Overall Best and Small car - Honda Civic

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Priced from: $18,640

The auto experts at Kelley Blue Book named the completely redesigned Honda (HMC) Civic not only the overall Best Buy among small cars but the Best Buy among all new cars available today.

The new Civic combines performance, refinement and fuel economy. Kelley Blue Book calls it "Nothing less than the best car you can buy for under $20,000."

Of course, the Civic is a great car, but that's not all. KBB's analysts looked at the cost of owning each new car on the market today. Financial factors they considered included fuel costs, insurance and, most of all, depreciation. Depreciation, the single biggest cost of owning a car, is the amount of value it loses between the time you buy it and when you ultimately trade it in or sell it. The Honda Civic, particularly with the new improvements, is expected to have particularly good resale value, according to KBB.

Mid-size car - Kia Optima  



Priced from: $21,840

A lot of people haven't realized it yet, said Kelley Blue Book editor Jack Nerad, but Kia has been building high-quality, high-value cars for years now. The new Optima is just another in the series, offering near-luxury look and feel in a truly affordable package.

Full-size car - Chevrolet Impala  



Priced from: $27,095

  The Impala rides and drives like a performance luxury car with the sort of interior quality and available technology that also seems above its class.
"You don't hear a lot about the Impala," said KBB editor Nerad "I think that it's one of the great values out there."


Luxury car - Mercedes-Benz C-class  



Priced from: $38,950

  The Mercedes C-class's distinctive design -- inside and out -- and dynamic driving feel put it above even its highly polished competitors.

"The C-class really blew us away with how good it was," said Kelley Blue Book's Nerad


Sports car - Chevrolet Corvette  



Priced from: $55,400

The Corvette has long been considered the gold standard in sports car value, and the latest version takes that even farther. Besides astonishing performance, the Corvette has excellent fuel economy and strong resale value.



Electric/Hybrid - Chevrolet Volt  



Priced from: $33,170

The Volt's redesign for the 2016 model year gave it a sleeker, more appealing design. It has also has better performance and longer all-electric driving range than before.

"It still looks like a Volt, but it looks like a cooler Volt," said KBB's Nerad.



Small SUV - Honda CR-V  



Priced from: $23,595

America's best selling SUV has now won this category two years in a row. KBB credits its easy driving manners, roomy interior and Honda's rock-solid reputation for reliability.


Honda Pilot  



Priced from: $29,995

  The new Pilot trades some of the truck-like looks of the previous generation for a look that's more similar to the smaller CR-V. The new Pilot also drives nicely while still providing plenty of SUV utility.

"I think the Pilot has the best interior of any Honda, period," said Nerad. That's high praise, considering that Honda is usually considered a leader in that area.


Full-size SUV - Chevrolet Tahoe
  


Priced from: $47,000

General Motors (GM) seems to be the last automaker around seriously competing in the big SUV market segment, notes KBB's Nerad. Yes, others still make them, but none have done as much to keep products up to date.

It should be no surprise, then, that GM's Chevrolet Tahoe offers the best value among big SUVs for the second year in a row, according to KBB. The Tahoe has a unique combination of style, economy and comfort.

Luxury SUV - Lexus RX



Priced from: $41,900

  The newest version of America's best-selling luxury SUV has an edgy design that might turn off some fans. Regardless, the RX is still comfortable and reliable. Along with strong resale value, that makes it the king of the luxury SUV category, according to KBB.

The new Volvo XC90 came really close to taking this catergory, said KBB's Nerad. Only Volvo's poor projected resale value kept it from taking the prize.


Truck - Ford F-150  



Priced from: $26,615

  The Ford (F) F-150 is now into its second model year with a new aluminum body, combined with available turbo-charged V6 engines. It's also its second year in a row winning a Best Buy award from KBB. Last year, in fact, it was the Overall Best Buy winner. But this year it was beat out by the little Honda Civic.


Minivan - Honda Odyssey  



Every year, it seems, the Honda Odyssey just keeps getting better, said KBB's Nerad.

"It checks all the boxes," he said. "Then they think of new boxes and check those."