Chevy, Hyundai, Honda, Kia & Mazda Make Best Cars for the Money

U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in rankings and consumer advice, today unveiled the 2023 Best Cars for the Money awards. Covering 12 automotive categories, the awards put a spotlight on cars, SUVs and minivans that represent the best combination of long-term value and excellent ownership experience. For the third time, U.S. News will present the Best Cars for the Money awards at the Washington, D.C. Auto Show.

“A Best Car for the Money award represents a strong value over the course of ownership and at the dealership,” said Jim Sharifi, managing editor of U.S. News Best Cars. “A new vehicle is a big purchase for any buyer, especially as new-car transaction prices continue to rise. In addition, the least expensive car on the lot could carry high ownership costs or be poorly suited to the buyer’s needs. Our Best Car for the Money award winners prioritize long-term value and a rewarding ownership experience, with comfort, features and performance that buyers will appreciate.”

Hyundai won four Best Car for the Money awards this year, which is more than any other brand. Kia earned three, Chevrolet and Honda each won two, and Mazda earned one. The Honda Odyssey won this award for the seventh time, while the Honda Civic now has four Best Compact Car for the Money wins under its belt. The Hyundai Kona and Santa Fe each earned awards for the third time in their respective categories, while the Elantra Hybrid won Best Hybrid Car for the second time. The Chevrolet Bolt and Bolt EUV, as well as the Hyundai Palisade, Kia K5, Kia Rio, Kia Sportage Hybrid and Mazda CX-5 each won the award for the first time.

Within each class, the award winner has the best combination of quality and value. We measured quality using a car’s overall score in the U.S. News Best Car Rankings. The overall score is based on safety and reliability data, as well as the collective opinion of the automotive press on a given model’s performance and interior and how strongly each reviewer recommends the car. We measured value by looking at each model’s real-time transaction prices, provided by TrueCar, and five-year total cost of ownership data, calculated by Vincentric.