Best bets to become best buys, this year and beyond

Introduction

In the end, it all comes down to value. That nebulous floaty-thing of a word that means a combination of everything good, value is what most people go for when it comes time to buy a new car. Yes, there is a small sliver of the market out there that buys more on heart and horsepower than value. But they’re the guys who still have car photos on their bedroom doors, so we’ll just put them to the side for now. For the rest of us, those who buy cars to drive to work and home and to the store, it’s important to find the best combination of style, features, price and warranty. And so, from a practical perspective, the most important auto show vehicle debuts this year are the cars and trucks that will provide the most value. There’s that word again – value. Truth is that the value of a vehicle can’t truly be defined until it’s been thoroughly flogged. Until, then, however, it’s possible to make a pretty good guess based on price, features, style and the automaker’s reputation for reliability and dependability. With these criteria in mind, here’s a look at the seven best buys from this year’s Detroit and Los Angeles Auto Shows:

1. Hyundai Sonata
2. VW Jetta
3. Audi A3
4. Porsche Boxster
5. Honda Ridgeline
6. Mitsubishi Raider
7. Toyota Avalon

Note the lack of domestic vehicles on this list. In analyzing the list of debuts, the Ford Fusion was a contender, as Ford’s new mid-size is based on a proven vehicle platform – the Mazda 6 – and is priced at around $18,000. General Motor’s Saturn SKY, a concept at the Detroit Show but a production model soon enough, was also a contender based on its magnificent appearance and potential. It’s smart to take a wait and see approach to these vehicles.