Consumer Reports magazine said the 2009 Toyota Prius Touring edition offers the best value for a new car. The magazine’s April edition, which goes on sale Tuesday, released results Thursday of its best cars of 2009. Typically, the magazine offers a list of “top picks” in various car and light truck categories, but given sagging consumer confidence during a recession, it added a “best car value” rating.
The ranking takes into account the total cost of ownership over five years, and weighs fuel costs, maintenance and repairs, insurance costs, depreciation, financing rates and taxes against the price and reliability of the vehicle.
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But even before disclosing the winners, the magazine acknowledged that in the auto industry these days, times are tough, with sharply lower sales as Americans have been battered by the deteriorating economy and tight credit.
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“This is a year unlike any other in the new car market,” said Consumer Reports Auto Editor Rik Paul.
Toyota (TM) was named best midsized SUV for its Highlander; best small SUV for the RAV4; and best minivan for the Sienna, although Director of Automotive Testing David Champion admitted, “my wife would not be caught dead driving a minivan.”
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The Consumer Reports Best Cars Issues will hit newsstands in March.
The Toyota Prius took home the award for best green car.
Honda’s Accord was named Best Family Car, while the Mazda MX5 Miata captured the Fun to Drive category. The top small car was the Hyundai Elantra.
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