Consumer Reports has named the Toyota Prius the best value and the Nissan Armada the worst in its yearly report analyzing new-car value.
The Prius has topped the list two years in a row, according to a press release. Combining performance and reliability, the hybrid has an estimated five-year ownership cost of 47 cents per mile.
"The Prius' 44 mpg overall is the best fuel economy of any non-plug-in car that Consumer Reports has tested," Rik Paul, Consumer Reports automotive editor, said in the press release. "Though it's not particularly cheap to buy, the Prius' depreciation is so low that it costs less to own over the first five years than its initial MSRP. We call that a bargain."
Immediately prior to the Prius' victory two years running, the Honda Fit held the title for four years in a row.
The Consumer Reports analysis found that the Armada, a large SUV that gets just 13 miles per gallon overall, cost as much as $1.20 per mile.
The survey analyzed vehicles in 10 categories altogether, with the Toyota Avalon Hybrid Limited coming in as the top-scoring vehicle in the large cars group and the Lexus ES 300h being named the top model in the luxury cars category.
Consumer Reports editors calculated vehicle scores based on five-year ownership of the car and the vehicle's Consumer Reports road-test score.
The five-year ownership cost is calculated with such factors as "depreciation, fuel, insurance premiums, interest on financing, maintenance and repairs and sales tax," according to the press release.
"Just because a car is cheap to buy doesn't mean it's a good value. The Nissan Versa Sedan, for example, is one of the least expensive cars that Consumer Reports has tested," Paul said. "For about $1,500 more, we'd go with a Honda Fit, which is fun to drive, cheaper to own, more reliable, and provides almost twice the value."
The complete list of winners and losers in all 10 new-car value categories is available here.
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