like the Mazda5, the Best Compact Crossover for the Money,
take the best of what class leaders like the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V have
to offer, but pack in an appealing lower price. The case of the Hyundai
Elantra, the Best Compact Car for the Money, proves what many have been
saying for years: Honda and Toyota should watch their backs because Hyundai
is making not just economical cars, but very good ones.
Time to Buy
It's a confusing time to be shopping for a new car. While there are some
incredible deals to be had, many of those incentives are for cars that don't
offer a lot of value in the long term. Worse, a car with thousands of
dollars in cash-back offers may be tough to drive, and laden with features
you don't need.
The U.S. News Best Car for the Money awards cut through fog surrounding the
auto industry to point out the cars that combine value with day-to-day
livability. As scary as it is to part with thousands of dollars in this
economy, by sticking with the cars that offer maximum satisfaction at a
minimal cost, your money will go further and your driving will be happier.
And, who knows? Happy new car buyers may be just the stimulus this economy
needs.
2009 Award Winners
Toyota Camry
Best Midsize Car for the Money
Honda Fit
Best Subcompact Car for the Money
Mazda Mazda5
Best Compact Crossover for the Money
Hyundai Elantra
Best Compact Car for the Money
Toyota Highlander
Best Midsize Crossover for the Money
Lexus RX
Best Luxury Crossover for the Money
Chevrolet Tahoe
Best Full Size SUV for the Money
Mazda Miata
Best Sports Car for the Money
Lexus GS
Best Luxury Car for the Money
Toyota Tacoma
Best Compact Truck for the Money
Chevy Silverado
Best Full Size Truck for the Money
Toyota Sienna
Best Minivan for the Money
Toyota Avalon
Best Large Car for the Money
Lexus ES
Best Upscale Car for the Money