Cars With the Best Overall Value
May 22, 2014
When you find yourself ready to plunk down your hard-earned cash on a new vehicle, the last thing you want to worry about is whether you're getting a good value. You want to be able to bask in the new car owner glow -- not worry that what you just paid for will end up sucking money out of you for years to come.
Consumer Reports has recently put together a list of the cars that have the best overall value -- by factoring in things like reliability, total ownership costs, and depreciation -- and are also offering great incentives to make it an even better deal, with potential savings below MSRP as high as 15%.
The list is broken into three categories. Under small cars, vehicles such as the 2014 Volkswagen Golf 2.5L, 2014 Toyota Corolla S, and 2014 Acura ILX made the list. When it comes to Sedans, Consumer Reports likes the 2014 Toyota Camry LE, 2014 Buick Verano, and 2014 Hyundai Sonata GLS. And for SUVs, the 2014 Toyota Venza, 2014 Ford Flex SEL, and 2014 Chevrolet Traverse 1LT were named.
No matter what car you decide to purchase, make sure to use TrueCar No Haggle, CarsDirect and NADAGuides to see the best deals out there.
Small Cars
| Vehicle | MSRP | Invoice price | Incentive Expiration Date | Potential Savings Below MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 Kia Rio EX | $17,600 | $17,001 | 06/02/14 | 5%+ |
| 2014 Chevrolet Sonic LT | $17,890 | $17,549 | 06/02/14 | 5%+ |
| 2014 Hyundai Elantra SE | $19,010 | $18,582 | 06/02/14 | 5%+ |
| 2014 Toyota Corolla S | $20,510 | $19,734 | 06/02/14 | 5%+ |
| 2014 Volkswagen Golf 2.5L | $20,815 | $20,015 | 06/30/14 | 5%+ |
| 2014 Hyundai Elantra GT | $20,560 | $20,040 | 06/02/14 | 10%+ |
| 2014 Volkswagen Jetta TDI | $25,545 | $24,557 | 06/30/14 | 5%+ |
| 2014 Volkswagen Golf TDI | $26,020 | $25,012 | 06/30/14 | 5%+ |
| 2014 Acura ILX | $27,795 | $26,573 | 07/07/14 | 15%+ |
Sedans
| Vehicle | MSRP | Invoice Price | Incentive Expiration Date | Potential Savings Below MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014.5 Toyota Camry LE | $23,680 | $22,501 | 06/02/14 | 5%+ |
| 2014 Mazda6 Sport | $23,490 | $22,635 | 06/02/14 | 5%+ |
| 2014 Honda Accord LX | $23,545 | $21,828 | 05/12/14 | 10%+ |
| 2014 Hyundai Sonata GLS | $22,260 | $21,565 | 06/02/14 | 15%+ |
| 2014 Volkswagen Passat TDI | $27,495 | $26,402 | 06/30/14 | 10%+ |
| 2014 Acura TSX | $31,530 | $30,030 | 07/07/14 | 10%+ |
| 2014 Buick Verano | $27,825 | $27,287 | 06/02/14 | 5%+ |
| 2014 Kia Optima LX | $22,300 | $21,585 | 06/02/14 | 10%+ |
| 2014 Infiniti Q50 RWD | $38,055 | $35,755 | 05/31/14 | 10%+ |
| 2014 Chevrolet Malibu 1LT | $24,435 | $23,845 | 06/02/14 | 15%+ |
SUVs
| Vehicle | MSRP | Invoice Price | Incentive Expiration Date | Potential Savings Below MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 Toyota Venza LE | $32,080 | $30,258 | 06/02/14 | 5%+ |
| 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2.0T | $33,275 | $31,914 | 06/02/14 | 5%+ |
| 2014 Nissan Murano SL | $37,940 | $35,741 | 06/02/14 | 10%+ |
| 2014 Acura RDX | $36,815 | $34,921 | 07/07/14 | 5%+ |
| 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe GLS | $32,525 | $31,333 | 06/02/14 | 5%+ |
| 2014 Volkswagen Tiguan SEL | $35,815 | $34,418 | 06/30/14 | 5%+ |
| 2014 Chevrolet Traverse 1LT | $36,885 | $35,805 | 06/02/14 | 10%+ |
| 2014 Buick Enclave | $41,815 | $40,588 | 06/02/14 | 10%+ |
| 2014 GMC Acadia SLT1 | $43,465 | $42,189 | 06/02/14 | 5%+ |
| 2014 Ford Flex SEL | $34,745 | $33,263 | 07/07/14 | 10%+ |
My Recommendation for Car Shoppers
TrueCar No-Haggle, CarsDirect, and NADAGuides 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
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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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