2009 Toyota Camry still Best Midsized Sedan for the Money

Economy and Reality have finally met, and the consequences aren’t pleasant.

The collective opinion of the automotive press is gathered and crunched to rank the Best Car for the Money awards, and as we all know, collective opinion must be right. Out of fourteen categories for 2009, Toyota came out on top with five awards and Lexus swept up another three.

All of the cars have things in common, such as a high quality build which means less maintenance costs, and less worry about random and expensive problems. The winners also tend to be in the automotive spotlight. Unlike fancy or gimmick cars, these vehicles stand out for being particularly practical. They may not be the sharpest turners or come equipped with the best suspension, but they’re good enough at everything to hit the consumer sweet spot.

The winners are as follows:

• Best Midsize Car for the Money – Toyota Camry
• Best Subcompact Car for the Money – Honda Fit
• Best Compact Crossover for the Money – Mazda Mazda5
• Best Compact Car for the Money – Hyundai Elantra
• Best Midsize Crossover for the Money – Toyota Highlander
• Best Luxury Crossover for the Money – Lexus RX
• Best Full Size SUV for the Money – Chevrolet Tahoe
• Best Sports Car for the Money – Mazda Miata
• Best Luxury Car for the Money – Lexus GS
• Best Compact Truck for the Money – Toyota Tacoma
• Best Full Size Truck for the Money – Chevy Silverado
• Best Minivan for the Money – Toyota Sienna
• Best Large Car for the Money – Toyota Avalon
• Best Upscale Car for the Money – Lexus ES

It should be kept in mind that cash back incentives and extra features do not always guarantee quality, and may simply overload you with excess that you don’t need.

Our take? If you can’t afford these Best for the Buck cars, maybe Santa will cover the difference.



via U.S. News & World Report