Just in time for this weekend’s D.C. Auto Show, U.S. News & World Report has issued its 2024 list of the Best Cars for the Money. Eleven cars have won the distinction ranging from compact sedan to minivan to three-row SUV.
Three automakers dominate the list: Honda, Kia and Hyundai.
“We believe that you can’t ever get a good deal on a car unless you’re getting a good car that will give you years and years of trouble-free and inexpensive service. So our ‘Best Cars for the Money’ awards really honor those cars that have good reliability, good quality and are going to be on the road for the long haul,” said John Vincent, senior editor in charge of vehicle testing at U.S. News & World Report.
The organization measures the quality of the vehicles that make the list by determining the actual cost of a car — including ongoing costs, like repairs and insurance — and the comfortability with the drive, interior and tech features.
There are familiar names and models that have long-earned the praise and loyalty of car buyers, including the Honda Civic, the 2024 model named Best Compact Car for the Money.
“Honestly, that’s probably one of the most competitive awards here … the Civic competes with the Toyota Corolla known long for its reliability, [and] the Kia Forte, which comes with that 10-year, 100,000-mile warranty. But when we look at the complete package, our numbers show that the Civic comes out on top. The Civic is popular, it’s stylish … everything about that car works really well,” said Vincent.
Other Hondas judged “best for the money” are the 2024 Accord in the mid-size category, the 2024 Odyssey minivan and 2024 Passport, which is a two-row SUV.
Kia has placed four models on the “Best Car for the Money” list.
“That’s surprising from a brand that … has only been in the market for a relatively short time to have four awards out of 11. That’s amazing to me,” said Vincent.
The 2024 Kia Soul was named “Best Subcompact SUV for the Money,” the 2024 Sportage Hybrid won “Best Hybrid SUV for the Money,” the 2024 Sportage PHEV, “Best Plug-in Hybrid SUV for the Money” and the 2024 Telluride were named the “Best 3-Row SUV for the Money.”
“Telluride — they still haven’t met demand. They’ve had it out for several years and … as many of them as they can build they deliver into customers hands instantly,” said Vincent. “It does everything that you want from a three-row SUV, it’s comfortable, it drives great.”
The 2024 Hyundai Tucson was named “Best Compact SUV for the Money,” the 2024 Hyundai Ioniq 5 was named “Best Electric SUV for the Money” and the 2024 Hyundai Elantra Hybrid was named “Best Hybrid Car for the Money.”
Vincent said the awards will be doled out at this weekend’s D.C. Auto Show, where all of the cars on the list are expected to be on display.
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