U.S. News Cars unveiled its 2011 Best Car for the Money awards this week, and leading the way among the 18 segment winners is General Motors, which claimed honors in five categories.
In each segment, the vehicle that receives the top score for overall value and appeal is given the award. U.S. News determines the winners by taking its 2011 car rankings and blending them with TrueCar.com’s data on total cost of ownership.
"The most intriguing thing about the award winners is how diverse they are,” noted Jamie Page Deaton, the managing editor for U.S. News Cars. “No single automaker has a lock on long-term value. In fact, there are a number of surprising winners that should be on the short list of any new-car buyer.”
Following GM in the rankings were Ford, Honda, Hyundai/Kia and Toyota, each of which garnered two segment awards. Five other automakers received one each.
“Consumers should be aware that the purchase price is only one factor to consider when buying a vehicle,” stated Jesse Toprak, TrueCar’s vice president of industry trends and insights. “Knowing the five-year ownership cost can really help understand the long-term value of a vehicle.”
U.S. News Cars provided a chart of the complete list of winners, as follows:

WASHINGTON, D.C. –

Subcompact Cars:

Ford Fiesta

 

Compact Cars:

Honda Civic

 

Hatchbacks:

Honda Fit

 

Midsize Cars:

Chevrolet Malibu

 

Family Sedans:

Ford Taurus

 

Upscale Compact Cars:

Volkswagen GTI

 

Upscale Sedans:

Buick Regal

 

Hybrid Cars:

Toyota Prius

  

Sports Cars:

Mazda MX–5 Miata

 

Compact Crossover/SUVs:

Mitsubishi Outlander Sport

 

Midsize Crossover/SUVs:

Chevrolet Traverse

  

Full Size SUVs:

Chevrolet Tahoe

  

Luxury Compact Crossover/SUVs:

Infiniti EX35

  

Luxury Midsize Crossover/SUVs:

Lexus RX 350

  

Minivans:

Kia Sedona

  

Wagons:

Hyundai Elantra Touring

  

Compact Pickup Trucks:

Suzuki Equator

  

Full Size Pickup Trucks:

Chevrolet Silverado 1500