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The 16 Best "Bang for Your Buck" Vehicles
May 24, 2012
USAA, an auto insurance provider, set out to determine which vehicles offer the best value when it comes to costs, safety, and reliability.
Using a proprietary algorithm, they chose vehicles with low purchase prices compared to others in its class, low ownership costs including insurance and fuel, high safety ratings, and good reliability.
The result is a list of 80 vehicles that made it on the USAA Preferred list. 16 of these vehicles have been labeled "Best Value" in their class (highlighted in yellow).
Use the list as a guide to determine which vehicles you should consider purchasing within each class, and use the free RydeShopper to see the lowest prices being offered by your local dealers.
| Segment | Vehicle |
|---|---|
| Sport | 2012 Ford Mustang |
| Coupe | 2012 Honda CR-Z Hybrid |
| 2012 Chrysler 200 | |
| 2012 Scion tC | |
| 2012 Kia Forte Koup | |
| 2012 Toyota Yaris | |
| Large Sedan | 2012 Dodge Charger |
| 2012 Chevrolet Impala | |
| 2012 Ford Taurus | |
| Midsize Sedan | 2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid |
| 2012 Dodge Avenger | |
| 2012 Kia Optima hybrid | |
| 2012 Kia Optima | |
| 2012 Subaru Legacy | |
| 2012 Hyundai Sonata | |
| 2012 Nissan Altima | |
| 2012 Chrysler 200 | |
| 2012 Ford Fusion | |
| Small Sedan | 2012 Hyundai Elantra |
| 2012 Chevrolet Cruze | |
| 2012 Hyundai Accent | |
| 2012 Chevrolet Sonic | |
| 2012 Kia Forte | |
| 2012 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback | |
| 2012 Nissan Sentra | |
| 2012 Honda Civic Sedan | |
| Large Luxury | 2012 Hyundai Genesis |
| 2012 Hyundai Genesis Coupe | |
| 2012 Volvo S80 | |
| 2012 Cadillac CTS–V Sedan | |
| 2012 Cadillac CTS–V Wagon | |
| 2012 Audi A6 | |
| 2012 Cadillac CTS Sedan | |
| 2012 Volvo C70 | |
| 2012 Lincoln MKS | |
| Midsize Luxury | 2012 Volvo S60 |
| 2012 Audi A4 | |
| 2012 Lexus IS 350 | |
| 2012 Acura TL | |
| 2012 Lincoln MKZ | |
| 2012 Lexus IS 350C | |
| 2012 Lexus IS 250 | |
| Wagon | 2012 Nissan JUKE |
| 2012 Nissan cube | |
| 2012 Kia Soul | |
| 2012 Honda Fit | |
| 2012 Scion xD | |
| 2012 Scion xB | |
| 2012 Kia Forte 5–Door | |
| 2012 Subaru Impreza Wagon | |
| Large Luxury SUV | 2012 Audi Q7 |
| 2012 Mercedes-Benz R-Class | |
| Midsize Luxury SUV | 2012 Lexus RX 450h |
| 2012 BMW X3 | |
| 2012 Infiniti EX35 | |
| 2012 Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class | |
| 2012 Volvo XC60 | |
| 2012 Lexus RX 350 | |
| 2012 Acura RDX | |
| 2012 Audi Q5 | |
| Large SUV | 2012 Chevrolet Traverse |
| Midsize SUV | 2012 Dodge Journey |
| 2012 Toyota FJ Cruiser | |
| 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe | |
| 2012 Ford Explorer | |
| 2012 Toyota Highlander Hybrid | |
| 2012 Subaru Tribeca | |
| 2012 Chevrolet Equinox | |
| Small SUV | 2012 Kia Sportage |
| 2012 Mitsubishi Outlander | |
| 2012 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport | |
| 2012 Kia Sorento | |
| Minivan | 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan |
| 2012 Kia Sedona |
3 Steps Every Car Buyer Needs to Take to Save Maximum Money
The key to getting the best deal is to gather price or lease bids from as many local dealers as possible. Then shop that best price around until no one can beat it. Here are the steps:Step 1 Get Prices From My Trusted Network
Select the vehicle you're interested in to see if there are local dealers in my network who will provide you with their best upfront price. You will get direct access to an internet sales manager who you can further negotiate with online (no need to visit dealership).Select Vehicle to Get Local Pricing
Step 2 Get Prices From TrueCar / CarsDirect
TrueCar, and CarsDirect are my top 2 online price quote recommendations. These services show you pre-negotiated prices from dealers closest to you - and the deals are usually pretty decent. But remember, you can still negotiate further.Step 3 Complete my Checklist
Follow this up with my checklist to make sure you squeeze out every last bit of savings.- Gregg Fidan
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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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