13 Best in Class Car Values, 2014

Kiplinger's Best Value Award winners for Best in Class are tops in our 13 categories.

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Kiplinger's Best Value Award winners for Best in Class are tops in our 13 categories. There's something here for every buyer and every budget.

The rankings are based on value factors (such as fuel economy and resale values), performance and safety, as well as driving impressions from our own road tests. Vehicles must have a track record of at least one year or, for vehicles that received a face-lift, have powertrains substantially the same as the previous generation.

Among the 13 honorees are one electric vehicle and three diesel models, reflecting the wider selection of powertrains now available from all carmakers.

Several of our winners have been named Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick + by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The criteria this year for a Top Safety Pick includes a good or acceptable rating in all crash tests the Institute conducts. If the vehicle is equipped with a front crash prevention system as well, it receives a Top Safety Pick +.

Disclaimer

Because of the increase in crossover models, this year we split the large and midsize crossovers into separate categories. SOURCES: Kelley Blue Book (new vehicle data & ownership costs); Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (Top Safety Pick).

KELLEY BLUE BOOK FAIR PURCHASE PRICE: The Kelley Blue Book® Fair Purchase Price for new cars is generally the midpoint of the Fair Market Range. It is Kelley Blue Book's estimate of what a consumer could reasonably expect to pay in during the period between December 19, 2014 through January 15, 2015 for a new vehicle with standard options, excluding taxes, title and fees. It's based on actual new-car transactions, plus data from other reliable third-party sources as well as market conditions.

MSRP: The MSRP, or Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price, is the price set by the manufacturer and does not necessarily reflect the price actually paid by consumers in your area. The MSRP shown here includes destination and freight charges but excludes services and handling fees and state and local tax, title and license fees.

INVOICE PRICE: Dealer invoice represents the dealer’s cost for the vehicle only and doesn’t include any of the dealer’s costs for advertising, selling, preparing, displaying or financing the vehicle. ©2015 by Kelley Blue Book Co, Inc., ©2014, 12/19/14 – 1/15/15 Base Edition. All rights reserved. Kelley Blue Book assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions.

Jessica L. Anderson
Associate Editor, Kiplinger's Personal Finance
Anderson has been with Kiplinger since January 2004, when she joined the staff as a reporter. Since then, she's covered the gamut of personal finance issues—from mortgages and credit to spending wisely—and she heads up Kiplinger's annual automotive rankings. She holds a BA in journalism and mass communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She was the 2012 president of the Washington Automotive Press Association and serves on its board of directors. In 2014, she was selected for the North American Car and Truck Of the Year jury. The awards, presented at the Detroit Auto Show, have come to be regarded as the most prestigious of their kind in the U.S. because they involve no commercial tie-ins. The jury is composed of nationally recognized journalists from across the U.S. and Canada, who are selected on the basis of audience reach, experience, expertise, product knowledge, and reputation in the automotive community.