With 100s of different models to choose from – and dozens more being added each year, it’s no surprise that a shopper can come up confused when it’s time to pick the right one for their own needs and desires.
It doesn’t help that there are so many different studies designed to rate vehicles on quality or on price. But what happens when you take both that factors into account, along with safety, long-term reliability – and expert reviews? That’s what U.S. News & World Report attempts to accomplish with its annual Best Car for the Money awards.
And for 2015, Honda Motor Co. comes out on top, grabbing honors in six of 21 vehicle categories – three for the mainstream Honda brand and another three for the upscale Acura marque.
With new cars selling at record prices, shopping for a car that meets both your budget and your lifestyle is an overwhelming process,” said the online magazine’s managing editor Jamie Page Deaton. The awards are intended to help shoppers “identify models that are great models and a pleasure to own.”
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The 2015 U.S. News awards are likely to disappoint domestic automakers who took top honors in only three of the 21 segments:
- The 2015 Chevrolet Impala for Best Large Car;
- The 2015 Chevrolet Colorado for Best Compact Pickup; and
- The 2015 Ram 1500 for Best Large Pickup.
Japanese makers, as a whole, dominated the U.S. News picks, taking the lead in 13 categories. Korean carmakers led in two:
- The 2015 Hyundai Sonata led the important Midsize Car category; and
- The 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe was named tops among 3-Row SUVs.
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European makers claimed victory in three more. More precisely, Volkswagen AG was the only European maker to rise to the top in the 2015 awards:
- The 2015 Volkswagen Golf, which has already won a string of awards, was named Best Compact Car;
- The 2015 Audi A3 was picked Best Upscale Small Car; and
- The 2015 VW GTI was tops in the Sports Car category.
Coming out on top was good news for Honda, and particularly for its Acura division, which has been launching a wave of new models in a bid to position itself as a true Tier I luxury brand. The Japanese maker scored wins for:
- The 2015 Honda Fit, which took dual honors as both Best Subcompact Car and Best Hatchback;
- The 2015 Acura TLX, named Best Upscale Midsize Car;
- The 2015 Honda CR-V for Best Compact SUV;
- The Acura RDX, chosen Best Luxury Compact SUV; and
- The 2015 Acura MDX, picked Best Luxury 3-Row Midsize SUV.
“Receiving accolades for our best-selling SUVs and our new performance sedan speaks to the powerful momentum that continues to drive the Acura brand forward,” said Michael Accavitti, senior vice president and general manager of the Acura Division.
While the Toyota Motor Co. managed “only” three segment wins, the Lexus RX350 won for the seventh consecutive time in the Luxury 2-Row Midsize SUV category, which U.S. News noted was “the longest winning streak in the history of the awards.” Toyota also nabbed honors for:
- The 2015 Toyota Camry Hybrid, named the Best Hybrid Car; and
- The 2015 Toyota Highlander Hybrid, the Best Hybrid SUV.
Other winners were:
- The 2015 Subaru Outback, named Best Wagon;
- The 2015 Nissan Murano, picked as Best 2-Row Midsize SUV;
- The 2015 Mazda CX-9, the Best Large SUV; and
- The Mazda5 as Best Minivan.
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