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The Best "Bang for Your Buck" Cars
December 26, 2013
If you're looking for value in your next vehicle, then take note -- Consumer Reports has recently released their list of new cars with the best and worst value for the "automotive dollar."
For the second year in a row, the Toyota Prius was named the best overall value due to its combination of performance, reliability and low estimated five-year ownership costs of 47 cents per mile.
On the flipside is the Nissan Armada, which tops this year's worst list due to its low overall gas mileage and reliability, costing car owners $1.20 per miles to own.
All the scores were reportedly calculated based on the five-year ownership cost for each vehicle, plus Consumer Reports' road-test scores and predicated reliability scores.
If you're considering adding any of these top value picks to your garage, make sure to use the free RydeShopper to get the biggest discounts on these vehicles. And be sure to check out TrueCar Pre-Negotiated Prices to compare real prices where you live.
| Category | Best | Worst |
|---|---|---|
| Compact/Subcompact Cars | Toyota Prius Four | Volkswagen Beetle 2.5L |
| Midsized Cars | Subaru Legacy 2.5i Premium | Nissan Altima 3.5 SL |
| Large Cars | Toyota Avalon Hybrid Limited | Ford Taurus Limited |
| Luxury Cars | Lexus ES 300h | BMW 750Li |
| Sports Cars/Convertibles | Mazda MX-5 Miata Grand Touring | Chevrolet Camaro Convertible 2SS (V8) |
| Wagons/Minivans | Mazda5 Grand Touring | Chrysler Town & Country Touring-L |
| Small SUVs | Subaru Forester 2.5i Premium | Ford Escape SE (1.6T) |
| Midsized SUVs | Nissan Murano SL | Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara |
| Luxury/Large SUVs | BMW X1 xDrive28i | Nissan Armada Platinum |
| Pickups | Honda Ridgeline RTS | Ford F-250 Lariat (6.7L V8) |
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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