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 |
My Recommendation for Car Shoppers
TrueCar No-Haggle, CarsDirect, and Ryde Shopper are the quickest way to see the lowest car prices in your area. These sites show you no-haggle prices from dealers closest to you - and the deals are usually really good. This should be the first step you take when negotiating your car price. Follow this up with my checklist to make sure you squeeze out every last bit of savings.- Gregg Fidan
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
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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.
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