Kelley Blue Book Best Buy Awards Blogger Ride-n-Drive Event

It’s been quite some time since I’ve been to a blogger event and I was really excited to attend the Kelley Blue Book Best Buy Awards Ride-n-Drive Blogger Event, thanks to iConnect! I love cars and this event was full of them – brand new, smooth-riding, comfy-driving cars who were the finalists of the Kelley Blue Book Best Buy Awards.I had a driver pick me up from my home in Nipomo and drive me down to the event in Newport Beach. Both drivers on the way down and the way back were fabulous and we had lots to talk about (if you know me, you know this is totally possible – ha ha)! When I arrived at the hotel, there was a goody bag waiting for me. I had a few minutes to clean up and off to dinner I went. We ate at a restaurant called Fig & Olive in Newport Beach. The food was really good and unlike anything I would have expected. After dinner, it was time to get some rest and get ready to meet the team in the morning. 

In the morning, we all met in the lobby and headed to the Kelley Blue Book Headquarters for some breakfast. After we enjoyed a yummy breakfast, we learned about Kelley Blue Book and about the Kelley Blue Book Best Buy Awards. It was great hanging out with old and new friends and learning more about Kelley Blue Book. I honestly didn’t know much about Kelley Blue Book other than it’s what my husband and dad used to get information about cars, especially when it came to buying or selling them.

After the breakfast, we headed out in front of the building and learned about how the team goes through each car and determines who the finalists for the Kelley Blue Book Awards were. What was really cool next was that we got to drive some of the cars that were finalists!

We went in pairs and had a route we could drive in the cars. It was a beautiful area! We had the opportunity to drive in 3 different cars (more for those who stayed after the lunch). I drove with both Katrina (from Top Notch Material) and Robyn (from Robyn’s Online World). It was so much fun!

We made a few different stops (and of course took pictures). Then we all met up at a park and took some pictures and learned a little more about what some of the cars could hold. It was fun hanging out with other bloggers who loved cars in a beautiful place!

Photo Courtesy of Kelley Blue Book

My personal favorite car to drive was the 2016 Honda Pilot. It was easy and comfortable to drive. Not to mention it could fit a lot of people in it. This car would definitely be one I would like to own some day!

About Kelley Blue Book

Founded in 1926, Kelley Blue Book, The Trusted Resource®, is the only vehicle valuation and information source trusted and relied upon by both consumers and the automotive industry.  Each week the company provides the most market-reflective values in the industry on its top-rated website KBB.com, including its famous Blue Book® Trade-In Values and Fair Purchase Price, which reports what others are paying for new and used cars this week.  The company also provides vehicle pricing and values through various products and services available to car dealers, auto manufacturers, finance and insurance companies, and governmental agencies.  Kelley Blue Book’s KBB.com ranked highest in its category for brand equity by the 2015 Harris Poll EquiTrend^® study and has been named Online Auto Shopping Brand of the Year for four consecutive years.  Kelley Blue Book Co., Inc. is a Cox Automotive company.

2016 Kelley Blue Book Best Buy Awards Announced!

Kelley Blue Book, the only vehicle valuation and information source trusted and relied upon by both consumers and the automotive industry, recently announced the winners of the 2016 Kelley Blue Book Best Buy Awards, honoring the top new model-year vehicle choices available in the U.S. market. The 2016 Honda Civic is named Kelley Blue Book’s Overall Best Buy of 2016, alongside Best Buy Award winners in 12 major vehicle categories.

“After carefully analyzing a wealth of data and conducting extensive vehicle testing and evaluation from the hundreds of models available for the 2016 model-year, we chose this year’s elite group of 12 Kelley Blue Book Best Buy Award winners because they proved to be the top values in their class,” said Jack R. Nerad, executive editorial director and executive market analyst for Kelley Blue Book’s KBB.com.  “Our group of expert vehicle testers chose the totally redesigned 2016 Honda Civic as the Overall Winner in our Best Buy Awards because it sets a new standard in a segment already known for delivering great value, providing an up-level experience to drivers and passengers in every facet of the driving and ownership experience.”

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.

