Vincentric lists 2021 Best Value Award winners

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There’s a lot of metrics to consider when you’re purchasing a new vehicle. Yes, you want the best price, but you also want the best value . That means considering more than just the sticker on the windshield. How do you determine that?

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For ten years now, Vincentric has put out an annual Canadian list of new vehicles that are tops in their field taking into consideration the following eight factors: depreciation, fees and taxes, financing, fuel, insurance, maintenance, opportunity cost (the amount of interest that could have been earned if that money hadn’t gone toward the vehicle) and repairs. According to Vincentric, “Approximately 2,000 vehicle configurations were evaluated in all ten provinces plus the Northwest Territories using a range of annual kilometre intervals and insurance profiles.” 

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Click on each winner, and you can see a graph that breaks down anticipated costs over a five-year period against competitors in that class. The study tracks various trim levels at various mileage intervals. By factoring in those eight major costs of car ownership, they project where on the “value” scale that particular vehicle shakes out. For people who want to understand the true cost of the purchase they’re about to make, it’s valuable information. 

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The graphs can look like a little overkill, but they parse out interesting bits of information like that the Mazda CX-30 has the lowest maintenance costs in its class, or the Hyundai Kona EV has the lowest total cost of ownership against its competitors. If you’re moving into unfamiliar territory with your next purchase, these kinds of things can be helpful. 

They break things down into the following categories: Overall brand, passenger car, luxury car, SUVs and crossover, luxury SUV and crossover, and truck. Within each category, it is further broken down by class. While there is an excellent mix of everybody throughout the many categories — you can see the whole list here — Toyota and Lexus come out overwhelmingly on top in many of them, with twelve models beating their competitors while also scoring three overall brand awards.

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The Toyota Avalon won its category for the seventh time, their Sequoia for the eighth. The Tacoma? It’s won its class all ten years running. Nice to see the Mazda MX-5 win for the sixth consecutive year, while GMC big beasts, the 2500 and the 3500 won their pickup categories for the second time. 

Scanning the results, it’s a testament to the strength of the industry overall that, while Toyota is a dominant force, BMW, Honda, Kia, Mazda, and Volvo sport multiple awards, while Ford, Hyundai, Jeep, Lincoln, Subaru, and Volkswagen all showed up to collect best-in-class trophies. The Ford F-150 has won the half-ton award for the ninth time.

It’s a wide cross-section of entrants with a large field of variables. Another handy guide to help you navigate a crowded, ever-changing world of vehicles.