U.S. News Announces the 2013 Best Cars for the Money

12 brands win awards across 21 categories; Ford and Toyota brands have the most winners

On Thursday, February 21, U.S. News & World Report announced the 2013 Best Cars for the Money award winners. The awards cover 21 automotive categories, from compact cars to three-row SUVs. Within each class, the U.S. News methodology identified a single vehicle that provides the best combination of quality and value.

The awards, and the U.S. News Best Cars website, are published by U.S. News & World Report, which has a long history of helping Americans make the best choices when it comes to higher education, healthcare, and other important consumer decisions. More than 27 million people researched vehicles on the website in 2012.

“The award winners show that when it comes to cars, you can have your cake and eat it too,” said Jamie Page Deaton , Managing Editor of U.S. News Best Cars. “There’s a misconception that a car that offers a good value is boring. Our awards show that a car can have good performance, the latest features, plenty of comfort and still be a smart financial choice for the long haul.”

METHODOLOGY

The Best Cars for the Money methodology combines quality and value data into a composite score. Within each of the 21 categories, the vehicle with the highest score is named the Best Car for the Money in that category. Quality is measured by the overall score a vehicle achieved in the U.S. News car rankings at the time the awards are published. The rankings, updated monthly at http://www.usnews.com/cars, compare cars on the basis of safety, reliability and a consensus of industry experts’ opinions. Value is measured by a combination of a vehicle’s five-year total cost of ownership and the average price paid for the vehicle at the time the awards are published, as calculated by TrueCar.com.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE 2013 AWARDS

Ford took home the most awards with six of its models selected as winners: Ford Escape, Ford Taurus, Ford Fusion, Ford Focus, Ford Edge and Ford Fusion Hybrid. This is the second year in a row that Ford has won six of the awards.

The award winners are mixed between foreign and domestic automakers. Import brands took home twelve awards. Five of those twelve awards went to Toyota and its Scion and Lexus brands. American car brands won nine awards, with six of the awards going to Ford and three going to General Motors.

Despite being a reviewer favorite for years, 2013 marks the first time BMW has won a Best Car for the Money award. The BMW X1’s win for Best Luxury Compact SUV for the Money shows that by opting for smaller models, buyers can still get a luxury car experience without sacrificing value.

ABOUT U.S. NEWS BEST CARS

Since 2007, U.S. News Best Cars, the automotive channel of U.S. News & World Report, has published rankings of the majority of new vehicles sold in America. Each year, U.S. News publishes the Best Cars awards, including Best Cars for the Money and Best Cars for Families.