Thirty-six vehicles and 14 companion models received Best Buy ratings from Consumers Digest out of some 240 total 2009 models. The ratings, published in CD’s December issue (on sale November 1), span 10 categories: Small Cars, Family Cars, Luxury Cars, Sporty Cars, Pickups, Minivans, Compact SUVs, Midsize SUVs, Full-size/Luxury SUVs and Hybrids. The Best Buys — based on behind-the-wheel testing, safety ratings, ownership costs, warranty, price, comfort, ergonomics, styling and amenities — reflect CD’s assessment of which 2009 vehicles offer the most value for the money.
Five “Small Cars” received Best Buys: Honda Civic, Honda Fit, Mazda3, Nissan Versa and Toyota Corolla.
Six “Family Car” Best Buys are: Chevrolet Malibu, Ford Taurus, Honda Accord, Mercury Sable, Nissan Altima and Toyota Camry/Camry Solara.
Four “Luxury Cars” received Best Buys: Acura RL, Cadillac CTS, Hyundai Genesis and Lincoln MKS.
Six “Sporty Car” Best Buys are: BMW 3-Series, Chevrolet Corvette, Infiniti G37 coupe, MINI Cooper/Cooper Clubman, Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky.
Four “Pickups” and six “Minivans” earned Best Buys: Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Dodge Ram 1500, GMC Sierra 1500 and Toyota Tundra are the top pickups, and Chrysler’s Town & Country, Dodge’s Grand Caravan, Honda’s Odyssey, Hyundai’s Entourage, Kia’s Sedona and Volkswagen’s Routan are the best minivan values.
Five “Compact SUV” Best Buys include: Ford Escape, Mazda Tribute, Mercury Mariner, Nissan Rogue and Volkswagen Tiguan. Six “Midsize SUV” Best Buys include: Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, Ford Flex, GMC Acadia, Mazda CX-9 and Saturn Outlook. “Full-size/Luxury SUV” Best Buys include: Acura MDX, Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon and Infiniti EX.
Four “Hybrid” Best Buys include: Ford Escape Hybrid, Mazda Tribute Hybrid, Mercury Mariner Hybrid and Toyota Prius.
“‘Value,’ as we see it, is based on purchase price and ownership costs relative to quality, performance and subjective factors like comfort and design,” says Randy Weber, CD’s publisher. “In these tough economic times, we believe consumers in need of a new vehicle will be served even more by the results of our extensive research and behind-the-wheel expertise.”
Performance characteristics evaluated include starting and acceleration, shifting, steering, handling, braking, ride quality and fuel economy.
A notable fact relating to the 2009 Best Buys compared with Consumers Digest’s 2008 recommendations is a decline of three total Best Buys for U.S. automakers — to 24 from 27 a year ago. Asian automakers increased by three, to 22 Best Buy models from 19. Four brands saw their totals increase by two: Chevrolet has five 2009 Best Buys, Mazda has four, Nissan has three and Volkswagen has two. Two brands saw their Best Buy totals slip by two: two vehicles from Saturn received Best Buys; Jeep has no Best Buys in 2009.
The Auto Best Buys section includes photos, invoice pricing, standard features and performance traits that support the models’ Best Buy selection in the collective opinion of CD’s veteran automotive editors: Jim Gorzelany has served Consumers Digest readers for 21 years, including reporting on automotive categories such as crossover SUVs and hybrids; Kevin Kelly is senior editor of Automotive Design & Production magazine; Jim Mateja writes a weekly Chicago Tribune auto column and has received numerous awards for his auto coverage; Matt Nauman served as San Jose Mercury News’ auto editor and is one of the jurors that picks the North American Car of the Year at the annual Detroit auto show.
“Few purchases are more important, or require more research, than buying a new vehicle,” Weber says. “Our analyses underscore our commitment to ensure that consumers are as satisfied with their auto purchase years after making it as they were on the day they drove off the lot.”
Consumers Digest, launched in 1960, is designed to inform and educate readers so they can buy with confidence, no matter the product or service. The magazine is committed to providing practical advice, factual evaluations and specific recommendations that lead consumers to exceptional values in today’s complex marketplace.
Source: Consumers Digest