Cars

The Best New Cars

We rate the cream of the crop, based on performance, value and real-world driving impressions. See which cars, wagons, minivans and SUVs take top honors.

November 2004

With hundreds of new models vying for your attention, it's tough to narrow the choices. We try to help by picking the best vehicles -- based on performance, value and safety. Our scoring system uses mostly objective criteria to pit vehicles against one another within each category and then lets the winners sort themselves out.

See which cars earned Kiplinger's top honors for each of the categories below. You'll also get a quick scorecard on each that reveals pricing, specifications, maintenance and repair costs, insurance costs and resale value after three and five years. For up-to-date information and options pricing on any car of your choice, be sure to take Kiplinger's Car Finder for a spin. And for detailed information on hundreds of other cars, pick up the December issue of Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine.

• Cars under $18,000
• Cars $18,000 to $23,000
• Cars $23,000 to $30,000
• Cars $30,000 to $40,000
• Cars $40,000 and over
• Sports cars
• Large SUVs
• Midsize SUVs
• Small SUVs
• Wagons
• Minivans

How we score them

In our scoring system, about half of all possible points are awarded for performance and value. We rank vehicles by resale value, power (based on horsepower and torque), fuel efficiency, front and rear legroom, headroom and cargo space.

Cars are rated within defined price categories. Minivans, pickups, sports cars, SUVs and wagons each have their own category, so in rating them, we also score price on a scale that rewards lower prices.

This year, we upped the share of the total score earned for safety -- to about 35%. Each vehicle's safety score is based on the availability of side-curtain (head) airbags, electronic stability control, side-impact airbags, anti-lock brakes and traction control, plus injury-claims data collected by the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI).

We test-drive new cars as they are introduced and make subjective judgments about interior design, exterior styling and dashboard layout. That assessment makes up the remaining 15% of the score.

Best in Class winners are the top-scoring vehicles in each category. Best New Car honors go to the new or significantly redesigned vehicles with the highest scores. First for Safety awards are based on HLDI injury claims (and thus reflect the safety not only of the car but also of the people who drive them) as well as crash-test scores and the availability of safety equipment. Best Resale Value designates vehicles with the highest retained value after three years. Our Most Fuel-Efficient award is based on mileage in city driving, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

One note: Cars can win awards only in the lowest price category in which they appear.

Road map to a great deal

The winners sheets above and the December issue of Kiplinger's Personal Finance include some figures you might find helpful when shopping for a good deal. Here's a list of the terms and definitions:

Suggested retail price/dealer cost. Retail price is what the manufacturer says the vehicle is worth, although few vehicles actually sell for full sticker price. Dealer cost (or invoice price) is what a dealership pays the manufacturer. It does not reflect the "holdback" -- a discount the dealer gets from the manufacturer to help pay the cost of financing its cars. Our prices come from Chrome Systems Corp., publisher of PC Carbook, as well as from Edmunds.com, the automotive-data Web site. The figures include destination charges. As prices change, you'll find updates in Kiplinger's Car Finder.

Edmunds TMV. There's almost always some wiggle room on pricing, so you need an idea of how low you can reasonably go. A good starting point for your negotiations is Edmunds True Market Value. Edmunds.com calculates the TMV based on what vehicle buyers are actually paying. Of course, supply and demand in your area -- plus your negotiating skills -- play a role in the price you'll pay. TMVs are national averages and do not include destination charges, which typically run $500 to $700. Before you shop, check Edmunds.com. TMVs there reflect prices for your area of the country.

Resale value. A prime indicator of a new car's value is how much it will be worth after three years and five years, expressed as a percentage of the suggested retail price. Our numbers come from Automotive Lease Guide (www.alg.com), a respected Santa Barbara, Cal., publication.

Service cost. This is an estimate of what maintenance and unscheduled repairs will cost over five years, based on past records. IntelliChoice, publisher of the Complete Car Cost Guide and the Complete Small Truck Cost Guide, compiles the figures. The guides are available on CD-ROM for $39.95 each at www.intellichoice.com.

Insurance costs. To show the relative cost of insurance, we asked InsWeb, a leading provider of insurance quotes online (www.insweb.com), to estimate the annual premium for each vehicle for a policy offering $300,000 liability coverage and $500 deductibles for collision and comprehensive coverage for a 40-year-old couple in California with spotless driving records. Your actual insurance cost will depend on where you live, your age and your driving record.

Cargo space. This is the space, in cubic feet, in a trunk or behind the second-row seat in a wagon, SUV or minivan.

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