Video: These New Cars Have the Most Bang for the Buck

We looked at hundreds of new models, thousands of configurations to find which cars have a standard set of features that we think should be included in every class of vehicle. And then from there, we looked at estimated fuel costs for the year to make sure that you're getting a car that has low cost of ownership over the lifespan of the vehicle. And then we also picked cars that come in under the average price of the class. So we're gonna go through the winners in each class, but also know that we picked podium winners. So there are more options available when you read the full article at Car.com. You are shopping for an SUV, we know you're shopping for an SUV, hugely popular body style, and we get it. They're versatile and now they're in almost every price class. So we looked at subcompact, compact, and mid-size SUVs to find the ones with the best value. The subcompact SUV with the best value is the 2025 Chevrolet Trax. Now, you're gonna wanna get that in the LS trim level with the driver confidence package, which at just about $24,000, including a year's worth of gas, is one of the least expensive cars on our whole list. Now the Trax doesn't offer all-wheel drive, but its usability and size is definitely more SUV-like than car-like. Compact SUVs have taken the place of the family sedan with names like Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4. But the 2025 Ford Escape Active is our best value compact SUV with the total cost of $31,500. Among competitors, the Escape is one of the more fuel efficient non-hybrid compact SUVs available. The average price for the mid-size SUV class on Cars.com is $47,000, but you don't have to pony up for a Hyundai Palisade or Volkswagen Atlas to get a lot of value in this class. Now this is where the 2025 Kia Sorento LX comes in with its total cost of just about $34,000. The Sorento has a standard third row, and while it is on the smaller side, it's still a lot of SUV for the money. Trucks always come to mind when we think about how expensive new cars have gotten, and especially full-size trucks with just jaw dropping new car prices. But it doesn't have to be that way. Compact pickups offer a lot of versatility at an attractive price. So there are really just two compact pickup trucks on sale today, but it's the 2025 Ford Maverick XL Hybrid that takes top spot again on our list. And that's despite a big price increase for 2025. And what's keeping the Maverick on top is its impressive fuel economy that keeps operating costs down. But if you want to spend a little more money on a lot more truck, well, the mid-sizers have what you need, and that's why we picked the 2025 Nissan Frontier S as our best value mid-size pickup truck. In King Cab form with a six foot box, the Frontier S has a total cost of just under $36,000. We're used to seeing $80,000 full-size pickup trucks come through our test fleet, but those looking for a more affordable entry point into a full-size pickup truck have the 2025 Ford F-150 to look at. The XL trim level met all of our criteria while being thousands of dollars less than competitors. It's the XL rear wheel drive super cab with the six and a half foot bed and base 2.7 liter eco boosts engine that has a total cost of just over $48,000. What about good old sedans? Well, they're still out there and they still have a lot of value. We looked at subcompact and compact sedans, and in truth, there's really only one subcompact car left. It's the 2025 Nissan Versa. And it takes the SV trim level to get all the goods, and it has a total cost of just over $23,000 with all the features and its annual fuel cost. Nissan has affordable sedans on lock because the compact 2025 Nissan Sentra S is the best value compact car. In all honesty, these two cars on our list, the Sentra and the Versa, are actually very similarly priced. And that's because the subcompact Versa is a more expensive version of its car, whereas the Sentra is the least expensive version. So there are about the same, that have the same standard features and even similar fuel economy. The one differentiator that we saw though, is that there are a lot more Sentras available than Versas in our inventory. Electric cars can have hidden costs such as home charger installation, higher insurance costs, and more expensive DC fast charging. But you can start out ahead with a car like the 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 6. We think the Ioniq 6 is one of the most underappreciated EVs on sale today. It's SE rear wheel drive model meets our feature and range criteria with its long range battery having an EPA rated 342 miles of range and all of this for a total cost of just over $41,000. So there you have it. It's our best value winners of 2025. Know that this list is primarily features for the money, and if you're looking for our hands-on evaluations, be sure to watch our videos and head over to Cars.com to read our expert reviews. (upbeat music)