When you go to a car dealership, the thing that most people are shopping with is their budget. You obviously can’t buy a $40,000 car if your budget is only $25,000. Therefore, you want to be able to get the most car for your money. You want to make sure that your car will hold up over time and also maintain its value. There are some cars that are clear losers when it comes to holding its value such as the Chevy Cobalt. However, there are plenty of cars that do hold their value well and are also the “most car for your money.”

U.S. News and World Report came up with a list comparing the cars. All the cars that were found to be the most for your money are worry free, have a low(er) cost of ownership and a high build quality.

Here is the list for 2009 as according to the magazine:

Best Midsize Car for the Money: Toyota Camry
Best Subcompact Car for the Money: Honda Fit
Best Compact Crossover (think station wagon) for the Money: Mazda 5
Best Compact Car for the Money: Hyundai Elantra
Best Midsize Crossover for the Money: Toyota Highlander
Best Luxury Crossover for the Money: Lexus RX
Best Full Size SUV for the Money: Chevy Tahoe
Best Sports Car for the Money: Mazda Miata
Best Luxury Car for the Money: Lexus GS
Best Compact Truck for the Money: Toyota Tacoma
Best Full Size Truck for the Money: Chevy Silverado
Best Minivan for the Money: Toyota Sienna
Best Large Car for the Money: Toyota Avalon
Best Upscale Car for the Money: Lexus ES

There is a trend on this list…If you can see Toyota obviously earned the most amount of points on whatever system that US News was using. Toyota has consistently been a brand that maintains its quality standards and holds its value well. If you count the Toyota brands on the list (including Lexus) out of 14 categories, Toyota holds 8 of the spots.

While the cars on the list may not be as amazing or outperform their competition, they are easier on your wallet over the time you own the car (and upfront). They are also cars that you can see yourself having for some time.

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