U.S. News Announces the 2017 Best Cars for the Money
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WASHINGTON, DC - February 7, 2017: U.S. News & World Report has announced their version of the 2017 Best Cars for the Money. Covering 20 automotive categories, the awards highlight vehicles that provide consumers with the best combination of quality and value.
Together, Toyota and Lexus took home five awards, while Honda and its luxury brand, Acura, earned four. "Most consumers know to look to Toyota for value and reliability," says Jamie Page Deaton, managing editor of the U.S. News Best Car rankings. "However, these wins show that Toyota and Lexus go beyond the basics and impress reviewers with the performance, comfort and connectivity of their products, while also providing compelling pricing and ownership costs versus the competition."
Kia earned its first awards in five years. The Kia Sorento was named Best 3-Row SUV for the Money, while the Kia Soul won Best Compact Car for the Money. "Kia models tend to have lower starting prices and more standard features than the competition," says Page Deaton. "What may surprise car shoppers, however, is that they also provide high levels of comfort and refinement."
The Chevrolet Colorado, Chevrolet Impala, Nissan Murano and Acura MDX continue to be solid choices for consumers, winning their respective categories for three or more years in a row. The Chrysler Pacifica, the Best Minivan for the Money, and Fiat 124 Spider, the Best Sports Car for the Money, are first-time award winners. This is also the first year that any Chrysler or Fiat model has won a Best Car for the Money award.
The Best Cars for the Money awards will be presented to the winning automakers during press preview days at the Chicago Auto Show, on February 9, 2017.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE 2017 BEST CARS FOR THE MONEY AWARDS
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CATEGORY |
WINNER |
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Compact Cars |
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Sports Cars |
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Midsize Cars |
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Subcompact SUVs |
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Full Size Trucks |
The Best Cars for the Money methodology combines quality and value data into a composite score. Within each of the 20 categories, the vehicle with the highest score is named the Best Car for the Money in that category. Quality is measured by the overall score a vehicle achieved in the U.S. News car rankings at the time the awards are calculated. The rankings, updated regularly, compare cars on the basis of safety, reliability and a consensus of industry experts' opinions. Value is measured by a combination of a vehicle's five-year total cost of ownership provided by Vincentric, LLC and the average price paid for the vehicle at the time the awards are tabulated, as calculated by some other source.
