Model year after model year, cars just keep getting better. It seems every new vehicle we drive is both more powerful and more fuel-efficient than its predecessor. More comfortable and more fun. More refined, but similarly priced. Choosing a good car is easier than ever, but choosing the best car is even trickier nowadays. That’s why several times a year we round up category bests and staff favorites and put together lists of Best, Coolest and Top 10 cars. From just-for-fun collections like Best New Road Trip Cars to industry benchmarks such as our Best Resale Value Awards, our lists help make the car buying process easier, more enlightening and maybe just a little bit fun.
2009 Best Resale Value Award
While most car buyers today consider sticker price the most significant number when choosing a new vehicle, our editors recommend taking a closer look at a number Kelley Blue Book is expert in calculating: its resale value. Depreciation often is the greatest expense incurred by...
The Kelley Blue Book Brand Image Awards recognize automakers’ outstanding achievements in creating and maintaining brands that capture the attention and enthusiasm of the new-vehicle buying public. The 2009 Brand Image Awards, presented to the top brands in 10 categories,...
2009 Top 10 Coolest New Cars Under $18,000
When we put together last year's list of the 10 Coolest New Cars Under $18,000, gas was approaching four dollars per gallon and fuel efficiency was more fashionable than ever. This year,...
2009 Top 10 Road Trip Cars
Ah, the lure of the open road. There is a magic about it that stirs the soul and brightens the senses. In this era of doom-and-gloom, when we are threatened by everything from pirates, to...
2009 Top 10 Green Cars
On last year's list of Top 10 Green Cars, we cited skyrocketing gas prices, a weak economy and growing environmental consciousness as the major reasons more car buyers were focusing on fuel...
2009 Best New Family Vehicles
If safe, roomy and affordable are the characteristics that qualify a vehicle as a family car, then the American family has never had so many choices. While a sea of options is ultimately a...
2009 Best Redesigned Vehicle
Few products reflect the accelerating pace of change more than the automobile. Whereas many of yesterday's new models were not much more than styling updates, today's redesigns are more...
2008 Best Back-to-School Vehicles
Whether school is across town or on the other side of the country, the beginning of a new academic year often necessitates the purchase of a new (or used) car.