Honda, Ford, Chevrolet get awards from Blue Book
The Honda Accord was named “best car overall” Thursday and Honda swept seven categories as Kelley Blue Book released its Best Buy car awards.
Ford and Audi each won two awards in the various vehicle segments. Chevrolet and Porsche made the final cut, too.
The Honda Civic and Porsche 718 Boxster won again. And both Chevrolet Impala and the Ford F-150 remained on the list for the fourth consecutive year.
Karl Brauer, executive publisher for Kelley Blue Book, said the Best Buy awards assist shoppers torn with indecision.
In a Cox Automotive Consumer Brand Tracker study in September, 64 percent of consumers said their opinions were influenced when a vehicle earned a Kelley Blue Book award.
Editors at KBB.com reviewed model year cars, trucks, minivans and SUVs, narrowing 300 new-vehicle models to a list to 12. The winners were evaluated based on price, performance, reliability and five-year cost-to-own data that include depreciation, insurance, maintenance, financing, fuel consumption and taxes.
The annual winner list changes as models are redesigned and resale values shift. Micah Muzio, a managing editor at Kelley Blue Book, noted that consumers can save thousands of dollars when they consider the overall ownership costs.
With the electric and hybrid category getting more competitive, 50-state accessibility helped push the Honda Clarity plug-in to the top.
“There’s a $7,500 tax credit, which brings down the price. It seats five comfortably and drives like a normal car,” Muzio said. Judges also noted the five-passenger seating and 47 miles of all-electric range.
The Trump administration and Republican leaders in Congress are pushing for a tax bill that would eliminate the $7,500 electric vehicle tax credit.