According to Kelley Blue Book, the average transaction price for a new vehicle in the U.S. topped $45,000 in August.

While remarkable safety advances and modern technology are both popular with buyers, some of us are still left wincing at the price of the new cars that provide it.

However, it is not a requirement that shoppers pay a lot for a new vehicle, even when they are looking for something more than bare-bones transportation.

We have identified an excellent candidate for basic transportation with our least-expensive recommendation that provides a comfortable ride, spacious cabin, and a full complement of modern safety-enhancing technologies.

But we've also picked out sports cars, luxury vehicles, family haulers, and pickups that are impressive values in their segments. We have hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and battery-electric vehicles too, so there's no worry that it is too expensive to go green on your next purchase.

But which of our top ten candidates did we identify as the Design News Best Value Vehicle of the Year? Find out by clicking through our slide show.