Of the many new vehicles unveiled every model year, only a select group meets the quality standards and delivers the exceptional value required by the editors of Consumers Digest to be awarded an Automotive Best Buy. In the December issue on sale today, the magazine awarded four Saturns – the Aura, Sky, Outlook, and Vue – with its coveted 'Best Buy' designation.

The magazine selected 49 out of more than 200 eligible vehicles that it believed offered the most value in their respective classes. "The concept of 'value,' as we see it," said a Consumer Digest news release, "is based on a vehicle’s purchase price and ownership costs relative to subjective factors like comfort, performance, styling and utility. By this measure, the least expensive cars are not necessarily Best Buys, nor are the best-performing and costliest models automatically given the nod."

Consumer Digest considered each car, truck, van, SUV and hybrid based on a checklist of various design and performance characteristics.

Design factors include:

• Styling
  
• Interior Ergonomics
  
• Seating
  
• Accessories and Amenities
  
• Cargo Space
  
• Fit and Finish

Starting and Acceleration

• Shifting/Transmission
  
• Steering and Handling
  
• Braking
  
• Ride Quality
  
• Fuel Economy

• Small cars: Dodge Caliber, Honda Civic, Honda Fit, Jeep Compass, Nissan Versa and Solon xB.
  
• Family cars: Ford Fusion, Ford Taurus, Honda Accord, Lincoln MKZ, Mercury Milan, Mercury Sable, Saturn Aura and Toyota Camry/Camry Solara.
  
• Luxury cars: Acura TL, Cadillac CTS, Infiniti G35 and Lexus LS 460.
  
• Sporty cars: BMW 3-series, Chevrolet Corvette, Ford Mustang, MINI Cooper, Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky.
  
• Trucks: Chevrolet Silverado, Ford F-150, GMC Sierra and Toyota Tundra.
  
• Vans: Chrysler's Town & Country, Dodge's Grand Caravan, Honda's Odyssey, Hyundai's Entourage and Kia's Sedona.
  
• Compact SUV: Honda CR-V, Jeep Wrangler and Toyota RAV4.
  
• Midsize SUV: Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia, Mazda, CX-7, Saturn Outlook and Saturn Vue.
  
• Full size/luxury SUV: Acura MDX, Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon and Mercedes-Benz M-class.
  
• Hybrid: Ford Escape, Mazda Tribute, Mercury Mariner and Toyota Prius.

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Source: Consumer Digest, Detroit News