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KBB: 10 Most Awarded Vehicles & 10 Most Awarded Car Brands

Written by CarPro | Jan 5, 2022 5:04:29 PM

Imagine sorting through more than 300 different vehicles to come up with your ten best of the year. That's what Kelley Blue Book did in order to name its 10 Most Awarded Cars of 2021 and 10 Most Awarded Brands of 2021.

KBB says its experts culled through all the winners from the company's 2021 award programs and tallied them up to get lists of the cars and brands that were awarded the most often. Kelley Blue Book's major annual awards programs include:

  • Best Buy Award
  • Best Resale Value Awards
  • 5-Year Cost to Own Awards 
  • Brand Image Awards

They also factored in the vehicles and brands featured most on the various accolade and 10 Best lists created by Kelley Blue Book's editorial staff this year – including the Best Family Cars, Best Luxury Cars Under $35,000, Best Hybrid Cars Under $40,000, and many more.

"There are many noteworthy automotive brands and vehicles in the marketplace, but ultimately Toyota and its RAV4 won the most Kelley Blue Book awards and accolades in 2021," said Jason Allan, director of editorial for Kelley Blue Book. "Our team works year-round testing and reviewing vehicles, along with examining all kinds of relevant data, to compile our recommendations for the best cars in a wide range of categories – all with the ultimate goal to help car shoppers as they navigate their journey. The standout vehicles are strong enough that they often appear on multiple lists, and the top brands boast lineups full of award winners."            

Kelley Blue Book's 10 Most Awarded Cars of 2021


We begin with KBB's list of most awarded cars, with editorial comments from the KBB team as issued in a press release.


Rank

Year

Make/Model

KBB's Editorial Comments

1

2021

Toyota RAV4
The 2021 Toyota RAV4 is our [KBB] most awarded car of the year.
This 5-passenger compact SUV is spacious and comfortable with a
wide range of trims and engine options. The RAV4 Prime plug-in hybrid
earned a 2021 Best Buy Award and a spot on the 14 Best New and
Redesigned SUVs list. The RAV4 also was a 2021 Best Buy Award winner
and one of the 12 Best Family Cars of 2021.

2

2021

Hyundai Elantra

The roomy 2021 Hyundai Elantra sedan is available with gas and hybrid
powertrains. It was a [KBB] 2021 Best Buy Award and 5-Year Cost to Own Award
winner, along with being named one of the 10 Best Sedans Under $30,000,
10 Coolest Cars Under $30,000, 10 Best Hybrid Cars Under $30,000, and 10
Best Road Trip Cars of 2021.

3

2021

Toyota Sienna

The 2021 Toyota Sienna minivan is the ultimate family hauler, with room for
everyone and their stuff, the convenience of sliding doors, available all-
wheel drive, and a standard hybrid engine rated to return up to 36 mpg. It
was a [KBB] 2021 Best Buy Award and Best Resale Value Award winner, along with
being named one of the 12 Best Family Cars, 10 Best Road Trip Cars, and 8
Best Hybrid Cars Under $40,000 for 2021.

4

2021

Jeep Wrangler

A longtime top pick for off-road enthusiasts, the 2021 Jeep Wrangler can go
where other vehicles don't stand a chance. Available as a 2-door or 4-door,
owners can even remove the doors and roof to fully enjoy the outdoors. It
was a [KBB] 2021 Best Resale Value Award and 5-Year Cost to Own Award winner,
along with being named one of the 10 Most Fun SUVs and 10 Coolest Cars
Under $30,000 for 2021.

5

2021

Kia Telluride

The 2021 Kia Telluride is a 3-row SUV with all of the comfort and features a
busy family wants, along with a smooth, quiet ride, lots of room for cargo,
and a beautiful, upscale interior. It was a [KBB] 2021 Best Buy Award and Best
Resale Value Award winner, along with being named one of the 12 Best
Family Cars and 10 Best Road Trip Cars of 2021.

6

2021

Toyota Corolla

The 2021 Toyota Corolla is available in a wide range of configurations with
multiple engine options, all with quality materials and affordable pricing. The
hatchback was named one of the 10 Coolest Cars Under $20,000 and a 10
Best Family Cars Under $25,000 winner for 2021. The sedan was named one
of the 10 Best Sedans Under $30,000, while the hybrid earned a spot on the
10 Best Hybrid Cars Under $30,000 list for 2021.

7

2021

Kia Seltos

The 2021 Kia Seltos subcompact SUV has seating for five people and good
room for cargo, along with eye-catching styling that packs in a lot of features
for the price, making it a great value. It won two [KBB] 2021 Best Buy Awards
including Best New Model. It also was named one of the 10 Best Family Cars
Under $25,000 and 14 Best New and Redesigned SUVs for 2021.

8

2021

Toyota Tacoma

The 2021 Toyota Tacoma midsize pickup can carry a payload and tow larger
items while having more city-friendly dimensions. It was a [KBB] 2021 Best Buy
Award and Best Resale Value Award winner, along with being named one of
the 10 Coolest Cars Under $30,000 for 2021.

9

2021

Hyundai Santa Fe

The 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe midsize SUV has room for the family and all their
stuff in a quiet and well-appointed interior, offered with a fuel-efficient gas
engine or as a hybrid. It was a [KBB] 2021 Best Buy Award winner, along with being
named one of the 12 Best Family Cars, 14 Best New and Redesigned SUVs,
and 8 Best Hybrid Cars Under $40,000 for 2021.

10

2021

Subaru Outback

Standard all-wheel drive and a durable interior designed to withstand
outdoor adventures make the 2021 Subaru Outback a great choice for active
lifestyles. It's also a terrific value, winning a [KBB] 2021 Best Resale Value Award
and a 5-Year Cost to Own Award, along with being named one of the 10 Best
Road Trip Cars of 2021.

 

Kelley Blue Book's 10 Most Awarded Brands of 2021

For more on the awards visit KBB's website here.

Photo Credit: Toyota. 

 

 

 
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