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I am, often, contacted by colleagues from other reputable automotive publications that go through great length to determine the best cars money can buy. When I saw Cars U.S. News’ top 2025 picks, I was not very surprised, but was also intrigued by the methodology behind the choices. There are three categories and three different winners. These may not be the most fun cars out there, but when it comes to comfort, practicality, safety, features and price, you can see why these three cars are the top picks for the best cars money can buy in 2025. 

Best Compact Car: 2025 Honda Civic 

The eleventh-generation Honda Civic continues the tradition of being a solid pick. To me, the Civic has always been the slightly more exciting version of the Toyota Corolla. Good reliability and safety rating, along with a practical and well-built interior, make the current Civic a popular choice. If the base engine's 150 horsepower doesn't seem enough, there is also a hybrid variant, which is as fuel-efficient as the Corolla Hybrid while offering better performance, for about the same MSRP. The 2025 Honda Civic starts at $24,250. 

Pros:  

1. Spacious interior  

2. Good material quality in the cabin 

3. Great fuel economy (31-32 MPG city/ 39-41 MPG highway)  

4. Intuitive infotainment system 

5. Great handling 

Cons: 

1. Underpowered base engine (1.5-liter turbo no longer available) 

2. CVT is the only transmission option 

3. Excessive road noise 

4. The most expensive base model in its class 

The Alternative 

I would get the Mazda 3 instead. Its interior is well-executed, although second-row seating is one of the worst in the class. Mazda's offering handles great and provides great ride quality. You can have a 2.5-liter engine (normally aspirated or turbocharged), which packs a lot more punch than the Civic's engines.

With the Premium trim, you can opt for the six-speed manual. The Mazda 3 looks better in my opinion. The bigger engine comes at the cost of fuel economy – 23-27 MPG city/ 31-37 MPG highway, depending on the engine and transmission. All-wheel drive is also optional. 

Best Hybrid Car: 2025 Hyundai Elantra Hybrid 

Hyundai Elantra hybrid is a solid pick. Many believe that what Hyundai does now is what Toyota did 25 years ago. While I would leave this to a debate, the Elantra's strong suits are its spacious interior, generous standard equipment, and best-in-class fuel economy. Last, but not least, the Elantra is the most affordable hybrid model in its class, with a starting MSRP of $25,100.  

Pros: 

1. The most affordable hybrid model in its class 

2. Spacious interior 

3. Rich standard equipment 

4. Incredible fuel economy - 49-51 MPG city/  52-58 MPG highway 

Cons: 

1. Mediocre interior quality 

2. Handling is not as impressive compared to most of the competition 

3. Underpowered engine 

4. CVT can make loud noises 

The alternative 

If a compact hybrid car is what you need, I would spend a bit more on the Corolla-beating Honda Civic e:HEV. It starts at $28,750 and you will be lacking some of the Hyundai's standard features, but you are getting a much better interior, better handling, and fuel economy that is almost as good – 50 MPG city/ 47 MPG highway. You also get a lot more performance than the Elantra Hybrid, thanks to the Civic e:HEV's combined output of 200 horsepower vs the Hyundai's 139.

Best Midsize Car: 2025 Honda Accord 

I can fully get behind the 2025 Honda Accord's US Cars award for the 2025 Best Midsize car money can buy, for a number of reasons. The Accord strikes the perfect balance of comfort, practicality, quality, and a name that screams reliability.

Some competitors in the segment offer slightly more generous standard equipment, but the Accord beats with one of the best-executed and most spacious interiors, and generous cargo space of 16.7 cubic feet, before you fold the rear seats down.

At $28,295, the Accord is also a bargain. While the Accord's hybrid version can save you a ton of money in the long run, the 1.5-liter turbo-four provides decent performance and fuel economy. My only gripe with the current-generation Accord is that Honda dropped the 2.0-liter turbocharged engine. 

Pros:  

1. Upscale interior 

2. Spacious cabin and generous cargo area 

3. Surprisingly sharp handling 

4. Silky-smooth ride quality 

5. Great fuel economy – 29 MPG city/ 37 MPG highway 

6. Intuitive infotainment system 

Cons:  

1. No more 2.0-liter turbocharged version 

2. CVT is the only transmission option 

The alternative 

Kia K5 is a great alternative to the Accord that costs slightly less - $27,190 base MSRP. It has most of what the Accord offers, for less money. The only shortcomings are that the Kia doesn't offer the same level of handling as the Accord, even if you go for the sporty GT trim.

There is no hybrid option either. Similar to the Mazda 3 from earlier, you get two versions of the 2.5-liter engine (normally-aspirated and turbocharged). They pack 191 and 290 horsepower, respectively. Standard equipment is slightly more generous than the Honda. The base Kia K5's fuel economy (with the base engine) is also comparable to the non-hybrid Accord at 26 MPG city/ 37 MPG highway. For the turbocharged Kia K5 those numbers are 24 MPG city/ 33 MPG highway. 

Do you own or have an interest in any of these cars? If so, feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Dimitar Angelov's automotive interests made him an expert in a wide variety of vehicles. Japanese brands like Toyota are closest to his heart, although performance cars in general are his favorite segment, which is why he is constantly on the lookout for the best deals on the market. Dimitar Angelov's car passion and knack for the written word led him to complete a Master of Arts in Media and Communications, and classic car restoration. Dim is happy to get behind the wheel of any car and share his impressions. You can follow Dimitar on X, Linked-in, Instagram, and Facebook.

Image source: Honda Civic, Honda Accord, Hyundai Elantra, Mazda 3, Kia K5