WASHINGTON, D.C. — Last month at the 2015 Washington Auto Show, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance unveiled its annual Best Value Awards for cars: a comprehensive review of hundreds of vehicles that reveals the best values on the newest models.

The annual buyer’s guide, “Deals on New Wheels,” appears in the March issue, available on newsstands February 10 and online January 22. Additionally, web visitors can use the Car Finder tool to select from the thousands of cars in the Kiplinger database.

The report finds plenty of good news for car buyers: The lowest gas prices since the Great Recession, rock-bottom interest rates and an improving economy are fueling a boom in new-car sales. Encouraged by the record sales and aiming for ever smaller niches, automakers are carving out new categories, such as subcompact crossovers, four-door coupes and reimagined hatchbacks. And with gas prices so low, Americans feel free to go big. Trucks and SUVs account for nearly half of recent sales.

Kiplinger’s buyer’s guide sorts the 2015 models by price and category and ranks them for performance, safety and value. In addition to Best-in-Class and Best New/Redesigned models, Kiplinger’s also names the Most Fuel-Efficient and Best Resale Value winners in each category.

Online visitors will be able to sort 2,000+ new cars by a variety of key cost and performance data, including price, service costs, resale value, MPG, horsepower, and more. And this year, Kiplinger is introducing the new Car Finder tool, allowing users to filter for the cars that meet their criteria, including manufacturer, type of car, price range, fuel efficiency, cargo space and more.

Below are Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Top Picks for 2015:

Cars Under $20,000

  • Best New/Redesigned Car: Honda Fit
  • Best-in-Class: Mazda3

Cars $20,000-$25,000

  • Best New/Redesigned Car: Volkswagen Golf TDI
  • Best-in-Class:Ford Fusion

Cars $25,000-$30,000

  • Best New/Redesigned Car: Subaru Legacy
  • Best-in-Class:Volkswagen Passat TDI

Cars $30,000-$40,000

  • Best New/Redesigned Car: Toyota Camry V6
  • Best-in-Class:Honda Accord V6 sedan

Cars $40,000-$50,000

  • Best New/Redesigned Car: Acura TLX
  • Best-in-Class: BMW 3 series sedan

Cars $50,000 and Over

  • Best New/Redesigned Car: Hyundai Genesis sedan
  • Best-in-Class:Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedan

Sports Cars

  • Best New/Redesigned Car: Ford Mustang
  • Best-in-Class:Chevrolet Corvette

Wagons

  • Best New/Redesigned Wagon: Subaru Outback
  • Best-in-Class: Toyota Prius v

Minivans

  • Best New/Redesigned Minivan: Kia Sedona
  • Best-in-Class: Honda Odyssey

Small Crossovers

  • Best New/Redesigned Crossover: Lincoln MKC
  • Best-in-Class:Subaru Forester

Midsize Crossovers

  • Best New/Redesigned Crossover: Nissan Murano
  • Best-in-Class:Jeep Grand Cherokee

Large Crossovers

  • Best-in-Class: Ford Explorer

Truck-based SUVs

  • Best New/Redesigned SUV and Best-in-Class: Chevrolet Tahoe

Midsize Trucks

  • Best New/Redesigned Truck and Best-in-Class: Chevrolet Colorado

Full-size Trucks

  • Best New/Redesigned Truck: Ford F-150Best-in-Class:Chevrolet Silverado
0 Comments