Toyota Prius: best new-car value, Consumer Reports says
It's December, and by now, nearly every automaker has rolled out its 2014 models, giving new-car shoppers lots to look at. And right on cue,聽Consumer Reports聽has just named its best and worst new-car picks.聽
To determine where models fall in the rankings,聽Consumer Reports聽compiles data on each聽, truck, and SUV: its reliability; its performance in the magazine's extensive road tests; and its projected five-year cost of ownership, which factors in everything from fuel and insurance to maintenance costs and depreciation.
For the second year in a row, the Toyota Prius has nabbed the title of Best New-Car Value. Not only has the Prius performed well in聽Consumer Reports' tests, but it's proven to be highly reliable, and its cost of ownership averages out to be just 47 cents per mile. According to the magazine's automotive editor, Rik Paul, "The Prius鈥� 44 mpg overall is the best fuel economy of any non-plug-in car that聽Consumer Reports聽has tested. Though it鈥檚 not particularly cheap to buy, the Prius鈥� depreciation is so low that it costs less to own over the first five years than its initial MSRP. We call that a bargain."
In its cruise to the top, the Prius topped several serious contenders. Here are all ten of the magazine's best-in-class winners:
- 聽Best Compact /Subcompact Car:聽Toyota Prius Four
- 聽Best聽Midsized Car:聽Subaru Legacy 2.5i Premium
- 聽Best聽Large Car:聽Toyota Avalon Hybrid Limited
- 聽Best聽Luxury Car:聽Lexus ES 300h
- 聽Best聽Sports Car/Convertible:聽Mazda MX-5 Miata Grand Touring
- 听叠别蝉迟听奥补驳辞苍/惭颈苍颈惫补苍:听Mazda5 Grand Touring
- 聽Best聽Small SUV:聽Subaru Forester 2.5i Premium
- 聽Best聽Midsized SUV:聽Nissan Murano SL
- 聽Best聽Luxury/Large SUV:聽BMW X1 xDrive28i
- 听叠别蝉迟听笔颈肠办耻辫:听Honda Ridgeline RTS
At the other end of the scale, we find the Nissan Armada. Not only did the Armada score poorly in reliability, but the chunky SUV earns just 13 mpg. Its cost of ownership is nothing to smile about, either, at $1.20 per mile. The full list of聽Consumer Reports' losers includes:
- 聽Worst Compact /Subcompact Car:聽Volkswagen Beetle 2.5L
- 聽Worst聽Midsized Car:聽Nissan Altima 3.5 SL
- 聽Worst聽Large Car:聽Ford Taurus Limited
- 聽Worst聽Luxury Car:聽BMW 750Li
- 聽Worst聽Sports Car/Convertible:聽Chevrolet Camaro convertible 2SS (V8)
- 听奥辞谤蝉迟听奥补驳辞苍/惭颈苍颈惫补苍:听Chrysler Town & Country Touring-L
- 聽Worst聽Small SUV:聽Ford Escape SE (1.6T)
- 聽Worst聽Midsized SUV:聽Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara
- 聽Worst聽Luxury/Large SUV:聽Nissan Armada Platinum
- 听奥辞谤蝉迟听笔颈肠办耻辫:听Ford F-250 Lariat (6.7L V8)
OUR TAKE
Some people dislike聽Consumer Reports聽because of its alleged bias toward foreign聽, especially those from Japanese automakers. Take a look at the magazine's big winners above, and it's tempting to think that those charges might be true: of the ten cars on the聽best-of list, nine hail from Japan, the one outlier being a BMW. And on the bottom, six of the ten worst-performers come from Detroit, with just two from Asia.
That said, it's hard to argue that聽Consumer Reports聽tests are biased. To our knowledge, they're as rigorous and thorough as any others, even though we disagree with their findings now and then.
Whether or not you agree with the magazine's rankings, the important thing is this:聽Consumer Reports聽is just one source, just one perspective. If you're shopping for a聽, we encourage you to sift through the widest possible range of reviews and analyses, includingConsumer Reports, J.D. Power, and of course,聽听补苍诲听.
The complete rundown on聽Consumer Reports' new-car rankings will be published in the magazine's February issue.
