Best Car, SUV, and Truck Values of the Year: 2022 IntelliChoice Award Winners Announced
Jeep wins big in IntelliChoice’s 2022 Best Value of the Year Awards.
How much can you really expect to pay for a new car? Hint: It's more than what's on the sticker. Before signing on the dotted line, buyers should ask themselves how much value the car will retain over time and how much they'll pay in insurance and fuel. Back once again to help buyers make smart purchasing decisions, IntelliChoice has announced the winners of the 2022 Best Overall Value of the Year (BOVY) awards.
AMotorTrendpartner, IntelliChoice has led the industry in car value analysis for more than 35 years. This year, it examined the five-year ownership costs of nearly 2,500 vehicles down to the trim, looking at critical factors such as depreciation, maintenance, insurance, financing, fuel, fees, and repair costs. The BOVY awards recognize vehicles that have significantly lower than expected ownership costs compared to other vehicles in the same category.
How IntelliChoice's 5-Year Cost to Own and BOVY awards work
Which Cars Are the Best Values? Toyota Faces Off Against Honda
Unlike last year, when Toyota and Lexus won 13 of the 25 awards for Best Overall Value, the glory is more widely spread this year among various brands. That said, the two automakers together still snatched an impressive six awards, including a win for the Toyota Corolla Hybrid, which was named the best value Compact Passenger Car. The Honda Accord Hybrid stole the crown from the Toyota Camry Hybrid this year to win in the Passenger Car category, and for the second year in a row, the Genesis G802.5Twon for Luxury Passenger Car.
An eight-year winning streak in the Performance Car category comes to an end for the Ford Mustang GT Coupe now that the Volkswagen Golf R has stolen the title. In the Premium Performance Car category, the Chevrolet Corvetteconvertiblezipped ahead of the competition.
Which SUVs Are the Best Values? Jeep Makes an Impression
Jeep SUVs earned three of this year's value awards. The Jeep Wranglerand Wrangler Unlimitedwon in the Compact and Midsize Utility categories, respectively. Meanwhile, the Jeep Grand Cherokee took the crown for the Premium Midsize Utility with the best overall value.
The Hyundai Kona stole the spotlight from the Subaru Crosstrek to become the best value Subcompact Utility. On the other end of the size spectrum, the Toyota Highlander Hybrid earned the award in the Full-Size Utility category, while the Ford Expedition took the award for Premium Full-Size utilities. The best value Luxury Utility is the Cadillac Escalade.
Ford Maverick Takes the Lead: These Are the Best Value Trucks
In a stunning upset, the new Ford Maverick unseats the Toyota Tacoma as the best value in the category covering smaller trucks. Previously, no vehicle other than the Tacoma has held the title in the last decade. But the Japanese automaker gets revenge in the Full-Size Pickup category, where the Toyota TundraCrewMaxscores the win.
These Two Vehicles Stood Above the Rest
Drumroll, please: The Jeep Wrangler once again takes the win as the Best Overall Value among all non-premium vehicles on the market. Among premium vehicles, the Lexus UX earned the title. Last year, its larger sibling, the Lexus NX 300h, took home this award.
Best Overall Value Popular Vehicle: Jeep Wrangler/Wrangler Unlimited
Best Overall Value Premium Vehicle: Lexus UX
Which Brands Have the Best Values?
In addition to recognizing individual vehicles, IntelliChoice honors automotive brands. It recognizes brands for excellence in three areas: retained value, ownership costs, and overall value.
For these awards, IntelliChoice takes a sales-weighted average of a brand's model lineup. Winners of the ownership costs category are brands whose vehicles have the lowest total ownership costs, and winners of the value category have vehicles with significantly lower than expected ownership costs for their peer groups. Jeep achieved two brand wins this year, snatching the title from Toyota in the highest retained value and best value categories. Lincoln took over the best value title from Lexus among premium brands.
Highest Retained Value
Popular - Jeep
Premium - Porsche
Best ValuePopular - Jeep
Premium - Lincoln
Lowest Cost of OwnershipPopular - Subaru
Premium - Acura
Learn more abouthow we value cars here.
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When I tell people I write about cars, the most common reply I receive is “Really?” I guess I never strike people as a car type as I drive down the freeway in the right lane going 60 mph in my old SUV. My gripes about driving in city traffic and fast drivers don’t help my case, either. For a time, the only cars I liked were old cars. Not old as in "classic" or "vintage," but as in well-worn. My first appreciation of cars came when I drove a very old Ford pickup. It wasn't perfect: I used a booster seat to reach the gas pedal, and the turn signal once fell off in my hand as I was learning to drive. But the thing I valued most was the memories. It took several years for me to truly become a "car person." Being a long-time writer and an avid reader has helped me develop a healthy curiosity and a desire to know how things work. This has made cars one of the most fascinating points of study for me because they are such intricate machines. I am interested in how cars can reach 200 mph, how they can run on hydrogen, and how they can drive and park on their own. I also enjoy learning how cars can solve problems whether it be in the form of reducing pollution, minimizing traffic, or helping people stay connected on the road. Yes, maybe I’m not a gearhead. Perhaps I’m a car nerd. Either way, I very much enjoy writing about cars and helping people stay in tune with the automotive industry. I wouldn't want to be writing about anything else. And don’t get me wrong: I know how to drool over a hot car. I am fascinated by the Tesla Model S, awed by the Lamborghini Veneno, and am hopelessly obsessed with the Audi R8.
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