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Ford, Toyota clean up in Best Car For The Money Awards

The U.S. News Best Cars for the Money Awards picks winners by looking at the average transaction price, five-year total cost of ownership, the regard a car has from the automotive press, reliability figures from J.D. Power and Associates and safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The result, according to the magazine, is "the best combination of critical acclaim and long-term value."
Ford nabbed six of the 21 categories that received awards this year, the Focus, Fusion, Fusion Hybrid, Taurus, Escape and Edge getting trophies. Toyota and its Lexus and Scion sub-brands took another five, the Tacoma and Tundra owning the two categories given to pickup trucks. The other ten awards were split between Honda with three, Buick with two, and one each for Subaru, BMW, Hyundai, Chevrolet and Mazda.
Follow the link to see all the winners and read about why they were chosen.

Toyota confirms C-HR crossover to debut at Geneva

With the compact crossover segment booming with new entries, Toyota soon intends to burst into the popular market with a production version of the C-HR concept. The rakishly styled, little CUV will show off its final face at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show next March, and European sales will start before summer, Autocar reports. Customers in the US will likely get to drive the angular model, too. The C-HR concept's chiseled shape is expected to make the transition to the road largely unaltered. According to Autocar, customers reportedly really dig the razor-sharp look versus a more conventional CUV design. A hybrid is also expected to be included in the production powertrain lineup, but non-electrified options could be available, too. The Japanese automaker last displayed the C-HR at this year's Frankfurt Motor Show. Underneath the avant-garde shape, the Toyota New Global Architecture provided the underpinnings, and a hybrid powertrain was there for propulsion. The concept's general design idea was actually the revival of a three-door crossover from the 2014 Paris Motor Show. In addition, the production C-HR is expected eventually to arrive in the US but likely wearing a Scion badge. Spy shots highly suggest that a crossover is already under development, and the entry would give the division a much-needed challenger to the Nissan Juke, Honda HR-V, Mazda CX-3, and plenty of others. Plus, the brand is keeping it absolutely no secret that a third, new model is on way to join the iA and iM.

2014 Scion FR-S gets price increase, knee cushions [w/video]

There's not a lot of breathing room between the Scion FR-S and the Subaru BRZ - the two rear-drive coupes are about as close to badge-engineered as the auto industry gets in this day and age. In this case, that's not a terrible thing, though, since they're both so engaging to drive, but it does make for interesting comparisons when it comes to pricing and model year updates.
Late last month, Subaru announced pricing for its 2014 BRZ, which didn't get much more than the inclusion of Aha internet radio compatibility and a $25,595 starting price - just $100 more than the 2013 model's MSRP. A modest $25 increase in destination charges ($795) means that it starts at $26,390. For its part, Scion will ask $24,600 for a base 2014 FRS, plus $755 for delivery, for a total of $25,355. That means the Subaru is more still expensive, but it has more available equipment as well.
The 2014 Scion FR-S isn't getting many tweaks, but a couple of small changes - knee pads on both the transmission tunnel and the door panels around the speaker grilles and a new standard 6.1-inch touchscreen audio system - are appreciated. (Note: 2013 model shown above).