Vehicles with low price tags aren’t always the best value. They can have higher ownership costs, such as repairs, and provide a less comfortable ride and fewer safety features.
So which 2022 models offer the most for the money? Good question.
Hyundai, Kia, Nissan and Toyota rank at the top of the list in the annual “Best Cars for the Money” report, which rates vehicles in eleven categories, including hybrid and electric, SUV and sedan.
Full disclosure:
The annual ranking report is by US News and World Report.
ecoXplorer Evelyn Kanter has written numerous automotive articles for US News and World Report.
Link to my articles for US News and World Report.
Covering 11 automotive categories, the awards highlight the cars, SUVs and minivans that give drivers and passengers the best combination of quality and value in their respective classes, including for warranty coverage, annual fuel economy and other factors.
Each vehicle was rated by looking at each model’s real-time transaction prices, provided by TrueCar, and five-year total cost of ownership data, calculated by Vincentric.
Hyundai won five Best Car for the Money awards this year, which is more than any other brand. Honda earned three, while Kia, Nissan and Toyota each earned one.
The Honda Odyssey won this award for the sixth time, while the Toyota Avalon now has four Best Large Car for the Money wins under its belt.
The Honda Civic earned the award for the third time, while two-time winners include the Hyundai Kona, Hyundai Santa Fe, Hyundai Tucson and Nissan Versa.
The Honda Accord, Hyundai Elantra Hybrid and Hyundai Tucson Hybrid each won the award for the first time
Winner | Category |
Best 2-Row SUV for the Money | |
Best 3-Row SUV for the Money | |
Best Compact Car for the Money | |
Best Compact SUV for the Money | |
Best Hybrid and Electric Car for the Money | |
Best Hybrid and Electric SUV for the Money | |
Best Large Car for the Money | |
Best Midsize Car for the Money | |
Best Minivan for the Money | |
Best Subcompact Car for the Money | |
Best Subcompact SUV for the Money |
Since 2007, U.S. News Best Cars, the automotive channel of U.S. News & World Report, has published rankings of the majority of new vehicles sold in America.
U.S. News also publishes the Best Cars awards each year, including Best Vehicle Brands, Best Cars for Families and articles with advice for researching purchases, auto insurance and more.

ecoXplorer Eveyn Kanter is a journalist with 20+ years of experience as a newspaper and magazine writer, radio & TV news producer & reporter, and guidebook and smartphone app author – all focusing on travel, automotive, the environment and your rights as a consumer.
Contact me at evelyn@ecoxplorer.com.
Also follow my NYC website, www.nyconthecheap.com.
What do you think? We value your comments and love hearing from you.