Top Five Vehicles For 2011
Top Five Vehicles For 2011
Top Five Vehicles For 2011
The 2011 vehicles have been out for a few months, and they have been tested, reviewed, and the early adopters have purchased the first ones off the line. Now it's time to determine the best of the best.
Here are my top five vehicles for 2011.
Toyota Prius
Toyota's flagship hybrid vehicle, the Prius, has been available in the U.S. since 2001. While subsequent models have had small tweaks, the basis remains the same: extremely efficient gas mileage in a sleek design. According to automobile.com, the Prius is, "the most energy efficient vehicle commercially available on the market, and as such is the best economic choice for anyone who wishes to reduce their gas bills and contribute to a healthier environment." This about sums it up!
Particularly for family usage, though, some of the highlights include a camera showing the rear of the vehicle while backing up and multiple USB ports and plug-ins. But of course, in a recession, where gas prices are only rising, the biggest draw to the Toyota Prius is the gas mileage, in a relatively low-priced vehicle. Mileage estimates are 51mpg in the city, 48mpg on the highway, and an MSRP starting just over $23,000, which makes the Toyota Prius highly attractive to the budget-conscious family.
Honda Odyssey
The Honda Odyssey has long been a staple amongst the soccer moms and the daycare-children set. The 2011 redesign adds interior space, higher fuel economy (18mpg city, 27mpg highway), and, according to Consumer Reports, also added, "minor improvements in horsepower and torque." Other highlights for the family in the Honda Odyssey include a beverage cooler, more leg room in the third row, and a "wide mode", which allows the second row seats to move closer to the doors to allow a third car seat to be installed using the integrated LATCH system. One of the best perks is the free lifetime traffic information, for the husband who refuses to ask for directions.
Toyota RAV4
The Toyota RAV4 s a smaller sport utility vehicle, which seats up to seven passengers. The base model gets 22mpg in the city, 28mpg on the highway, which is on the higher side for SUVs. It also is rated an Ultra Low Emission Vehicle II (ULEV-II), and IntelliChoice rated the RAV4 the Best Overall Value of the Year in it's class for 2011.
While the RAV4 is pretty basic and standard in both the interior and exterior specs, it is a solid SUV, perfect for a family that wants a vehicle that handles as an SUV, but isn't an overly large truck-type SUV that may be more difficult to handle and wins the gas mileage contest over larger SUVs.
Chevrolet Cruze
In the compact car class, the 2011 Chevy Cruse is fantastically positioned in the market for the family that can make a compact car work. Even though it has the lowest price point in my top 5 family cars of 2011, with an MSRP starting at $16,275, the Cruze has more passenger room than both Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla. The Car Tech blog states that, against the Corolla and Civic, "I think the Cruze wins as far as feel, features, and driver-friendliness."
The gas mileage is also nothing to sneeze at, especially for families who are watching their pennies at the pump. Getting 36mpg on the highway, the Cruze is still reportedly smooth and quiet. So, for the family that may need to purchase a car to replace one that is maybe costing more money in repairs, or is simply needs to be retired, the Cruze is a good choice for a smaller family that is more focused on economy than bells and whistles.
Mazda 5
The Mazda5 was updated in 2011, the first update since 2005. Reportedly inspired by, "the beauty of flowing elements in nature," the redesigned Mazda5 is certainly more sleek and futuristic-looking than other minivans in it's class. But the perks don't stop on the outside, where the look is updated to appeal to the mom who wants the convenience of a minivan, but still wants to look stylish.
The major downside to the Mazda5 are that the side doors are not power operated. However, families with older children probably won't have a problem with this. MotorTrend reports that the interior design changes of the Mazda5 was for the better, going on to state, "it's hard not to give Mazda credit for trying to make the styling of a van interesting."
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