The Top picks for 2011 cars

We cannot tell a lie: The six cars below are Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine’s top value picks this Presidents Day for $30,000-and-up vehicles.
“We feel these are the best cars for the money,” said Kiplinger’s Associate Editor Jessica Anderson, who analyzes more than 1,000 vehicles every year.
Kiplinger’s compiles its annual rankings by using a secret formula to compare a car’s price to its roominess, fuel efficiency, expected insurance premiums and other costs.
Saturday’s Herald looked at Kiplinger’s top picks for cars costing less than $30,000. Below are the magazine’s favorite $30,000-and-up models.
“Best in Class” vehicles represent Kiplinger’s No. 1 overall choice in each price range, while “Best New Car” ratings refer to the top-ranked new or redesigned 2011 in each category:
$30,000-$45,000 cars
Best in Class: Lincoln MKZ Hybrid Anderson said this diesel-power vehicle is literally Kiplinger’s favorite car of all time. She said the model combines roominess and high performance with a diesel engine that boosts fuel economy by nearly 30 percent. (Base price: $44,825)

Lincoln MKZ Hybrid

Best New Car: Lincoln MKZ Hybrid. This luxury ride gets the nod partly because it costs the same as a gas-powered MKZ at a time when most automakers charge some $5,000 extra for hybrid versions of cars. “You don’t have to make a choice between being green and saving money,” Anderson said. (Base price: $35,180)
$45,000-and up rides
Best in Class: Mercedes-Benz E350 Blue-TEC. The Mercedes E-Class already took Kiplinger’s “Best New Car” award when it premiered last year, but the new diesel version rates a “Best in Class” honor for 2011. Anderson said the model’s clean-diesel engine gets a category-leading 33 mpg/highway even though it puts out 210 horsepower. (Base price: $51,775)

Best New Car: Infiniti M56 four-door. This model offers good resale value, relatively low maintenance and insurance costs — and a beefy 420-horsepower engine that nonetheless gets 25 mpg/highway. (Base price: $58,775)
Sports cars
Best in Class: Porsche Boxster Spyder manual. The spartan 300-horsepower Boxster Spyder offers “power and performance without paying for the extra bells and whistles,” Anderson said. (Base price: $62,150)

Ford Mustang GT manual

Best New Car: Ford Mustang GT manual. Anderson said the redesigned Mustang GT boasts high resale value, good fuel efficiency, relatively low maintenance and insurance costs and a “killer” 412-horsepower engine. (Base price: $30,495)