News Source: autoblog.com

Bang for the buck. That quasi-scientific statistic is bandied about by motor heads everywhere from classrooms to barrooms, though the truth of the matter is that it's exceedingly complex to measure. A fair performance-per-dollar index would include something like cross-referencing MSRP with point-to-point times on a track or driving route, which is obviously hard to do comprehensively.

But, for the sheer joy of talking about cars and playing with a big spreadsheet, there's always the horsepower-per-dollar index, which is more straightforward, if hilariously flawed.

There are vagaries even with this simple formula, of course: MSRP for vehicles can change at a moments notice, to say nothing of the bottom-line shifting that happens with local deals or showroom haggling. For my list, I'm running with the straight MSRP wherever possible, and as recently reported as I can get it. All the vehicles on my list are 2015 models (with the exception of a few exotics that seem to shun formal model year designation), and all trims are reported where the lowest price and differing power levels intersect. Some choices were made for personal preference (I listed models with a coupe/convertible variant separately), and some for my sanity (I avoided things like all 48 trim levels of the same Ford Transit, all with the same horsepower).

In any case, my full spreadsheet is public here, so feel free to look, grouse and point out where my 633-car list should have been 634. If this list were a simple top ten, or even a top fifty, you'd be bored to tears with all the red, white and blue that is represented. Following perfectly with conventional wisdom, American cars really do lead the world where hp/$ is concerned. The Toyota Tundra ($76.43/hp) and the Hyundai Genesis Coupe ($76.87/hp) rank third and fourth on the list, but you'll scroll down to rank 26 before you find another import brand.

So, for the sake of variety (and the sheer joy of seeing a minivan 'win' one round of this thing) I've sorted out some top five and bottom five lists for broad power categories. Let's dive in.

Less Than 100 Horsepower

Okay, okay, this is hardly a category I'll grant you. But I've often tried to click off all the sub-100-hp cars on sale in the US, and making this list gave me an excuse to know that there are seven total, or five if you insist on lumping all the Smarts together.

It also illustrates that none of the tiny tikes bring cheap horsepower to the table. The segment-leading Chevy Spark asks just over $146 for each hp, good for just 283rd place in the total population. Oh, and that Smart Fortwo Electric Drive has hp on sale for about the same price as its very distant family cousin, the Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG (insert your favorite Smart joke here... I know you want to).

1. Chevrolet Spark – 84 hp, $12,270, $146.07/hp
2. Scion iQ – 94 hp, $15,665, $166.65/hp
3. Mitsubishi Mirage – 74 hp, $12,995, $175.61/hp
4. Smart Fortwo – 70 hp, $13,270, $189.57/hp
5. Toyota Prius C – 99 hp, $19,540, $197.37/hp
6. Smart Fortwo Convertible – 70 hp, $256.14/hp
7. Smart Fortwo Electric Drive – 74 hp, $25,000, $337.84/hp  
   100 – 200 Horsepower With everything from compact and midsize sedans, to light trucks, to crossovers and SUVs falling into the 100- to 200-hp range, this category is a huge one for cars the Average Joe actually buys. And, as you can see, the top of it is dominated by US products. GM's new midsize truck twins bookend the top five, where the very reasonable $100/hp range is the order of the day.
   
   The bottom of this hp range starts a trend you'll see throughout this piece: categories dominated by very similar cars. Here, only the E250 BlueTEC stands out, with small, electric vehicles making up the rest of the bottom five. Electric propulsion for the masses has come a long way, but it's still tough to make cheaply.
   
   Least Expensive:
8. Chevrolet Colorado 2.5L – 200 hp, $20,120, $100.60/hp
9. Dodge Dart SXT 2.4L – 184 hp, $18,895, $102.69/hp
10. Dodge Dart SE 2.0L – 160 hp, $16,495, $103.09/hp
11. Chevrolet Sonic – 138 hp, $14,245, $103.22/hp
12. GMC Canyon 2.5L – 200 hp, $20,995, $104.98/hp

1. Kia Soul EV – 109 hp, $33,700, $309.17/hp
2. Volkswagen e-Golf – 115 hp, $35,445, $308.22/hp
3. Fiat 500e – 111 hp, $31,800, $286.49/hp
4. Nissan Leaf – 107 hp, $29,010, $271.12/hp
5. Mercedes-Benz E250 BlueTEC – 195 hp, $51,800, $265.64
6. 201 – 300 Horsepower   From over 200 to up to 300 ponies, some real performance cars can start to be had. The trouble is that most of them still charge a bit of a premium for the very best versions. So, while the V6-powered Mustang comes in third here, it's our unlikely heroes, the Dodge Grand Caravan in its very cheapest American Value trim, and the blue-collar Ram Cargo Van, that take the cake. Not surprisingly, the two minivans and the Jeep Wrangler, all make good use of the Pentastar V6 that FCA US uses so well and so liberally across its product lines.
   
   And for the bottom five, I'd like to show you something in a luxury diesel. In a torque-based list these five would do much better, but here in hp/$ land, they're screwed.
   
   Least Expensive:
7. Dodge Grand Caravan American Value – 283 hp, $21,395, $75.60/hp
8. Ram Cargo Van – 283 hp, $22,000, $77.74/hp
9. Ford Mustang 3.7L – 300 hp, $23,600, $78.67/hp
10. Jeep Wrangler – 285 hp, $22,705, $79.67/hp
11. Chevrolet Silvarado 1500 4.3L – 297 hp, $26,105, $87.90/hp

1. Audi A8 TDI – 240 hp, $85,100, $354.58/hp
2. BMW 740Ld xDrive – 255 hp, $82,500, $323.53/hp
3. Audi A7 TDI – 240 hp, $68,300, $284.58/hp
4. Mercedes-Benz GL350 BlueTEC – 240 hp, $63,600, $265.00/hp
5. Porsche Cayenne Diesel – 240 hp, $61,700, $257.08/hp