2016 Kelley Blue Book Best Buy Award Winners

Overall Winner: 2016 Honda Civic

The venerable Honda Civic has been completely redesigned for 2016, and the compact car segment will never be the same. Stylish, refined and tech-savvy, sporting a powerful and efficient new powertrain, the wholly impressive and downright desirable new Civic is nothing less than the best car you can buy for under $20,000, and this year’s Overall Best Buy.

Small Car: 2016 Honda Civic

Last year’s Small Car Best Buy Award winner was completely redesigned for 2016, and took this year’s trophy even more convincingly. With a sharp new look, class-above interior, impressive new powertrain and cutting-edge technology, the wholly rethought Civic is the best of the class by a long shot.

Mid-Size Car: 2016 Kia Optima

After years of winning fans with its sharp style, premium features and solid value, a full redesign for 2016 has catapulted the Kia Optima past some truly great automobiles to claim this year’s Mid-Size Car Best Buy Award.

Full-Size Car: 2016 Chevrolet Impala

Chevy’s famously roomy, comfortable, affordable sedan is much more than that today. The latest iteration is also stylish inside and out, offers a long list of in-car technologies including Apple CarPlay and wireless phone charging, and balances smooth highway ride with responsive handling.

Luxury Car: 2016 Mercedes-Benz C-Class

Last year’s redesign elevated the Mercedes-Benz C-Class to Luxury Car Best Buy status, and nothing could take it away this year. The distinctive design gets even more appealing with time, while the polished interior and surprisingly dynamic driving experience feel equally timeless.

Sports/Performance Car: 2016 Chevrolet Corvette

An unmatchable mix of performance and price has always been the Corvette’s trump card, but impressive fuel economy and resale value strengthen its case as the Best Buy in fun.

Electric/Hybrid: 2016 Chevrolet Volt

Another 2015 Best Buy that was completely redesigned for 2016, the second-generation Chevy Volt complements greater battery range and improved performance with sleeker styling, more features, and even-more-attractive pricing.

Small SUV/Crossover: 2016 Honda CR-V

The Honda CR-V is the best-selling SUV in the country, one of our 10 most awarded vehicles of the past year, and now it’s been named a Kelley Blue Book Best Buy two years in a row. Effortless driving manners, a roomy interior, and a bulletproof reputation for reliability continue to set the CR-V apart.

Mid-Size SUV/Crossover: 2016 Honda Pilot

After shining brightest in our midsize SUV comparison test earlier in the year, with a compelling combination of utility, comfort, features and price, none of our editors were surprised when the totally redesigned 2016 Honda Pilot also claimed this year’s Mid-Size SUV/Crossover Best Buy Award.

Full-Size SUV/Crossover: 2016 Chevrolet Tahoe

The Chevy Tahoe is far and away the best-selling vehicle in the segment, and its unique combination of style, comfort, economy and value has earned it Kelley Blue Book Best Buy honors for the second year in a row.

Luxury SUV/Crossover: 2016 Lexus RX

The Lexus RX isn’t just the best-selling model in the Lexus lineup, it’s the best-selling luxury SUV in America. Buyers find great value in the comfortable, reliable, desirable RX, and a complete redesign for 2016 has helped it earn this year’s Luxury SUV/Crossover Best Buy Award.

Truck: 2016 Ford F-150

Radically redesigned for 2015 with an aluminum-intensive architecture and an expanded lineup of powerful, efficient turbocharged V6 engines, the latest F-150 enters its second model year boasting best-in-class towing, payload and fuel economy, and now back-to-back Best Buy trophies.

Minivan: 2016 Honda Odyssey

Combining superior flexibility, unmatched practicality and renowned refinement, the Honda Odyssey remains the minivan of minivans and a repeat Best Buy Award winner.

“Kelley Blue Book Best Buys represent the highest level of quality and value of all vehicles available in the American market,” Nerad said. “With nearly 90 years of trust in providing car shoppers with valuable information, Kelley Blue Book takes great pride in providing a significant consumer service by identifying the new vehicles that our experts believe to be the absolute best-value choices for new-car shoppers.”

For more information and news from Kelley Blue Book’s KBB.com, visit www.kbb.com/media/, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/kelleybluebook (or @kelleybluebook), like our page on Facebook at www.facebook.com/kbb, and get updates on Google+ at https://plus.google.com/+kbb.

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