Get the Most Value With These Best Cars for the Money Award Winners

How can you get the most value for your money? When buying a car, this is an important question and one that’s answered with the best cars for the money.

Recently, U.S. News & World Report released its list of 2023 Best Cars for the Money awards. This list provides you with one vehicle across each of the twelve categories that are considered the best value in that category. These vehicles represent models that offer the best long-term value and ownership experience, giving consumers a confidence lift when they choose one of these vehicles.

Hyundai Santa Fe – Best 2-Row SUV for the Money

The 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe brings a good combination of value and quality to be the award winner for its class. Shoppers will enjoy the low starting price and a long list of features, which is a staple of the Hyundai brand. You’ll find items you want, including wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, along with a spacious cabin with upscale materials. Toss in the long standard warranty, and you’ve got an SUV that’s a pleasure to drive.

Hyundai Palisade – Best 3-Row SUV for the Money

In the midsize three-row SUV class, the vehicle with the most value is the 2023 Hyundai Palisade. This vehicle has a large cabin with roomy seats in all three rows. The focus on family hauling, an impressive array of upscale materials, and excellent standard features make this SUV a wonderful choice for any driver. You’ll love the smooth ride and quiet feeling on the road. If there is a knock on this SUV, it’s the mediocre fuel mileage, but that doesn’t seem to bother too many drivers.

Honda Civic – Best Compact Car for the Money

The 2023 Honda Civic isn’t a surprising inclusion on this list. The Civic has been one of the top cars in its class for generations, offering an excellent combination of quality and value in its class. This Honda can be had in either sedan or hatchback body styles, and it brings an upscale cabin with comfortable seats to the mix. You’ll be glad to have the useful infotainment system and the impressive amount of cargo room, especially if you drive a hatchback model of the Civic.

Mazda CX-5 – Best Compact SUV for the Money

In a compact SUV class with more popular options, the 2023 Mazda CX-5 wins the away and shows the most value for consumers. This SUV has the best combination of quality and value; it brings an upscale interior with comfortable seats and lots of standard features. The CX-5 has ample cargo room, a great drive, and energetic engines to get things going in a hurry. With an affordable starting price, it’s hard to argue against the Mazda CX-5.

Chevrolet Bolt – Best Electric Car for the Money

Although other EVs are more popular, the Chevy Bolt continues to stand out as one of the top EVs you can drive. This car won the away with its driving range, low price, and quality. No other EV brings the same combination at such an affordable price. The only drawback to this small Chevy electric car is the rough ride over bumpy roads, but that’s part of finding a modern EV at such a low price.

Chevrolet Bolt EUV – Best Electric SUV for the Money

Until other automakers catch on and learn to sell EVs at a more affordable price, the Chevy models will continue to offer the most value in the electric vehicle categories. That said, the 2023 Chevy Bolt EUV didn’t win by default; it is a great SUV with an excellent combination of quality and value in the class. This small SUV delivers 247 miles of driving range, brings an upscale cabin, and offers plenty of passenger and cargo room for its size. Some models of the Bolt EUV can be had with Super Cruise, which is a pretty big deal.

Hyundai Elantra Hybrid – Best Hybrid Car for the Money

Normally, you might expect to see the Toyota Prius at the top of this list, but the 2023 Hyundai Elantra Hybrid offers the value and quality required to make it the top choice in the hybrid car category. This Elantra brings excellent fuel economy, confident handling, and a smooth ride to make it a fantastic choice during your drive. This Hyundai is packed with great tech features, which makes your drive more enjoyable.

Kia Sportage Hybrid – Best Hybrid SUV for the Money

When you want a hybrid vehicle with ample cargo room and versatility, the 2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid is a great choice. This SUV offers the most value in its class, providing comfortable seats for passengers, impressive fuel mileage numbers, a long list of tech features, and a modern cabin layout. Could this SUV be the one you want to drive? It should be if you’re looking for a hybrid powertrain and a useful SUV.

Kia K5 – Best Midsize Car for the Money

If you want value and quality in the midsize sedan you drive, the 2023 Kia K5 is the right choice. This car brings a ton of standard tech features, the option of AWD, and a spacious cabin. The truck can swallow up the family luggage to make this a great car for your road trip. Some feel the K5 isn’t as engaging to drive as some of the other midsize sedans, but that’s something you’ll want to find out on your own.

Honda Odyssey – Best Minivan for the Money

The 2023 Honda Odyssey continues the tradition of winning this award. This Honda has been touted as a comfortable, versatile, and impressive minivan with an excellent V6 engine and confident handling. The smooth ride and ample cargo room make the Odyssey a great choice for families that need a versatile cabin. This could easily be the right minivan for your family with its various passenger configurations and easy driving manners. It’s hard for anyone to argue against the Honda Odyssey as the best in its class.

Kia Rio – Best Subcompact Car for the Money

The subcompact car class has shrunk considerably over the past few years, but some automakers still offer these tiny cars. The 2023 Kia Rio offers the most value in this class with its easy driving manners, comfortable ride, and affordable price. Unfortunately, this little car doesn’t have any standard driver-assistance features except for the rearview camera. The engine is loud, and you’ll hear a lot of wind noise. Of course, that’s pretty much what you’ll find in every car in this class.

Hyundai Kona – Best Subcompact SUV for the Money

The subcompact SUV class is much more competitive than the subcompact car category. The 2023 Hyundai Kona hits the right notes with lots of standard features, an efficient bas powertrain, excellent handling, and a smooth ride. You can move up the line and add a turbocharged engine or some impressive seat materials to this SUV. The only drawback is the cramped rear area, but that’s expected of a vehicle that’s listed as a subcompact SUV.