The Best Bang-For-Your-Buck Cars Of 2021

Everyone loves that new car smell, as fleeting as it may be. But you just might find yourself turning your nose up at the high price of good cars these days.

Today, the average new vehicle price costs a whopping $40,000. Why the high price tag? Cars are now being loaded with the latest in intricate safety and infotainment technologies, none of which comes cheap. During the unstable financial times caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, everyone is looking to make the most of their money and, hopefully, avoid purchases that don’t deliver on their promise.

The winners of the U.S. News Best Car for the Money awards offer the highest quality for the best value in each of their respective classes. The metrics that determined the winners? The value of each car is measured by five-year total cost of ownership data provided by Vincentric, combined with transaction prices reported by TrueCar. Quality is then determined by the overall score the vehicle earns in the U.S. News car rankings, which takes into account a range of factors such as crash test ratings, reliability data, and automotive journalist ratings. 

Best Subcompact Car For The Money: 2021 Hyundai Accent

A wallet-friendly subcompact car, the Hyundai Accent is a first-time winner. Despite its diminutive dimensions, this Hyundai boasts a spacious interior and offers good fuel economy as well. It gets up to 41 miles-per-gallon on the highway, has an easy to use infotainment system and both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are equipped starting on the SEL trim.

Best Compact Car For The Money: 2021 Kia Forte

A winner in this category for the second year in a row, the Kia Forte makes refinement affordable. With a price tag of only $18,790, the Forte brings together comfort and convenience without busting your budget. It gets up to 31 miles-per-gallon in city driving, and 41 miles-per-gallon on the highway, has continuously variable transmission (CVT), and lane keep assist.

Best Compact SUV For The Money: 2021 Honda CR-V

Talk about finding your lane and sticking to it:  The Honda CR-V has won in this category a total of eight times, including five consecutive years. A well-built cabin constructed with quality materials is just one of the reasons why this SUV checks off a lot of winning boxes. It has plentiful seating room, is a comfortable ride, and has 39.2 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats and is rated as a very

Best Midsize Car For The Money: 2021 Toyota Camry

Since 2009, the Camry has been named Best Midsize Car For The Money eight times. Well-equipped and offering a comfortable ride, the Camry is a great choice for those looking for a sporty look at a competitive price. It’s equipped with the latest infotainment features, including a standard 7-inch touch screen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as adaptive cruise control and lane keep assist.

Best Minivan For The Money: 2021 Honda Odyssey

It’s a minivan that’s big on quality and value. Winner in this category four times in the last six years, the Odyssey comes with one of the lowest price tags in the minivan category. It’s equipped with plenty of space for passengers and packages, a 5-inch display, two USB ports, and safety technologies, including lane keep assist, traffic sign recognition, and automatic emergency braking.

Best Large Car For The Money: 2021 Toyota Avalon

With an upscale interior, comfortable ride, and robust V6 engine, the Avalon deserves its third victory in the large car category. This Toyota comes equipped with a 9-inch touch screen display, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. It has luxury-level interior materials, exceptional headroom and legroom, and safety features like blind spot monitoring and lane keep assist.

Best Hybrid And Electric Car For The Money: 2021 Toyota Corolla Hybrid

With a price tag starting at just $23,400, the Toyota Corolla Hybrid is one of the least expensive in its class. Lots of standard safety features add to its appeal, including pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane departure warning, forward collision warning, and traffic sign recognition. It gets an EPA-estimated 53 miles-per-gallon in the city, and 52 miles-per-gallon on the highway. It is known to be exceptionally reliable and is equipped with an 8-inch touch screen with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Wi-Fi hot spot

Best Hybrid And Electric SUV For The Money: 2021 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid

Pile in the passengers and the packages:  The RAV4 Hybrid has plenty of space for both, and boasts loads of standard features and technology, all for a competitive price. It gets an EPA-estimated 41 miles-per-gallon in the city, and 38 miles-per-gallon on the highway. It has Safety Sense suite of safety features, five USB ports, wireless device charging, surround-view camera system.