The 10 Best Cars to Buy in Canada
From price to safety rating to style to tech features, there’s a lot to think about when buying a new car in 2018. Automakers are constantly reinventing the wheel (pardon the pun), and that means higher quality vehicles are available to consumers year-after-year.
With so many new cars on the market, it’s hard to figure out which model is the right one for your lifestyle. And you might even be weighing up whether to buy new or used. Thankfully, there are people who’ve already done the test-driving so you don’t have to.
Best Cars to Buy in Canada
Every year KBB drives and reviews hundreds of new cars, trucks and SUVs, a nonstop process of evaluation that also informs their Buyer’s Guides, Comparison Tests, 10 Best lists and more. Then, at the beginning of each new model year, they gather the previous year’s Best Buy Award winners, the best of the challengers and all the brand-new models they can get our hands on — sometimes pre-production versions of vehicles not yet on dealer lots — and subject them to several weeks of focused, side-by-side evaluation.
The driving component is critical, of course, but a big part of what makes their Best Buy Awards so valuable is the data behind it. Their resale value and 5-Year Cost to Own calculations loom especially large in the overall analysis. Depreciation is almost always the biggest expense in new-car ownership, and without taking it into account it’s almost impossible to know which of two similarly priced cars will cost you more in the long run. If you want to get the most car for your money, you have to consider all your costs.
The cars that made the cut come from the 2018 Kelley Blue Book (KBB) Awards as well as sales data from Edmunds. Further below we have provided our thoughts on the best cars in this list.
So here it is, in no particular order, our list of the best cars to buy in Canada in 2018:
- Honda Civic
- Honda Accord
- Chevrolet Impala
- Honda Pilot
- Honda Odyssey
- Ford F-150
- Audi A5 Sportback
- Chrysler 300
- Toyota Highlander
- Lexus ES 350
- Are we missing any more? Let us know!
Best Small Car: Honda Civic
Honda cleaned up in KBB’s rankings this year, occupying more than half of the Best Buys categories. The Civic is an enduring classic that is fun to drive, safe, reasonably priced, well-equipped and fuel efficient. It is available as a sedan, coupe or hatchback so you can customize the Civic to suit your needs. Beyond the base models, you can opt for driver-assist and safety features like adaptive cruise control and lane departure warnings.
Best Midsize Car: Honda Accord
The Honda Accord was deemed the “finest midsize sedan money can buy” by KBB for its reliability, sophisticated details and excellent resale value. Not to mention that it comes with a whole pile of cool tech features that make for a safer, more connected driving experience. The Accord was also selected as the best overall car in 2018.
Best Full-size Car: Chevrolet Impala
If you’re looking for a roomier ride, the Chevrolet Impala takes the cake. It can carry five adults comfortably and has the most trunk space in its class. Both of the 2018 Impala’s engine choices carry the car gracefully through city traffic and highway driving with good fuel economy. It is simple to use and has plenty of add-on features, like keyless entry and start, that can make life a little easier.
Best Midsize SUV: Honda Pilot
The three-row Honda Pilot won best in class for its utility features, drivability and cost-effectiveness. The midsize SUV has ample seating for up to eight people and a variety of hidden compartments and cargo space. In terms of manoeuvrability, the Pilot is a great balance of comfort and responsiveness. Not bad for a family vehicle with long-lasting durability and high resale value.
Best Minivan: Honda Odyssey
This isn’t your soccer-mom’s minivan. The Honda Odyssey is an attractive, feature-packed ride with room for the whole family — and all of their stuff. Not only does the Odyssey win in functionality and cargo space, it also has a huge array of family-friendly tech features, including the option to turn the minivan into a rolling WiFi hotspot and a built-in vacuum cleaner. It seats eight comfortably and handles quietly and confidently on the road.
Best Pickup Truck: Ford F-150
Whether you’re looking for a workhorse or a head-turner, the 2018 Ford F-150 has you covered. Ford’s updated powertrain options give the new F-150s a large towing capacity and impressive fuel economy. According to KBB, it’s a joy to drive that feels light on its feet while keeping you and your passengers comfortable in its roomy cabin. It’s also equipped with some useful features like a remote-release tailgate and Backup Assist.
Best Luxury Car: Audi A5 Sportback
While style was a major consideration for this year’s top luxury car pick, the Audi A5 Sportback delivers beyond its sleek exterior. The hatchback sedan’s 252 horsepower engine means it has plenty of giddy-up and the fingertip paddle shifters offer a fun driving option. The A5’s “virtual cockpit” is also fully customizable so you can decide what’s displayed on the dash.
Last year we produced an infographic to shed some light on how people are buying cars. If stats are your thing, do check that out!
Check out the rest of our blog for more helpful articles covering a wide array of topics. Use Birchwood Credit Solutions car loan calculator to work out what you may be able to spend on a new car, truck or SUV, and apply for a pre-approved car loan online.
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