Forbes - Most Action Packed Cars

First Forbes selected the 114 vehicles that received overall value ratings of "excellent." Then they ranked them based on the manufacturer suggested retail price and how overall ownership costs over five years are affected by depreciation, taxes and fees, fuel costs, insurance, interest, maintenance, opportunity costs and repairs. They chose the top 10 vehicles from that "excellent" group with the lowest cost of ownership to be on their Most Value-Packed Cars list.

Depreciation is the biggest factor in determining how much a vehicle will cost the owner. Most new cars lose anywhere between 10% and 20% of their sticker price the moment they leave the lot. Luxury cars tend to depreciate more than others, thanks to price premiums based on brand image, interior trim and newfangled technology rendered obsolete by the model's next generation.

Cars made by non-luxury manufacturers have something else going for them when is comes to a list like this: They simply cost a lot less than a new Porsche 911 or a BMW M3. In fact, no vehicles on Forbes list cost more than the $26,850 Prius-though the $26,645 CR-V comes close. Four of the 10 models on that list are made by Honda, and two by Toyota, both companies known for inexpensive-but-reliable cars.

It's a general rule that the cost of ownership number is going to be a lot higher for an expensive vehicle. But of course, a low initial price doesn't guarantee a good value either: The $11,965 Chevrolet Aveo, $13,225 Toyota Yaris and $13,320 Ford Fiesta, for instance, all cost less than the $20,825 Honda Element – which made the Forbes list. But those lower priced vehicles show relatively high depreciation rates and proportionate repair costs shot their overall cost of ownership much too high to qualify as good value.

Honda models listed as the Most Value-Packed Cars included: Civic, Accord, CR-V & Element!