SOURCE: Publications International, Ltd.

 

LINCOLNWOOD, IL--(Marketwire - November 20, 2008) - Consumer Guide Automotive, the leading publisher of authoritative, objective new and used car reviews for 40 years, today announced the recipients of its 2009 Best Buy and Recommended Awards. The annual list, designed to make car buying easier for consumers, represents the best overall values in 18 vehicle categories. The complete list of Consumer Guide's 2008 Best Buy and Recommended Awards follows.

Since 1967, Consumer Guide's preeminent editorial team has used a comprehensive evaluation process based on the factors that matter most to car buyers to arrive at the annual list of winners. Initially, the list is divided into 18 classes based on vehicle type, size, and price. These class segments span the entire automotive market and include hundreds of cars, SUVs, minivans, and trucks.

The editors then use objective criteria, such as price, features, performance, accommodations, fuel economy, reliability records and resale value, to assess each vehicle. The winners are divided into two categories: The Consumer Guide Automotive Best Buy and Recommended winners.

A Best Buy rating signifies that a vehicle is ranked at the top of its class and is strongly recommended by the editors. Best Buy vehicles represent the finest balance of attributes and price within their classes, and they are the best choices for most consumers. This year's Best Buy winners include the Chevrolet Traverse, the Honda Fit, Honda's Pilot, the Kia Rondo, and the Volkswagen Tiguan.

Consumer Guide Automotive's Recommended list features cars that, though not ranked at the very top of their category, are still worth strong consideration by the consumer. This year's Consumer Guide Automotive Recommended vehicles include the Ford Flex, Hyundai's Genesis, the Jaguar XF, Toyota's Prius and the Volvo V70.

The key to the Consumer Guide Automotive's annual Best Buy and Recommended Awards is the careful evaluation of every aspect of each vehicle as it relates to consumer's real-world use of the vehicle.

"Our editorial team drives nearly 200,000 miles a year evaluating what these vehicles do well, and what they don't," stated Consumer Guide Automotive Associate Publisher, Tom Appel. "Our process assures that our recommendations are based on experiences that best reflect the settings and conditions that the average car buyer encounters every day. Whether it is driving through the city, highways, rural areas, long trips or simply picking up the kids up at school, we test these vehicles in the same way the average car buyer will use theirs."

Consumer Guide Automotive's 2009 Best Buy & Recommended Vehicles

Subcompact Car
Best Buy - Honda Fit, Suzuki SX4
Recommended - Hyundai Accent, Kia Rio, Scion xD

Compact Car
Best Buy - Honda Civic, Nissan Versa, Scion xB
Recommended - Chevrolet HHR, Hyundai Elantra, Mazda 3

Premium Compact Car
Best Buy - BMW 3-Series
Recommended - Acura TSX, Audi A3, Mercedes-Benz C-Class

Midsize Car
Best Buy - Chevrolet Malibu, Honda Accord, Kia Rondo
Recommended - Hyundai Sonata, Mazda 5, Saturn Aura, Toyota Camry,
 Toyota Prius

Premium Midsize Car
Best Buy - Cadillac CTS, Infiniti G37, Lexus ES 350
Recommended - Jaguar XF, Infiniti M, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Volvo V70

Large Car
Best Buy - Pontiac G8, Toyota Avalon
Recommended - Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, Ford Taurus, Mercury Sable

Premium Large Car
Best Buy - Lexus LS, Mercedes-Benz S-Class
Recommended - Audi A8, Cadillac DTS, Hyundai Genesis

Sporty/Performance Car
Best Buy - Mazda MX-5 Miata, Mini Cooper, Scion tC
Recommended - Dodge Challenger, Ford Mustang, Volkswagen GTI

Premium Sporty/Performance Car
Best Buy - Audi A5, Chevrolet Corvette
Recommended - BMW 1-Series, Jaguar XK, Porsche Boxster, Porsche Cayman

Compact SUV
Best Buy - Honda CR-V, Suzuki Grand Vitara, Volkswagen Tiguan
Recommended - Saturn Vue, Toyota RAV4

Premium Compact SUV
Best Buy - Infiniti EX35
Recommended - None

Midsize SUV
Best Buy - Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia, Honda Pilot, Mazda CX-9, Saturn
 Outlook
Recommended - Dodge Journey, Ford Flex, Hyundai Santa Fe, Toyota Highlander

Premium Midsize SUV
Best Buy - Acura MDX, Buick Enclave, Lexus RX
Recommended - Mercedes-Benz M-Class

Large SUV
Best Buy - Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Tahoe, Ford Expedition, GMC Yukon
Recommended - Toyota Sequoia

Premium Large SUV
Best Buy - Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
Recommended - Audi Q7, Cadillac Escalade

Compact Pickup Truck
Best Buy - Toyota Tacoma
Recommended - Dodge Dakota, Honda Ridgeline, Nissan Frontier

Large Pickup Trucks
Best Buy - TBD
Recommended - TBD

Minivan
Best Buy - Chrysler Town & Country, Dodge Grand Caravan, Honda Odyssey
Recommended - Hyundai Entourage, Kia Sedona, Toyota Sienna

Complete reviews of the winning vehicles, as well as other pertinent information for in-market car buyers, are provided exclusively by HowStuffWorks.com (www.howstuffworks.com) and can be found online at www.consumerguide.com/.

For more information, please contact Tom Appel, Associate Publisher, at tappel@pubint.com or at 847-676-3470.

ABOUT CONSUMER GUIDE AUTOMOTIVE

Since 1967, Consumer Guide has published authoritative, objective reviews of new and used cars and trucks. Its staff of 16 includes 10 full-time automotive editors with more than 150 years of combined automotive experience. Consumer Guide's singular focus is to make car shopping easier for consumers. Consumer Guide's editors provide professional, unbiased evaluations of nearly 1000 new and used vehicles as well as expert shopping advice, timely feature articles, and insightful automotive editorials. Consumer Guide is based in Lincolnwood, IL. It is published in print by Publications International, Ltd., and online by HowStuffworks.com. For more information, visit http://consumerguideauto.howstuffworks.com/.