U.S. News Media Group Names 2009 Best Cars for the Money

Over 200 models evaluated based on U.S. News rankings, IntelliChoice.com cost analysis-

WASHINGTON, December 15, 2008: U.S. News Media Group, one of the nation's leading sources of service journalism and news analysis, today released its first annual Best Cars for the Money awards, available online at US NEWS and featured in the December 29 issue of the magazine, on newsstands December 22, 2008.

The U.S. News Best Cars for the Money awards recognize 14 vehicles that earn the highest marks for overall value and appeal within their respective categories. In determining the award winners, U.S. News has taken its newly released 2009 Car Rankings and combined them with total cost of ownership data provided by IntelliChoice.com.

"The auto industry has clearly been among the hardest hit by the economic downturn, but let's not forget that car buyers are also struggling to make sense of a tumultuous market," said Chad Smolinski, Vice President of Rankings & Reviews for U.S. News. "The Best Cars for the Money list recognizes vehicles that can be the most rewarding for car shoppers - namely those that win the most praise and offer the most compelling overall value."

The U.S. News car rankings provide an unbiased comparison of each vehicle to its competitors, helping shoppers identify the best cars in each category. Rankings are based primarily on the balanced, diverse opinions of hundreds of professional auto critics.

With a 22-year history of providing consumers with reliable information about vehicle costs, IntelliChoice.com measures both the target price that consumers can expect to pay for a vehicle as well as its 5-year total cost of ownership. Combining this data with U.S. News car rankings allows different models to be compared on a very useful metric -- overall appeal for the money.

"Knowing the latest incentives, rebates, fuel costs, and projected resale values is as valuable and necessary as knowing a fair purchase price," said James Bell, Editor of IntelliChoice.com. "Combining this information with editorial rankings provides a strong guidepost for those looking to purchase in today's rapidly changing auto market."

For a complete list of this year's best overall values and the awards methodology, visit

  Subcompact Cars
  Honda Fit

  Compact Cars
  Hyundai Elantra

  Midsize Cars
  Toyota Camry (includes Camry Hybrid)

  Full Size Cars
  Toyota Avalon

  Upscale Cars
  Lexus ES

  Luxury Cars
  Lexus GS (includes GS Hybrid)

  Sports Cars
  Mazda Miata

  Compact Crossovers/SUVs
  Mazda Mazda5

  Midsize Crossovers/SUVs
  Toyota Highlander (includes Highlander Hybrid)

  Luxury Crossovers/SUVs
  Lexus RX (includes RX Hybrid)

  Full Size SUVs
  Chevrolet Tahoe (includes Tahoe Hybrid)

  Minivans
  Toyota Sienna

  Compact Pickups
  Toyota Tacoma

  Full Size Pickups
  Chevrolet Silverado