True, a vehicle’s MSRP is an important gauge of how much it can cost drivers to get into a new car, but it’s far from the only factor. Depreciation, financing costs, taxes/fees, insurance premiums, upkeep, fuel costs and a whole lot more are also part of the picture. And when the experts at Edmunds.com took that kind of information into account in their recent “Lowest True Cost to Own” analysis, they also ended up putting Honda in the spotlight: The automaker’s products led seven separate Edmunds.com categories in this important measure of automotive value.
The Honda Fit earned the nod in the “Sedan $15K-$25K” segment, showing just how versatile the subcompact really is. If you’re looking to cash in on the Fit’s low cost to operate, a pre-owned Honda Fit can be found at Marlow Heights Honda Dealers. Remember, the Fit isn’t even a sedan, but a stylish, surprisingly roomy five-door hatchback that’s as frugal at the gas pumps as it is fun to drive.
In the “Sedan $35K-$45K” category, the Acura TL bested all competition with its unique mixture of innovative technologies, sport sedan performance and dramatic good looks, all available for one of the lowest base MSRPs in the segment: $35,105. If you buy a previously owned Acura TL from a dealer such as Virginia Used Acura or Chantilly Used Cars the cost to own is even greater from the savings you gained by buying used instead of new.
The Honda Accord coupe was the car with the lowest true cost of ownership in the “Coupe $25K-35K” segment according to Edmunds, showcasing the car’s ability to offer a dynamic performance along with strong fuel efficiency numbers.
The highly capable Honda Ridgeline proved it wasn’t just one of the most capable vehicles on the market but also one of the least expensive to own, taking highest honors in the “Large Truck” segment.
For “SUVs under $25,000,” the choice was the Honda Element, which benefited from a substantial revamping for 2010. The current Element, even with Honda’s real-time all-wheel-drive system and an incredibly flexible interior, has an MSRP of just $21,775.
Toward the other end of the spectrum, the popular Acura MDX topped the “SUVs over $45K” category. Positioned as “the driver’s SUV,” the MDX is the best-selling vehicle in the Acura lineup, with sales up more than 50 percent through the first five months of the year. Acura Chantilly dealers have witnessed a steady stream of buyers that appreciate the MDX’s combination of entertaining driving dynamics, robust safety features, and its long list of standard amenities.
Last, but certainly not least, the Honda Insight more than lived up to its high-value, low-price proposition by being named the hybrid with the “Lowest True Cost to Own.” Starting at only $19,800, the Insight still offers an engaging driving experience, an exceedingly usable interior and stellar EPA ratings of 40 mpg city/43 mpg highway/41 mpg combined. Having changed little in the last few years, a used Insight from Richmond Certified Preowned Honda will offer the same low true cost to own.
Now, the math behind Edmunds.com’s proprietary vehicle-value measurements is a complicated bit of business, but easy to sum up: For vehicles that offer the “Lowest True Costs to Own,” customers need to make visiting their local Honda and Acura dealers a truly high priority.
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