Real Deals: Variety of models tap car tester’s 'best' list; compacts, crossovers most popular

They aren’t all domestic or import, sporty or bulked up, compact or wide body, electric or gas.

A Jeep is on the list, as are two Porsches, a Mini Cooper, Mitsubishi i and Scion iQ.

So are Fords, Cadillacs and Chevys; Toyotas, Nissans and Hondas; BMWs, Mercedes-Benzes and Audis.

What these 47 cars and trucks share is they’ve been touted by a national guide as tops in class, new model, fuel-efficiency or resale value in a variety of categories based on price and type.

Furthermore, all of the models are available now, or are on the way, to the Charleston market.

The vehicles were named to Kiplinger’s Annual Buyer’s Guide to the Best Values in New Cars. This is the 61st annual guide by the Washington, D.C.-based publisher known for its business newsletter and Personal Finance magazine.

According to Kiplinger, the new-car buying public is steering toward smaller vehicles.

“Compact cars and small crossovers are America’s new best-sellers, especially now that manufacturers are loading them with the latest amenities and safety features,” the company said.

The publication judged winners in 12 categories for best in class, most- fuel-efficient, best resale value and, in most cases, best new model. Its editors based top picks for best in class and best new vehicles on rankings for performance and value, which was half the score; and for safety, which was a third. The final factor was Kiplinger test drives of the cars, “during which we assess design, comfort and dashboard layout.”

Sedans and coupes were categorized in a half-dozen price levels, from below $20,000 to more than $50,000.

Crossovers, sport-utilities, minivans and wagons weren’t broken out by cost but were “scored on a scale that rewards lower prices.” Pickup trucks were not judged.

Kiplinger also provided a guide on “green” cars, pointing out pros and cons and listing a brand example for each option.

They were:

• Electric, Nissan Leaf SV — “Zero tailpipe emissions make EVs the greenest of them all. Downside is the limited range and few public changing stations.”

• Plug-in Hybrids, Chevrolet Volt — “There’s no ‘range anxiety' with this one but it has a high price premium.”

• Hybrid, Toyota Prius II — “Hybrids are eco-friendly without the high price of a plug-in, but the battery takes up cargo space.”

• Diesel, Volkswagen Jetta TDI — “Diesels are powerful and fuel-thrifty. Trade-off is that diesel fuel costs more than gas.”

• Turbocharged Gas Engine, Chevrolet Cruze Eco — “Turbos provide the cheapest way to go green, with improved (but not great) fuel economy.”

To further publicize the findings, Kiplinger Associate Editor and automotive columnist Jessica Anderson will host a live one-hour chat Feb. 2 at 2 p.m. on Kiplinger.com to discuss the 2012 picks.

Based on the company’s selections, some carmakers outdueled others.

By brand, Toyota lead with six “bests”; followed by Ford at five; and BMW, Chevrolet and Subaru with four apiece. Toyota Corp. placed first by manufacturer with nine bests: Lexus, its luxury brand, landed two winners and its youth-leaning Scion brand had one. General Motors collected six including Chevy and one apiece from Cadillac and GMC; as did BMW and its sister brand Mini, which boasted two leaders.

The Ford Focus SE four-door hatchback, priced at $19,095, pulled off a double when it was picked best new model and best resale value for under $20,000 cars.

Also with winners were Honda and Audi, which had three top choices apiece; Volkswagen, Infiniti, Porsche and Mercedes-Benz with two apiece and Kia, Mitsubishi and Nissan with one each.

Some brands were noticeably strong in a category. For instance, the two Mini bests were for top resale value. Other models stood out for a type of car: Honda took two of three bests on the minivan list; and General Motors won three of four in the truck-based SUV group.

Winning cars ranged in price from the fuel-efficient Scion iQ two-door hatchback at $15,995 to the new model Porsche Panamera S Hybrid four-door hatchback at $95,975.

The full buyer’s guide can be viewed online at www.kiplinger.com/links/cars and in the March issue of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance.

For more information, visit www.kiplinger.com/links/cars.

Reach Jim Parker at 937-5542.