WASHINGTON -

Used-car consumer data took a big step this week as U.S. News & World Report announced the expansion of its Best Cars rankings to include some 600 used cars, SUVs and minivans from the 2009–2011 model years.

Top-ranked vehicles in the study include the 2010 Nissan Versa as best used small car under $12,000; the 2009 Toyota Camry in the midsize, under $15,000 category; and the 2009 Honda CR-V as compact SUV under $18,000.

Other cars ranking highly on the list are the 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe as midsize SUV under $20,000, and the 2010 Kia Sedona as minivan under $20,000.
The 2011 Chevrolet Tahoe and the 2011 Ford Expedition tied in the large SUVs under $35,000 category.

The full Used Car Rankings are available at www.usnews.com/usedcarrankings.

By combining the consensus opinion of automotive critics with data on safety, reliability and operating cost, which is the projected five-year operating expense of a vehicle including the cost of fuel, maintenance and repairs, the news outlet calculated the scores for each vehicle.

The data points were weighted based on proprietary surveys of used-car shoppers, the company said, to determine what matters most to them.

The top-ranked vehicles are categorized by price range, year and vehicle type.

“In addition to the rankings, our reviews provide a balanced summary of each used car so consumers can make an informed purchase decision,” said Jamie Page Deaton, managing editor, autos, for U.S. News & World Report. “Over time, we’ll expand the Used Car Rankings to include additional vehicles and model years.”

Launched in 2007, U.S. News & World Report’s Best Cars website aims to serve as a free, objective resource for car shoppers, the company said, and has experienced traffic of more than 24 million people over the past year.