My thanks to KBB (Kelley Blue Book) for sponsoring today’s conversation. While the information below is compensated, I only share information I feel will benefit my readers. 

One of our big ticket purchases this year will be a new or like-new car for our teen daughter. We would never put our daughter’s welfare at risk by purchasing a car on price or looks alone, so my husband has been doing a lot of research on several types of cars. He’s checking safety records, drivability and cost in an effort to narrow down the list of possible vehicles.  As a car guy, he was happy to see that the Kelley Blue Book Best Buy Awards is now available for 2016 model year vehicles which will help narrow down our search and the amount of time he spends researching on his own. 

#KBBBestBuy small car award winners
Courtesy KBB.com
About the KBB Best Buy Awards:

“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 2016 model year vehicles.  The 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 2016, 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.”  


When we compared my husband’s list with Kelley’s, several of the cars we were considering received the #KBBBestBuy award!  Backed by nearly 90 years of expertise, these awards will help us whether we chose to purchase a brand new or gently used vehicle, because no matter how awesome we think a car is, our teen daughter has to like it too! She looked over the list of small car winners, and actually liked quite a few, including this cute little crossover by Honda.

#KBBBestBuy Award winner 2016 Honda-HR-V
Courtesy KBB.com

This is the 2016 Honda-HR-V, a smaller, more stylish CR-V, according to the Kelley Blue Book Best Buy Awards site. Isn't it cute? I can see my daughter driving around town with her friends in this.


Honda was well represented on the list as was of my husband’s first choices, the Chevrolet Volt. Check the infographic below for the whole list of award winners and some cool car buying tips and facts.



We feel confident that by taking our time, doing research on each car, especially all makes and models found on this great award list, that we’ll be armed with all the knowledge we need to make an informed purchase with our daughter.

If you or a loved one is thinking of buying a car this year, I invite you to visit the KBB Best Buy Awards list and follow then on Twitter @KelleyBlueBook and on Facebook at KelleyBlueBook. If you have a question about the list, use hashtags #KBBBestBuy and #ConnectKBB, and I’m sure they will respond quickly!


Disclosure:
My thanks to Kelley Blue Book for sponsoring today's post. Your yearly awards and website have helped us narrow our options greatly.  I will receive monetary compensation for my thoughts, however, I only share content I feel will benefit my readers. I’m disclosing this in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”