The Toyota Prius is the best value for your dollar, according to Consumer Reports, taking over the No. 1 spot from the the Honda Fit hatchback, which has held the honor for the past 4 years.
“There are plenty of less expensive cars,” said Consumer Reports in a post on its website. “But they can’t match the Prius for its comfortable ride, competent handling, roomy interior, excellent reliability, and, of course, its great fuel economy.”
Consumer Reports evaluated more than 200 cars and determined the Best Value vehicle by weighing cost, benefit and risk. The cars that were determined to be the best values had a low cost of operation, good reliability and good performance in testing.
The publication noted in its study that a less expensive car does not necessarily make it a good value, which is why the Prius, which starts at $24,200, beat out the many cars that have lower MSRPs.
“The Nissan Versa sedan … is one of the least expensive cars on the market. Yet it had a mediocre score in our tests and is not reliable,” Consumer Reports noted. “So despite its low price, it’s not worth the money.”
Consumer Reports admitted that the Prius isn’t going to get your adrenaline pumping, but overall, it’s a very smart buy.
“The Prius may not be the most exciting vehicle to drive, nor the cheapest to purchase, but it’s extremely reliable, roomy, rides well, gets great fuel economy, and is inexpensive to operate,” said Rik Paul, the publication’s automotive editor, in a statement.
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There are some car buyers who want to get a vehicle and drive it until the wheels fall off– literally. And some vehicles have reputation for being ready for the long haul.
R.L. Polk has already reported that the average age of a vehicle on the road today is 11 years old. At an estimated 12,000 miles a year that means the average car is approaching 150,000 on its odometer. But as the quality of vehicle manufacturing continues to improve, and car owners push their vehicles’ limits, we are betting that more nameplates are going to be able to go farther than ever before.
Here are our Top 10 picks fornew cars we think you’ll still see running after 300,000 miles if you take the plunge on them this year and do all your scheduled maintenance.
MSRP: $22,590 – $47,420
Invoice: $21,202 – $43,487
Fuel Economy: 18 mpg City, 25 mpg Highway
With the all newRam rolling into dealerships, we expect to see this truck around for a long time. The Pentastar V6 has become the heart and soul for Chrysler Group LLC and putting it under the hood.
The Ram has gotten tougher through the years, and we expect this newest model to be around for the long haul, especially since Ram continues to reach more small businesses that need a pickup.
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MSRP: $21,500 – $30,080
Invoice: $20,114 – $27,492
Fuel Economy: 27 mpg City, 38 mpg Highway
TheNissan Altima used to be a sleeper model in the biggest segment of midsize cars. It had an exciting exterior, a drab interior and solid performance. Key characteristics, but nothing inspiring.
But the newest version of the Altima is the complete package. It gets 38 mpg on the highway, has lots of high tech features and a venerable 2.5-liter four cylinder engine and a continusly variable transmission that continues to show improvement. This car, no doubt, is going to be on the road a long time.
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MSRP: $15,345 – $20,595
Invoice: $14,918 – $19,727
Fuel Economy: 29 mpg City, 40 mpg Highway
What’s not to like about the Hyundai Elantra? It’s stylish and affordable and comes with a 10 year, 100,000 mile warranty, simply the best in the business. But we expect the Elantra’s powertrain to last a lot longer as the Korean-based car maker continues to prove that it belongs with America’s best vehicle makers.
Furthermore, the Elantra’s design holds up as well as its durable four cylinder engine and six-speed transmission. Additionally, the Elantra offers a number of different body styles ranging from the coupe to its sporty GT model — broadening its appeal down the road.
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MSRP: $15,755 – $26,305
Invoice: $14,661 – $24,943
Fuel Economy: 28 mpg City, 36 mpg Highway
Perhaps the ultimate commuter car, theCivic has a well deserved reputation for longevity and reliability. It’s so likely to be passed down from generation to generation, Honda should consider having an Hierloom model.
The 1.8-liter I4 under the hood may only produce 140 horsepower, but it just seems to keep on chugging along hitting 28 mpg city and 36 mpg highway.
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MSRP: $22,595 – $42,440
Invoice: $21,691 – $39,469
Fuel Economy: 15 mpg City, 20 mpg Highway
There’s a reasonChevy has been touting its durability of its pickup trucks in recent commercials — they’re that good.
It doesn’t matter what configuration you pick or what engine you put under the hood, the Silverado just keeps running and running.
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MSRP: $15,995 – $19,995
Invoice: $15,974 – $19,550
Fuel Economy: 25 mpg City, 36 mpg Highway
The first true combination of Fiat’s small car expertise and Chrysler’s design prowess, theDodge Dart arrived this summer and we hope it has a long run as Chrysler’s premiere compact car.
Able to get up to 40 mpg on the highway, the Dart features three engine choices, including the 1.4-liter TigerShark MultiAir four cylinder version. It also features construction ready to take on mile after mile.
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MSRP: $23,670 – $52,455
Invoice: $21,953 – $47,605
Fuel Economy: 17 mpg City, 23 mpg Highway
The F-Series is the best selling vehicle in America for a reason. And with 3.5-liter turbocharged V6, affectionately known as EcoBoost, this fullsize truck is likely to remain at the top.
In a world where sometimes only a truck can do the job, theF-150 almost always gets the job done.
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MSRP: $22,055 – $30,115
Invoice: $20,181 – $27,404
Fuel Economy: 25 mpg City, 35 mpg Highway
The venerableCamry underwent a makeover for the 2012 model year and has been at the top of the sales chart since.
Powered by a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, the Camry has earned a record for reliability. According to Toyota, 80 percent of the Camrys sold in the last 20 years are still on the road today.
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MSRP: $22,990
Invoice: $22,071
Fuel Economy: 30 mpg City, 42 mpg Highway
Diesels have long had a reputation for durability. But they also had a bad rap for bad pickup and poor performance.
That’s certainly no longer the case, and the most popular diesel car in America is the Jetta TDI. Offering lots of torque and 42 mpg on the highway, the Jetta TDI is likely to carry its first owner 300,000 miles, if not more.
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MSRP: $21,680 – $33,430
Invoice: $19,849 – $30,567
Fuel Economy: 24 mpg City, 34 mpg Highway
Thenew Accord is turning lots of heads with its high tech features and improved ride. Perhaps the ultimate family sedan with either a four or six-cylinder engine mated to a six-speed transmission, helping the Accord achieve up to 34 mpg on the highway.
While Honda has recently undergone a lull in design, no one has ever questioned the brand’s reliability. The Accord points to a new look and once again raises consumer expectations even more.
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