I Have Driven Over 200 Cars — These Are the 4 Best and Worst American-Made Cars for Your Money

16/06/2024

2020 Honda Accord Sport 2.0T

Choosing the right car for you — and your budget — isn’t always easy. After all, there are seemingly endless options available.

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The best cars are those that will last for years beyond the initial purchase and any financing you might have had. They’re generally reliable, efficient, and affordable both in the short and long term. Some even have decent resale value.

The worst cars, meanwhile, are those that not only cost a lot upfront, but tend to depreciate rapidly, handle poorly, have questionable fuel economy, and cost a ton in repairs and maintenance. In short, they’re a money pit.

To determine which vehicles offer the best — and worst — value for your money, GOBankingRates spoke to Geoff Cudd, a consumer advocate and automotive professional at FindtheBestCarPrice.com. He’s driven hundreds of cars and, while the ones he thinks offer the best and worst value are American-made rather than American only, here are his thoughts.

Cars With the Best Value

Honda Accord

The Honda Accord is a compact sedan with great performance and fuel economy. The LX and EX trims have a turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine, which offers a 192 horsepower experience. The hybrid version has a 2.0-liter four-cylinder and two electric motors for a total of 204 horsepower.

Although Honda is a Japanese brand, it has more than 12 million manufacturing facilities in the USA. More than that, it’s such a staple in the American automotive industry that it makes Cudd’s list of the best options on the market today.

“Over the years, I have had the opportunity to drive and review hundreds of cars, giving me a broad perspective on the automotive market,” said Cudd. “Among the best value-for-money cars [is] the Honda Accord.”

According to him, this vehicle has the right blend of economic efficiency, reliability and comfort.

In terms of fuel efficiency alone, the 2022 Honda Accord gets 30 MPG in the city and 38 MPG on the highway for a combined 33 MPG. Newer models may have even better efficiency, but if you’re looking for a true standout, the Honda Accord hybrid is the way to go. It gets 51 MPG in the city and 48 MPG on the highway.

Cudd also pointed out that, in his experience, the Honda Accord holds it value well. Purchased new, its MSRP is around $30,000, but even an older model has a similar resale. CarEdge reported that these vehicles depreciate relatively slowly at a typical rate of about 21% after five years.

As for upkeep, Cudd also chose the Accord for its long-term affordability. According to Repair Pal, this vehicle costs around $400 annually in repairs — not bad considering the overall low cost of these vehicles.

Toyota Camry

Like Honda, Toyota is a multinational brand started in Japan. That said, it’s widely recognized as an being one of the best American-made vehicles on the road. And the Camry, Cudd said, stands out above the rest.

“These vehicles are renowned for their reliability, cost-effective maintenance and strong resale values,” explained Cudd.

A new Toyota Camry also has a starting MSRP of $29,495, making it an affordable option from the get-go. But it also has a lot to offer in terms of performance. The 2024 version has a base 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with 203 horsepower. It also has an eight-speed automatic transmission and standard front-wheel drive — though all-wheel drive is also available.

As for fuel economy, the Camry gets an estimated 25 MPG in the city and 34 MPG on the highway for a total combined MPG of 29. Hybrid models can get nearly double that.

The Toyota Camry also has a standard depreciation rate of around 24% after five years. This puts the resale value at just over $26,000. And Repair Pal estimates it costs less than $400 a year in average annual repair costs.

Cars With the Worst Value

Jaguar XF

It’s no secret that luxury cars are often among the worst in terms of value alone, but Cudd said the Jaguar XF is one of the worst he’s ever driven.

“Luxury vehicles like the Jaguar XF often prove to be poor investments in terms of value for money,” he warned. “These cars tend to depreciate rapidly and require expensive maintenance and repairs that can quickly add up.”

Unfortunately, this gives them a much lower resale value as well.

The Jaguar XF, and its associated brand, is a British car manufacturer, but it’s also multinational. You might not find as many of these specific vehicles on the road in America, but they’re out there — and sleek as they are, they might not be worth the price tag.

A 2024 Jaguar XF has a starting MSRP of $51,075, nearly twice the going price for Honda Accords and Toyota Camrys. It also only gets about 23 MPG in the city and 30 MPG on the highway, meaning you can expect a higher bill at the pump.

But maintenance and depreciation are two major factors that make Cudd rank the Jaguar XF as one of the worst cars he’s ever driven. It has a standard depreciation rate of 50% after five years and a resale value of just under $30,000. It also costs an average of $1,066 in annual repairs.

Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Mercedes-Benz was originally made in Germany but is another multinational brand that’s commonly found on American highways. As beautiful as this car is, and as outstanding of a performance it offers, it’s not worth the high price tag — at least for Cudd.

Like the Jaguar XF, he said that a major turn-off for the Mercedes-Benz S-Class is that it’s far too expensive for the value. It has a starting MSRP of $118,450 and costs an average of $1,076 in annual repairs. It also depreciates 46% after five years on average.

The Mercedes-Benz S-Class gets similar gas mileage to the Jaguar XF. For the six-cylinder S500 version, expect around 21 MPG in the city and 30 MPG on the highway. The V-8 S580 version, however, only offer 16 MPG in the city and 25 on the highway.