The U.S. News & World Report “Best Car for the Money Awards 2011″ factors a lot of things into their best car rankings. Car makers realize that value is tops on many consumers’ lists when they are looking to purchase a new car. With money tight and consumers driving their used cars longer than ever before, new cars need to add a lot of value to their lives before consumers decide to make a big purchase. The top car in each category not only is a great car, but also has low ownership costs over a five year period. Cheap car insurance and maintenance costs are taken into effect along with other ownership costs.
Some of the highlights were the Honda Civic for Best Compact Car, the Honda Fit for Best Hatchback, the Ford Taurus for Best Family Sedan, and the Ford Fiesta for Best Subcompact Car. The Kia Sedona was the Best Minivan, the Suzuki Equator was the Best Compact Truck, and the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 was the Best Full Size Truck. In the SUV department, the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport was the Best Compact Crossover, the Chevrolet Traverse was the Best Midsize Crossover, and the Chevrolet Tahoe was the Best Full Size SUV. For the rest of the Best Cars and more detail on the winners, see the full article.
One interesting fact is that Honda and Toyota are being challenged by newer, smaller companies like Kia, Mitsubishi, and Hyundai. The Buick Regal’s win for Best Upscale Sedan was quite an upset for luxury lines like Lexus and BMW. All automakers seem to be adding value to the cars they sell in order to impress consumers. This study took into effect more than just the value added to cars. A State Farm auto quote, or one from another insurer, makes a big difference in the value your car brings. Added costs like car insurance, fuel costs, maintenance costs, and depreciation also make a difference in the value that the car will bring to a consumer.
