Hyundai Sonata Sets Highest Value Index Score Ever
Strategic Vision has released its 14th annual Total Value Index for 2010.
While Volkswagen still retains its top position, Ford has moved up into second position by bumping Honda down - particularly commendable considering that Ford was ranked dead last in the study just eight years ago.
The Hyundai Sonata took the highest Total Value Index score of any vehicle ever tested by Strategic Vision, even amongst luxury badges.
The new sedan won a total of 860 points, prompting the creation of a new Special Value Award category.
The next closest vehicle is the Hyundai Genesis with 852, while the Audi A8 rounds out the top three with 821.
Strategic Vision combines information from a whopping 442 data points in order to rank individual vehicles, and a company's score is created by averaging the verdicts for all of its respective products.
Here are the results for the other segments:
| Small Car | Honda Civic Hybrid | 814 |
| Small Multi-Function | Volkswagen Golf | 790 |
| Mid-Size Car | Ford Fusion | 802 |
| Mid-Size Multi-Function | Subaru Outback | 760 |
| Large Car | Volkswagen CC | 806 |
| Near-Luxury Car | Hyundai Genesis | 852 |
| Luxury Multi-Function | Lincoln MKT | 815 |
| Luxury Car | Audi A8 | 821 |
| Specialty Coupe | MINI Cooper Hatchback | 817 |
| Premium Coupe | Audi TT Coupe | 816 |
| Mid Specialty | Honda Accord Coupe | 781 |
| Convertible | Volkswagen New Beetle Convertible | 814 |
| Premium Convertible/Roadster | Audi A5 Cabriolet | 820 |
| Minivan | Volkswagen Routan | 748 |
| Entry Utility | Hyundai Tucson | 800 |
| Mid-Size Crossover Utility | Ford Flex | 786 |
| Mid-Size Traditional Utility | Toyota 4Runner | 762 |
| Large Utility | GMC Yukon | 747 |
| Luxury Utility | Audi Q7 | 798 |
| Standard Pickup | Honda Ridgeline | 732 |
| Full-Size Pickup | Dodge Ram 1500 | 767 |
| Heavy Duty Pickup | Ford F-250/350 | 698 |
Each week, I'll keep you up-to-date on the latest car deals and news that might affect your purchase. This includes...
- Best Rebates, Incentives, and Lease Deals
- Latest Car Buying Scams and Tricks
- The Best & Worst Time to Buy a Car
- Which Cars You Should Avoid
About The Author
Gregg Fidan is the founder of RealCarTips. After being ripped off on his first car purchase, he devoted several years to figuring out the best ways to avoid scams and negotiate
the best car deals. He has written hundreds of articles on the subject of car buying and taught thousands of car shoppers how to get the best deals.
Latest Weekly Car Buying Tips
February 2026
- Best Car Deals by Category Feb 27, 2026
- Worst Cars to Lease Right Now Feb 27, 2026
- Best Car Deals Around the Country Feb 27, 2026
- Price Comparison of Subcompact SUVs Feb 27, 2026
- Top 100 Cheapest Lease Deals Feb 20, 2026
- New Cars with the Most Available Inventory Feb 20, 2026
- Cars With the Largest Rebates Feb 20, 2026
- Real Prices of Pickup Trucks Feb 20, 2026
- Best Bang for Your Buck Lease Deals Feb 12, 2026
- Best Electric, Hybrid Lease Deals Feb 12, 2026
- Biggest Discounts on New Cars February 2026 Feb 12, 2026
- Real Prices of Large SUVs Feb 12, 2026
- Best 0% Finance Deals February 2026 Feb 05, 2026
- All SUV Lease Deals Compared February 2026 Feb 05, 2026
- Top 100 Cheapest New Cars Right Now Feb 05, 2026
- Real Prices of Midsize SUVs Feb 05, 2026
January 2026
- Real Prices of New Compact SUVs Jan 23, 2026
- Cheapest Luxury Lease Deals Jan 23, 2026
- Real Prices of Midsize Cars Jan 15, 2026
- Real Prices of Compact Cars Jan 09, 2026



