Look beyond the price of a new vehicle and you begin to see all the other costs associated with ownership.
Add up the years and you might even view that car or truck in a new light.
The Kelley Blue Book cost-to-own awards help buyers grasp the outlay associated with different vehicles over five years, to make useful comparisons in their car-shopping process.
Specifically, the awards identify the vehicles that are projected to be least expensive to own in their individual categories, based on factors including depreciation, fuel and maintenance costs, financing, insurance and state fees.
Among the 2017 model-year winners are the Honda Accord for best mid-size car, Honda HR-V as best subcompact SUV/crossover, and the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 regular cab for best full-size pickup truck.
Besides naming the best vehicles by category, KBB gave best brand and best luxury brand awards to carmakers “with outstanding ownership costs across their entire lineups.” These went to Subaru and Acura respectively.
KBB’s 2017-model winners and their five-year cost to own
Subcompact car – Chevrolet Spark ($28,216)
Compact car – Toyota Corolla ($32,251)
Mid-size car – Honda Accord ($36,442)
Full-size car – Chevrolet Impala ($46,119)
Sporty compact car – Ford Fiesta ST ($35,433)
Sports car – Toyota 86 ($39,489)
Entry-level luxury car – Buick Verano ($40,211)
Luxury car – Lexus GS ($62,601)
High-end luxury car – Lexus LS ($85,785)
Hybrid/alternative energy car – Toyota Prius ($36,366)
Electric vehicle – Toyota Prius Prime ($36,745)
Subcompact SUV/crossover – Honda HR-V ($33,722)
Compact SUV/crossover – Subaru Crosstrek ($34,957)
Mid-size SUV/crossover – Jeep Wrangler Unlimited ($39,882)
Full-size SUV/crossover – Chevrolet Tahoe ($61,245)
Luxury compact SUV/crossover – Buick Encore ($40,132)
Luxury mid-size SUV/crossover – Infiniti QX60 ($52,375)
Luxury full-size SUV/crossover – Infiniti QX80 ($72,103)
Mid-size pickup truck – Chevrolet Colorado extended cab ($37,029)
Full-size pickup truck – Chevrolet Silverado 1500 regular car ($42,406)
Minivan – Dodge Grand Caravan ($43,778)
“Whether you use our Five-year Cost to Own Awards as your starting point or as a way to help you decide among similarly appealing models, you’ll feel good knowing you’ve made a smart choice that holds up in the big picture,” says KBB.
More information about these vehicles and the second- and third-place finishers can be found at KBB.com.
As part of RoadLoans’ Cars with Stars blog series, we’ll continue to highlight award-winning and recommended vehicles to help your car-buying decisions.
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