These are the best cars for your money in 2025, research reveals
Are you in the market for a new vehicle? Buying a new car isn’t easy. Knowing where to start, which vehicle suits your needs best and how to get the best bang for your buck can all prove difficult. With the average price of a new vehicle approaching $50,000 and high interest rates on car loans, Americans are more focused on the true value of what they’re purchasing, John Vincent, senior editor of vehicle testing at U.S. News and World Report, said in a recent news release. As a result, in late January, the popular consumer and rankings website unveiled the winners of its 2025 Best Cars for the Money awards. Featuring 13 categories focusing on different types of vehicles, the awards highlight which automobiles provide drivers with the best combination of quality and value, according to the website. Honda and Hyundai took home the highest honors; both automakers won awards in four separate categories. The Honda Odyssey continued its winning streak in the Best Minivan for the Money category, while the Honda Civic, Honda Passport and Honda Accord all claimed awards, too. The Hyundai Tucson and Hyundai Elantra Hybrid won in the Best Compact SUV for the Money and the Best Hybrid Car for the Money categories, respectively. Meanwhile, two other Hyundai vehicles celebrated first-time wins. The Hyundai Kona Electric and the Hyundai Tucson Plug-In Hybrid achieved awards for the Best Electric SUV for the Money and the Best Plug-In Hybrid SUV for the Money, respectively, according to U.S. News and World Report. Kia was yet another automaker to receive accolades; its vehicles won in the hybrid SUV, 3-row SUV and subcompact SUV categories. When it comes to pickups, the 2025 Toyota Tacoma and the 2025 Ram 1500 outshined their competitors. To determine the rankings, U.S. News and World Report assessed quality based on the vehicle’s overall score in the U.S. News Best Car Rankings, which are “built on a combination of data points like safety and reliability ratings, as well as the collective opinion of the automotive press.” Find the complete rankings below: WinnerCategory2025 Honda CivicBest Compact Car for the Money2025 Hyundai Tucson Best Compact SUV for the Money2025 Hyundai Kona ElectricBest Electric SUV for the Money2025 Hyundai Elantra HybridBest Hybrid Car for the Money2025 Kia Sportage HybridBest Hybrid SUV for the Money2025 Honda AccordBest Midsize Car for the Money2025 Honda OdysseyBest Minivan for the Money2025 Hyundai Tucson Plug-In HybridBest Plug-In Hybrid SUV for theMoney2025 Honda PassportBest 2-Row SUV for the Money2025 Kia TellurideBest 3-Row SUV for the Money2025 Kia SoulBest Subcompact SUV for the Money2025 Toyota TacomaBest Midsize Pickup Truck for theMoney2025 Ram 1500Best Full-Size Pickup Truck for theMoneySource: U.S. News and World Report
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Are you in the market for a new vehicle?
Buying a new car isn’t easy. Knowing where to start, which vehicle suits your needs best and how to get the best bang for your buck can all prove difficult.
With the average price of a new vehicle approaching $50,000 and high interest rates on car loans, Americans are more focused on the true value of what they’re purchasing, John Vincent, senior editor of vehicle testing at U.S. News and World Report, said in a recent news release.
As a result, in late January, the popular consumer and rankings website unveiled the winners of its 2025 Best Cars for the Money awards. Featuring 13 categories focusing on different types of vehicles, the awards highlight which automobiles provide drivers with the best combination of quality and value, according to the website.
Honda and Hyundai took home the highest honors; both automakers won awards in four separate categories. The Honda Odyssey continued its winning streak in the Best Minivan for the Money category, while the Honda Civic, Honda Passport and Honda Accord all claimed awards, too.
The Hyundai Tucson and Hyundai Elantra Hybrid won in the Best Compact SUV for the Money and the Best Hybrid Car for the Money categories, respectively. Meanwhile, two other Hyundai vehicles celebrated first-time wins.
The Hyundai Kona Electric and the Hyundai Tucson Plug-In Hybrid achieved awards for the Best Electric SUV for the Money and the Best Plug-In Hybrid SUV for the Money, respectively, according to U.S. News and World Report.
Kia was yet another automaker to receive accolades; its vehicles won in the hybrid SUV, 3-row SUV and subcompact SUV categories. When it comes to pickups, the 2025 Toyota Tacoma and the 2025 Ram 1500 outshined their competitors.
To determine the rankings, U.S. News and World Report assessed quality based on the vehicle’s overall score in the U.S. News Best Car Rankings, which are “built on a combination of data points like safety and reliability ratings, as well as the collective opinion of the automotive press.”
Find the complete rankings below:
Winner Category 2025 Honda Civic Best Compact Car for the Money 2025 Hyundai Tucson Best Compact SUV for the Money 2025 Hyundai Kona Electric Best Electric SUV for the Money 2025 Hyundai Elantra Hybrid Best Hybrid Car for the Money 2025 Kia Sportage Hybrid Best Hybrid SUV for the Money 2025 Honda Accord Best Midsize Car for the Money 2025 Honda Odyssey Best Minivan for the Money 2025 Hyundai Tucson Plug-In Hybrid Best Plug-In Hybrid SUV for the
Money2025 Honda Passport Best 2-Row SUV for the Money 2025 Kia Telluride Best 3-Row SUV for the Money 2025 Kia Soul Best Subcompact SUV for the Money 2025 Toyota Tacoma Best Midsize Pickup Truck for the
Money2025 Ram 1500 Best Full-Size Pickup Truck for the
Money
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