Best New Car Values 2011: Best in Class

Best in Class: Under $20,000

2011 Volkswagen Golf

• Sticker price: $18,735 (2dr, manual)
• Invoice price: $18,017
• Fair Purchase Price: $18,454
• Five-year service cost: $3,402
• One-year insurance cost: $1,124
• Resale value after 3 years: 52%; 5 years: 34%
• MPG city: 23; highway: 33

Winning this category’s Best in Class award for the second year in a row, Volkswagen’s Golf features classic German driving dynamics at an easy-to-take price. Redesigned for 2010, the Golf boasts plenty of power, high resale values and a full complement of standard safety features. The four-door is an IIHS top safety pick.

Best in Class: $20,000-$25,000

2011 Toyota Prius

• Sticker price: $23,810 (Prius II)
• Invoice price: $22,427
• Fair Purchase Price: $23,572
• Five-year service cost: $3,454
• One-year insurance cost: $1,133
• Resale value after 3 years: NA; 5 years: NA
• MPG city: 51; highway: 48

A Best New Model winner in 2010, Prius tops the competition with class-leading fuel economy, loads of cargo room, and low service and insurance costs. Toyota just introduced a wagon to the Prius family for the 2012 model year, and a plug-in version is on the way, too.

Best in Class: $25,000-$30,000

2011 Honda Accord

• Sticker price: $27,830 (EX V6 sedan)
• Invoice price: $25,295
• Fair Purchase Price: $27,830
• Five-year service cost: $3,793
• One-year insurance cost: $1,172
• Resale value after 3 years: 52%; 5 years: 35%
• MPG city: 20; highway: 30

Driving away with Best in Class for the fourth year in a row, Honda’s best-seller is renowned for reliability. The V6 is powerful -- it puts out 271 horses -- yet thrifty. The Accord features ample interior space and a comfy ride in addition to a full complement of standard safety equipment.

Best in Class: $30,000-$45,000

2011 BMW 335d

• Sticker price: $44,825
• Invoice price: $41,310
• Fair Purchase Price: $43,928
• Five-year service cost: $4,371
• One-year insurance cost: $1,656
• Resale value after 3 years: 58%; 5 years: 35%
• MPG city: 23; highway: 36

Taking the title for the second year, BMW 335d delivers top-notch resale values and sporty driving dynamics combined with serious torque to send you speeding off the line. It also gets nearly 30% better fuel economy on the highway than the gas-engine 335i. It was Kiplinger’s pick for Best All-Around Car in the latest Best List, too.

Best in Class: Over $45,000

2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class

• Sticker price: $51,775 (E350 BlueTEC sedan)
• Invoice price: $48,212
• Fair Purchase Price: $50,740
• Five-year service cost: NA
• One-year insurance cost: NA
• Resale value after 3 years: 53%; 5 years: 32%
• MPG city: 22; highway: 33

Redesigned last year, the ninth-generation E sedan only gets better with a turbocharged diesel engine. The 3.0-liter V6 puts out 210 horses and develops 400 pound-feet of torque—numbers guaranteed to blow your hair back. Plus, the BlueTEC model pushes fuel economy to 33 mpg on the highway to win Most Fuel-Efficient honors.

Best in Class: Sports

2011 Porsche Boxster

• Sticker price: $62,150 (Spyder)
• Invoice price: $55,850
• Fair Purchase Price: NA
• Five-year service cost: NA
• One-year insurance cost: NA
• Resale value after 3 years: NA; 5 years: NA
• MPG city: 19; highway: 27

After a two-year hiatus, the Boxster once again tops its Porsche brethren (Cayman won last year, and the 911 Carerra the year before that). The Spyder trim is new for the two-seat convertible -- it’s the lightest Porsche on the road and has more power and better fuel economy than the Boxster S trim. But incredible handling and a wallet-friendly price (for a Porsche) are all vintage Boxster.

Best in Class: Small Crossovers

2011 Subaru Forester

• Sticker price: $27,720 (2.5XT Premium)
• Invoice price: $26,041
• Fair Purchase Price: $27,166
• Five-year service cost: $5,034
• One-year insurance cost: $1,171
• Resale value after 3 years: 57%; 5 years: 36%
• MPG city: 19; Highway: 24

Kiplinger’s 2009 Best New Crossover returns to win Best in Class, boasting agile handling, high resale values, loads of cargo space and an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Top Safety Pick. In fact, Subaru is the only nameplate that has earned a Top Safety pick for all its models.

Best in Class: Large and Midsize Crossovers

2011 Mazda CX-9

• Sticker price: $29,930 (Sport)
• Invoice price: $27,778
• Fair Purchase Price: $29,481
• Five-year service cost: $4,330
• One-year insurance cost: $1,143
• Resale value after 3 years: NA; 5 years: NA
• MPG city: 17; Highway: 24

The biggest of Mazda’s bunch, the seven-seat CX-9 rises to the top again (it won Best in Class plaudits in 2009). The 2011 has more power, more rear legroom and even more cargo space than class standouts Honda Pilot and Toyota Highlander, and it comes with three years of roadside assistance.

Best in Class: Truck-based SUVs

2011 Chevrolet Suburban

• Sticker price: $41,875 (1500 LS)
• Invoice price: $39,010
• Fair Purchase Price: $40,619
• Five-year service cost: $3,756
• One-year insurance cost: $1,129
• Resale value after 3 years: NA; 5 years: NA
• MPG city: 15; highway: 21

Suburban’s low service and insurance costs and a reasonable start price for a hauler that seats nine earns it top honors. The 5.3-liter V8 puts out plenty of power and has the lowest annual fuel cost for a V8 in the segment. Cargo space is a whopping 90 cubic feet. Like several of the winners list here, it’s also one of Kiplinger’s 10 Best Cars of the Past Decade.

Best in Class: Minivans

2011 Honda Odyssey

• Sticker price: $28,580 (LX)
• Invoice price: $25,976
• Fair Purchase Price: $28,580
• Five-year service cost: $3,995
• One-year insurance cost: $960
• Resale value after 3 years: 54%; 5 years: 34%
• MPG city: 18; highway: 27

Redesigned for 2011, Odyssey takes back the throne it surrendered to the Toyota Sienna in 2010. With class-leading resale values and fuel-efficiency, plus the lowest insurance cost among minivans, there’s not much this ride can’t handle—including entertaining five passengers with a nine-inch rear-seat entertainment screen (available on EX-L and standard on Touring).

Best in Class: Wagons

2011 Subaru Outback

• Sticker price: $29,220 (2.5i Limited)
• Invoice price: $27,455
• Fair Purchase Price: $29,220
• Five-year service cost: $4,752
• One-year insurance cost: $1,076
• Resale value after 3 years: 60%; 5 years: 38%
• MPG city: 22; highway: 29

Stylish design, strong resale values and heaps of utility propel this all-wheel-drive wagon to the top for the second year in a row (it won Best New Wagon as well as Best in Class in 2010). The 2.5-liter four-cylinder is powerful without pushing down fuel economy -- it gets 29 miles per gallon on the highway. Cargo space is a roomy 34 cubic feet, matched among wagons only by the more expensive Audi A6.

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