Kelley Blue Book Awards Buick/GMC!

About the 5-Year Cost to Own Awards

Negotiating a good price on a new-car purchase is an important aspect of keeping your overall costs of transportation down. And we at Kelley Blue Book offer you unprecedented help in achieving that worthwhile goal. But if you negotiate a good purchase price on a vehicle that is burdened with high ownership costs, much of your effort could go to waste. The combined costs of fuel, financing, insurance and, in particular, depreciation could well eat up all the savings you fought so hard to achieve at the negotiating table.
So how do you avoid this potential pitfall? How do you save yourself from choosing a vehicle with cost-to-own figures that will make you wish you'd chosen something else? Happily you don't have to do analysis of thousands of vehicle variations, nor do you have to be a doctoral candidate in advanced economics. All you have to do is pay heed to our annual 5-Year Cost to Own Awards, which identify the 2014 model-year vehicles that are the least expensive to own in their individual categories.
The awards are based on our industry-leading analysis of the 5-year ownership costs of virtually all 2014 model-year vehicles available for sale in the United States. In turn the analysis considers every key criterion that figures into the overall cost to obtain and operate a motor vehicle over a five-year period. Included among the factors are financing costs, insurance costs and state fees plus the anticipated costs of fuel, scheduled maintenance and repairs. Also included are the critical factors of purchase price - in our analysis the exclusive Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price - and projected depreciation, derived from our Kelley Blue Book residual-value analysis.
To provide you with information that is pertinent to your individual needs, we calculate KBB.com's 5-Year Cost to Own projections at a make/model/trim level (e.g. 2014 Ford Explorer XLT 4WD) to enable you to examine total cost down to specific trim levels. To obtain make-model level 5-Year Cost to Own projections, Kelley Blue Book averages ownership cost projections to the model level, using actual new-car sales figures at the more specific trim level to guide the averaging. This technique gives appropriate weight to popular versions of each model. For example, it gives more weight to a Honda Civic LX Automatic, while lowering the weight of less popular trims like the sporty Honda Civic Si. By using this technique the KBB.com 5-Year Cost to Own Awards are insightful reflections of what consumers are expected to experience in the ownership of various models.
The bottom line: if you pay attention to our 5-Year Cost to Own Award winners, you can ensure that you won't pay too much for owning and operating a vehicle that is right for you.

Best Full-Size Pickup Truck:
2014 GMC Sierra 1500

All-new for the 2014 model year, the GMC Sierra boasts a stable of new engines, and has been redesigned both inside and out. While it shares just about everything (minus some exterior styling cues) with its corporate sibling, the Chevrolet Silverado, the GMC rendition is aimed more at the weekend warrior. The new engine lineup includes a 4.3-liter V6, 5.3-liter V8 and 6.2-liter V8, with technology like direct injection, cylinder deactivation and continuously variable valve timing. Each engine is mated to a new six-speed automatic transmission in an attempt to boost fuel economy.
The third-generation Sierra currently holds the title for best fuel economy for a V8 engine, something the entire segment is chasing, and respectable towing numbers to boot. The V6 engine is rated to pull 7,200 pounds while the 5.3-liter V8 can handle 9,100 pounds when properly equipped. Getting into the bed is easy, too, thanks to the new (to the Sierra) CornerStep bumper last seen on the Chevrolet Avalanche.
Besides the new engines, the GMC Sierra possesses one of the quietest interiors in the segment. This same interior has been redesigned for 2014 and features an 8-inch touchscreen which houses navigation and infotainment systems that are simple and easy to interact with.
When it comes to picking a 2014 Sierra that will be the easiest on your wallet in the long run, the Regular Cab Work Truck trim ranks the highest with an estimated $40,100 spent over five years. The Regular Cab non-Work Truck configuration follows with an estimated $40,518 spent over the course of five years while the Sierra Double Cab checks in at $42,819 over half a decade.

