Best values
Small cars and family cars provide the most bang for the buck
A low purchase price doesn’t mean that a car is a good value. When comparing economy cars, for example, you might think that the Chevrolet Aveo and Honda Fit, each priced at about $16,000, would provide the same overall value down the road. But according to Consumer Reports’ new value scores, the Fit is a far better choice. In fact, it ties the Toyota Prius as the top value among the more than 280 vehicles included in our analysis.

On the other hand, the Aveo is among the worst values in its class, far below even more expensive models such as the Volkswagen Golf and Honda Civic.

Our value scores show which models offer the best combination of performance, utility, and reliability for the money, considering total owner costs over the first five years—in other words, which give you the most for your dollar.

Besides the Fit, Prius, Golf, and Civic, other models in the top 10 are the VW Jetta TDI, Hyundai Elantra SE, Toyota Corolla and Camry (four-cylinder), Subaru Forester, and Toyota Camry Hybrid.

At the other extreme, the Jeep Wrangler and the Hummer H3 are among the worst values of the vehicles we’ve tested.

The Honda Fit and the Toyota Prius topped the list of new-car best values according to Consumer Reports’ 2010 Annual Auto Issue, beating out more than 280 cars in eight categories.

The Honda Fit and the Toyota Prius each earned a value score of 2.08 and provided the best overall value despite being very different cars. Scores are expressed in relation to the value of the average vehicle (designated 1.00). A score of 2.00 represents twice the value of the average model. While the Prius IV ($26,750) is more expensive than the Honda Fit ($16,020) and has a higher cost per mile (47 cents vs. 42), the Prius performed notably better in Consumer Reports’ battery of road tests, earning a score of 80 versus the Fit’s 68. Both cars have excellent reliability.

To determine which cars are the best values, Consumer Reports looked at a combination of performance, utility, and reliability for the money, considering total owner costs over the first five-years.

The better a car performs in Consumer Reports’ road tests and reliability Ratings and the less it costs to own, the greater its value.

Consumer Reports identified the best and worst values among the hundreds of vehicles it has tested in eight vehicle categories:

• BEST VALUE ——-WORST VALUE
• Small Cars                     Honda Fit—- Chevrolet Aveo5 1LT
• Family Cars                   Toyota Prius IV—- Dodge Avenger R/T (3.5, V6)
• Wagons/Minivans      Hyundai Elantra Touring —-Dodge Grand Caravan SXT (3.8)
• Small SUVs                     Subaru Forester 2.5x —-Dodge Nitro SLT (3.7)
• Midsized SUVs            Hyundai Santa Fe Limited—- Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara
• Upscale Sedans            Acura TSX (4-cyl.) —-Dodge Charger R/T (V8)
• Luxury Sedans              Infiniti M35 (RWD)—- Mercedes-Benz S550
• Sporty Cars                     MINI Cooper —-Chrysler Sebring Convertible Limited