Kelley Blue Book Announces Winners Of All-new 2015 Best Buy Awards; 2015 Ford F-150 Named Overall Best Buy Of 2015

New Annual Award from The Trusted Resource® Honors Best New-Vehicle Choices Available in U.S. Market

IRVINE, Calif., Nov. 17, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Kelley Blue Book www.kbb.com, the only vehicle valuation and information source trusted and relied upon by both consumers and the automotive industry, today announces the winners of the 2015 Kelley Blue Book Best Buy Awards, honoring the top new model year vehicle choices available in the U.S. market. The 2015 Ford F-150 is named Kelley Blue Book's Overall Best Buy of 2015, alongside Best Buy Award winners in 12 major vehicle categories.

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"After carefully analyzing a wealth of data and conducting extensive vehicle testing and evaluation from the hundreds of models available for the 2015 model-year, we chose this year's elite group of 12 Kelley Blue Book Best Buy Award winners because they proved to be the top values in their class," said Jack R. Nerad, executive editorial director and executive market analyst for Kelley Blue Book's KBB.com. "Our group of expert vehicle testers chose the Ford F-150 as the Overall Winner in our Best Buy Awards because of its breakthrough aluminum body structure, its smooth and fuel-efficient powertrains and its impressive collection of thoughtful features. Offered in a wide variety of body styles and with a wide variety of engines, it is a suitable vehicle for a broad cross-section of the public, and the final piece is the F-150 is available for about the same price as the previous generation truck, which was a bestseller."

The Kelley Blue Book Best Buy Awards are designed to provide a significant service to new-car buyers by identifying the cream of the crop of all available 2015 model-year vehicles. The all-new awards are the culmination of a year-long regimen of expert vehicle evaluation and testing of nearly every new vehicle available in America, along with analysis of a broad swath of vehicle-related data, including vehicle pricing/transaction prices, 5-Year Cost-to-Own data (which includes depreciation, insurance, maintenance, financing, fuel, fees and taxes for new cars), consumer reviews and ratings, and vehicle sales/retail sales information. Of more than 300 new-car models available for 2015, Kelley Blue Book's expert editors initially narrowed the field to 49 Best Buy Award Finalists in 12 major vehicle categories and then spent several weeks testing and evaluating all of the finalists head-to-head to ultimately determine the winners.

2015 Kelley Blue Book Best Buy Award Winners

Overall Winner: 2015 Ford F-150
In a field of 12 stellar category winners, the Ford F-150 stands out for its breakthrough aluminum body, a weight-saving strategy that enables its turbocharged Ecoboost engines – another breakthrough -- to be even more effective and impressive. The fact that all this advanced technology is offered on a price-competitive basis with others in the hotly contested pickup truck class sealed the F-150's win as this year's Overall Best Buy.

Small Car: 2015 Honda Civic
Famous reliability has been the Civic's calling card for decades, but the secrets to its success are many. And even if they're not exactly secrets, no other automaker has been able to duplicate the Civic's well-rounded recipe.

Mid-Size Car: 2015 Honda Accord
The Accord's bulletproof reputation was a key factor in its big win over some stiff competition. The Accord also stood out as supremely satisfying to drive, confidently stylish and refined to the core.

Full-Size Car: 2015 Chevrolet Impala
The 2015 Chevrolet Impala offers the best of both worlds on several fronts. For instance, the ride is comfortable without sacrificing handling, while the steering is precise at speed but also makes parking a breeze. Best of all, it's priced thousands less than the competition.

Luxury Car: 2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class
The 2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class raises the bar on its competition. Mixing a sumptuous interior, elegant exterior, high-tech features and surprisingly dynamic driving experience, the all-new C-Class is a cut above.

Sports/Performance Car: 2015 Chevrolet Corvette
Steeped in driving precision and passion as well as straight dollar value, the 2015 Chevrolet Corvette captures corners outright and delivers whip-crack acceleration, while also providing excellent V8 fuel economy and resale value.

Electric/Hybrid: 2015 Chevrolet Volt
With a gasoline range extender supplementing its 38-mile electric range, the 2015 Chevrolet Volt looks to the future while also addressing the limitations of the present. Following a $5,000 price drop for 2014 and up to $10,000 in state and federal tax incentives, the Volt is a formidable tool for reducing driving expenses as well as fuel consumption.

Small SUV/Crossover: 2015 Honda CR-V
The Honda CR-V's effortless driving manners, roomy interior, stellar efficiency and reputation for reliability have made it a best-seller in a segment that is far more crowded today than when the original version debuted nearly two decades ago. Further enhanced for 2015, the CR-V remains the benchmark for small SUVs.

Mid-Size SUV/Crossover: 2015 Toyota Highlander
In a segment filled with excellent alternatives, Toyota's well-crafted, well-styled and well-sorted Highlander simply does the best job of seamlessly mixing and matching the things that count most into a single, extremely engaging package we deem the standard bearer for its class.

Full-Size SUV/Crossover: 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe
Totally redesigned for 2015, the Chevrolet Tahoe includes an array of innovative features, a modern passenger cabin and crisp exterior styling that separates it from the rest of the segment. With a cavernous interior, comfortable ride and choice of seven-, eight- or nine-passenger configurations, the Chevrolet Tahoe offers something for everyone.

Luxury SUV/Crossover: 2015 Acura MDX
The 2015 Acura MDX delivers impressive value-for-dollar in a family-friendly package you actually want to drive. Standard goodies like LED headlights, leather upholstery, and heated front seats only serve to sweeten the deal.  

Truck: 2015 Ford F-150
The all-new 2015 Ford F-150 is the most capable truck in its class, but the two aces up its sleeve are a revolutionary new aluminum-intensive architecture and turbocharged EcoBoost engines that promise to deliver unmatched efficiency and agility.

Minivan: 2015 Honda Odyssey
Even with the competition heating up, the 2015 Honda Odyssey prevails thanks to its excellent family friendliness and amazing flexibility. Ranging from comfortable to luxurious, there's a Honda Odyssey for every budget and family.

"Kelley Blue Book Best Buys represent the highest level of quality and value of all vehicles available in the American market," Nerad said. "With nearly 90 years of trust in providing car shoppers with valuable information, Kelley Blue Book takes great pride in providing a significant consumer service by identifying the new vehicles that our experts believe to be the absolute best-value choices for new-car shoppers."

To discuss this topic, or any other automotive-related information, with a Kelley Blue Book analyst on-camera via the company's on-site studio, please contact a member of the Public Relations team to book an interview.

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About Kelley Blue Book (www.kbb.com)
Founded in 1926, Kelley Blue Book, The Trusted Resource®, is the only vehicle valuation and information source trusted and relied upon by both consumers and the automotive industry. Each week the company provides the most market-reflective values in the industry on its top-rated website KBB.com, including its famous Blue Book® Trade-In Values and Fair Purchase Price, which reports what others are paying for new and used cars this week. The company also provides vehicle pricing and values through various products and services available to car dealers, auto manufacturers, finance and insurance companies, and governmental agencies. Kelley Blue Book's KBB.com ranked highest in its category for brand equity by the 2014 Harris Poll EquiTrend^® study and has been named Online Auto Shopping Brand of the Year for three consecutive years. Kelley Blue Book Co., Inc. is a Cox Automotive company.

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SOURCE Kelley Blue Book

For further information: Chintan Talati, 949-267-4855, ctalati@kbb.com, Joanna Pinkham, 404-568-7135, jpinkham@kbb.com,Brenna Robinson, 949-267-4781, berobinson@kbb.com