Best Entry-Level Luxury Car:
2014 Buick Verano

What makes a luxury car stand above an ordinary one? Two of the most defining characteristics are comfort and quiet, and the Buick Verano delivers both with ease and without pretension. Beyond its serene road manners and handsome looks, Buick's smallest sedan brings further peace of mind when it comes to price of ownership. For the second year in a row, the Verano is the 5-Year Cost to Own champ among entry-level luxury cars.
The Buick Verano boasts a bevy of features that belie its price, which starts under $25,000. Along with standard equipment like a 7-inch touch-screen command center and 18-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, advanced safety systems such as forward-collision alert and lane-departure warning are new for 2014. For drivers who want to add spice to this automotive comfort dish, there's the Verano Turbo that packs 250 horsepower for surprising acceleration.
Beyond the Verano's winning combination of style, suppleness and value is its attractiveness to a wide range of buyers, not the least of which is a younger generation new to the Buick brand. Helping send that message, literally, is the 2014 Verano's freshly enhanced tech system with texting support and integration with the iPhone's voice-driven Siri system.
No matter how you configure a Verano, its complimentary scheduled maintenance program only strengthens this baby Buick's stress-free mantra. Put it all together and the Verano sedan rewards with refinement and low ownership costs that outsize its compact dimensions.

Best Luxury Full-Size SUV/Crossover:
2014 Buick Enclave

The Buick Enclave isn't just a 5-Year Cost to Own Awards champion this year, we also named it to our annual list of 10 Best Luxury Cars Under $40,000. Its starting sticker price is thousands less than other full-size luxury SUVs, but that doesn't mean a sacrifice in performance, room or features.
The Enclave is roomy and offers seating for 7 or 8 passengers, and 3.6-liter V6 power with a 6-speed automatic transmission in either front- or all-wheel drive configurations. The exterior styling features flowing lines along with Buick's trademark waterfall grille.
Contrary to the Enclave's sleek looks, it's a people-friendly vehicle with one-hand operation of the slide-and-fold rear seats easing access to the third row, and a huge load space when the rear seats are down. The interior is simply elegant, with ice-blue ambient LED lighting, stitched interior surfaces, high quality accents and standard features like a power rear liftgate, 7-inch touchscreen, power seats, rearview camera and park assist.
The best part of all, however, is the ride comfort and quiet cabin thanks to the extensive use of sound deadening materials and laminated front and side glass, part of Buick's Quiet Tuning initiative. The Enclave's stylish looks, quality interior and hushed cabin combined with its low cost of ownership over five years is proof that you don't have to break the bank to ride in the lap of luxury.

Best Luxury Compact SUV/Crossover:
2014 Buick Encore

Good things do come in small packages, as the Buick Encore demonstrates by grabbing the category's 5-Year Cost to Own Award in its second year on the market. The stylish 5-passenger Encore offers both front- and all-wheel drive, as well as luxury features usually found in much larger and more expensive vehicles. The compact size, long list of options like rear cross traffic and side blind zone alerts, plus an upscale interior that features a 7-inch touchscreen as standard equipment combine to make the Encore a standout in its class.
Contributing to its low cost of ownership is the turbocharged 138-horsepower 1.4-liter 4-cylinder engine, which is mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission. This combo delivers 25 mpg city and 33 mpg highway in front-drive models. While it's good on fuel, the vehicle's small size and low weight support snappy acceleration and spirited handling.
Best of all, the 2014 Buick Encore incorporates the division's Quiet Tuning philosophy, which not only uses strategically placed insulation, but also an active noise cancellation system to minimize noise, vibration and harshness. This approach is responsible for imbuing this tiny crossover with the ride and comfort of much larger luxury cars.
And despite its relatively diminutive size on the outside, a 60/40 split rear-seat allows the 18.8 cubic feet of storage to expand to 48.4 cubic feet with the seats folded down. The Encore not only offers low cost of ownership, but also flexibility and comfort in an easy-to-park package.