Best Value Cars
Gallery 1
This segment shows how sensible choices need not be boring.
Subaru Liberty 2.5i
Sometimes all the figures tell you that a car will be economical to own while experience suggests the opposite, but that’s certainly not the case with the Subaru Liberty 2.5i. Armed with road-test experience, we’d guess that a Liberty would be a sound long-term proposition, if you value dependability and affordability. Plug its vitals into a spreadsheet and the hard data agrees.
The Subaru sedan is among the least expensive in its class, yet it gets more gear than most rivals, including all-wheel drive. The Liberty’s reputation translates into a rock-solid 55 percent three-year resale figure that’s much better than most and enough to give it the gong by a good margin, which is handy because it’s not the thriftiest in its class, and uses premium unleaded. Add to that six-month service intervals, meaning more frequent trips to the workshop than most.
Toyota Camry Altise
Mazda 6
MORE GOLD STAR COVERAGE
WHEELS GOLD STAR VALUE AWARDS
What if someone could expose the hidden costs, crunch the numbers, present the data, and draw conclusions about how to best spend your hard-earned on a brand new car? Enter Wheels’ annual Gold Star Value Awards.
Find out more
BEST PREMIUM MEDIUM CARS $45K to $60K
Depreciation takes its toll on otherwise excellent cars.
View the results
BEST LARGE CARS under $45K
Economical engines have helped large cars avoid becoming instant money pits.
View the results
