The picks below are part of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance’s annual Best List, a roundup of the best values in all the areas we cover — from funds, stocks and ETFs to credit cards and bank accounts to cars, college, kid stuff, phone plans, travel and health. Discover all our Best List picks here.
Best for resale value
The 2016 Toyota Tacoma, starting at $24,240, is the overall resale winner, retaining 70% of its value after three years, says Kelley Blue Book. The Subaru Legacy ($22,540; 45% three-year resale value) is tops in family sedans, and the Toyota Highlander ($31,430; 53%) wins among crossovers.
Best for fuel economy
For family sedans, the Mazda6 ($22,330) wins with a combined city and highway average of 31 miles per gallon. The Honda CR-V ($24,745) beats out other crossovers with a combined 28 mpg, while the BMW i3 BEV ($43,395) bests its electric-vehicle peers with the EV equivalent of a whopping 124 mpg.
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Best for overall value
Kelley Blue Book chose the redesigned Honda Civic as the overall best-value vehicle of 2016, thanks to its efficient new powertrain and low starting price ($19,475). Among electric or hybrid vehicles, the Chevrolet Volt ($33,995), which was redesigned for 2016, tops its class with increased battery range and lower prices. The midsize Honda Pilot ($31,245) and the luxury Lexus RX ($42,850) crossovers topped their categories for value.
See More: Best Values in Used Cars 2016
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