Amid all the industry turmoil, it’s easy to forget about the spark that drives the car industry: consumers. After being battered with enough industry news to drown even the most perceptive analyst, car shoppers are still left with one question: which car should I buy?
Editor’s Note: Since announcing the 2010 awards, two winners – the Toyota Sequoia and Camry – have been recalled for a serious safety concern. It remains to be seen what impact the problem will have on resale values and maintenance costs on a long-term basis for these and other Toyota models. For more information, including what the recall means for our rankings, and what you should do if you own one of the affected vehicles, visit our Toyota Recall page.
The Awards
Especially now, it’s all about value. U.S. News created the Best Car for the Money awards to identify the cars that should make anyone’s short list. The awards highlight cars, trucks and SUVs that will not only please their owners the day they drive off the dealer lot, but will keep them – and their wallets – happy for years to come.
The awards are based on U.S. News’ automotive rankings (at www.usnews.com/cars) and estimated five-year cost of ownership from IntelliChoice. Combining the rankings with real-world costs helps to identify cars that are loved by of the majority of car reviewers and that provide good long-term value.
The Winners
Across 23 award categories, roughly a quarter of the award winners come from Toyota or Lexus, Toyota’s luxury division. As you might expect, Toyota wins the Hybrid Car category, with the Prius, and Lexus wins the Hybrid SUV category with the RX Hybrid. However, not all Toyota award winners are so green: the Toyota Sequoia, Land Cruiser and FJ Cruiser also each take awards.
There are other surprises. In the compact and subcompact car classes, where you might expect Honda to dominate, the winners are the Nissan Versa and the Hyundai Elantra. Hyundai is also a spoiler with the Genesis, which beat out entries from BMW, Lexus and Infiniti to win Best Upscale Midsize Car for the Money.
As has been the case all year, the performance of domestic car companies varies. Chrysler didn’t manage to win any awards, and while General Motors won two last year, this year they only took home the Best Luxury Sports Car for the Money Award, for the Chevrolet Corvette. Ford, who didn’t have any U.S. News Awards in 2009, wins the family sedan class with the new Ford Taurus. The Ford F-150, a perennial best-seller, wins the Best Full-Size Truck for the Money.
What You Need to Know
The award winners range from tiny subcompacts to hulking trucks, fuel-sipping hybrids to gas guzzling SUVs. As different as they all are, they also have something in common: each offers a combination of day-to-day livability and value when compared to other cars in its class. While some of the winners may not set car enthusiasts’ hearts racing, they showcase a blend of features that appeals to the majority of shoppers. Sure, there may be cars that offer more style, more cachet, or better 0-to-60 times, but the Best Car for the Money awards honor cars that aren’t just good at one thing – they are good at many.
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