Great Cars for Every Type of Driver

As part of Kiplinger's annual best list, which rounds up the year's best financial products and services, we selected the top vehicle for eight types of drivers.

There's something here for everyone -- from penny-pinchers to soccer moms to those in search of affordable luxury. Take a look.

All car data comes from Kelley Blue Book and is for 2015 car models unless noted otherwise.

1 of 8

Mazda3

Courtesy of Mazda

Best for...: Wallet watchers

• Sticker price: $17,740
• Invoice price: $17,269
• KBB Fair Purchase Price: $17,074
• Resale value: 3-year: 60%; 5-year: 43%
• MPG: 29 (city); 41 (hwy)

The Mazda3 has upscale features and looks, plus affordable five-year ownership costs that won’t dent your budget.

2 of 8

Honda Accord

Courtesy of Honda

Best for...: Long hauls

• Sticker price: $22,895
• Invoice price: $21,027
• KBB Fair Purchase Price: $22,173
• Resale value: 3-year: 55%; 5-year: 41%
• MPG: 24 (city); 34 (hwy)

Honda has a well-deserved rep for reliability and high resale values, which helped the Accord snag a Kiplinger’s Best in Class award four of the past six years.

3 of 8

Subaru Forester

Courtesy of Subaru

Best for...: Drivers who want to go anywhere

• Sticker price: $23,045
• Invoice price: $21,845
• KBB Fair Purchase Price: $21,908
• Resale value: 3-year: 66%; 5-year: 50%
• MPG: 22 (city); 29 (hwy)

With cap­able (and standard) all-wheel drive, Subaru's Forester will take you on or off road. It has plenty of cargo space and a suite of optional safety features.

4 of 8

Ford Explorer

Courtesy of Ford

Best for...: Soccer moms (and dads)

• Sticker price: $31,595
• Invoice price: $29,830
• KBB Fair Purchase Price: $30,247
• Resale value: 3-year: 55%; 5-year: 39%
• MPG: 17 (city); 24 (hwy)

The Ford Explorer seats up to seven, has 21 cubic feet of space behind the third row and keeps fuel costs low with an optional EcoBoost engine that gets 28 miles per gallon on the highway.

5 of 8

BMW 3 Series

Courtesy of BMW

Best for...: Affordable luxury

• Sticker price: $33,900
• Invoice price: $31,445
• KBB Fair Purchase Price: N/A
• Resale value: N/A
• MPG: 24 (city); 36 (hwy)

The archetype of sports sedans, BMW's 3 series maintains its reputation generation after generation with plenty of power, a composed ride and agile handling.

6 of 8

Tesla Model S

Courtesy of Tesla

Best for...: Drivers who can spend big

• Sticker price: $71,070
• Invoice price: N/A
• KBB Fair Purchase Price: N/A
• Resale value: N/A
• MPG: 94 (city); 97 (hwy) mpg equivalent

European luxury sedans have nothing on Tesla's Model S. Starting at $71,070, the American-made auto matches their power and sleek looks and features an electric power­train that delivers the equivalent of 95 mpg and can go 208 miles between charges.

7 of 8

2010 Lexus RX 350

Courtesy of Lexus

Best for...: Affordable (used) luxury

• Price when new: $38,500
• KBB Used Car Fair Purchase Price: $26,295
• Certified used price: $28,795
• Private party price: $23,644
• MPG: 18 (city); 25 (hwy)

The RX 350 combines elegant pack­aging with a silky smooth ride. It has 10 standard air bags, and you’ll find models with a collision-warning system.

8 of 8

2011 Kia Soul

Courtesy of Kia

Best for...: Your kid

• Price when new: $16,495
• KBB Used Car Fair Purchase Price: $11,800
• Certified used price: $12,400
• Private party price: $9,827
• MPG: 24 (city); 30 (hwy)

With its plethora of amenities and go-kart handling, the Soul+ offers a lot of bang for the buck. Funky looks combine with copious amounts of space.