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IntelliChoice Value Rating
The chart above shows the purchase price versus ownership cost for each car from a specific vehicle class. The cars with better than average ownership cost/purchase price correlations are the best values, and these best value cars are represented by the dots below the curve. (i.e. the cars that have a lower ownership cost compared to its purchase price.) Those cars, which are worse than average or poor values, appear above the curve.
One way to view the graph is to draw a vertical line through any purchase price. You may see several dots that fall on this line - each of which is a car with a similar purchase price. However, notice the difference in ownership costs of each car represented by the vertical position of the dot. Two cars with the same purchase price can have thousands of dollars difference in ownership costs. This is what separates "good value" cars from "poor value" cars.
What is a good car value?
A "good car value" is one whose cost to own and operate is less than expected. The lower the cost to own and operate a car compared to what is expected, the better the value of that car.
But how do we know a car's "expected cost"?
For each car in the class, IntelliChoice plots the car's purchase price against the total five-year cost to own and operate it as determined by IntelliChoice research. Each dot on the above chart represents a specific car. Generally, we find that as the purchase price of the car increases, the cost to own and operate that car increases. This is why the dots on the graph tend to rise upward and to the right. This phenomenon also makes intuitive sense - as the purchase price rises, financing costs tend to rise, as do insurance, depreciation, taxes, and most other car ownership costs.
This is an important concept. It's normal for car ownership costs to rise as purchase price rises. Therefore, we can't just establish one "average" ownership cost number for each class, since cars in the class have different purchase prices. (This is why the "Relative" shown on each chart is different for cars in the same car class.)
Using statistical techniques, IntelliChoice "connects the dots" to form a curve that defines, for this car class, the relationship between the car's purchase price and car's ownership costs. This curve is our "expected cost" curve. The curve defines, for any car in the class, the five-year ownership cost that we would expect to see at each possible purchase price. If every car in the class were an average value, then all the dots would fall exactly on the curve. However, it's rare that any dot is exactly on the curve. Some dots are a little higher or lower, and some are a lot higher or lower. The dots that are a little lower are better than average car values, while the dots that are a lot lower are excellent car values (A dot that is a lot lower than the curve has ownership costs much lower than expected for a car of its purchase price). Conversely, a dot a little higher than the curve is a poorer than average car value, while a dot that is much higher than the curve is a poor car value.
Value is a relative term, not an absolute term. It is performing better than the logical expectation.
So is a Mercedes-Benz E320 expensive to own and operate? Certainly in an absolute sense. Most other cars cost less. But, when its cost to own and operate is plotted against cars with comparable invoice prices, the E320 costs less. So the E320 is not expensive to own and operate - it is a good car value. The Mercedes does not have low ownership costs, but it has low ownership costs for its invoice price.
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Nissan Xterra Recalls
| Recall Date: |
OCT 05, 2005 |
| Component: |
TRAILER HITCHES |
| Model Affected: |
XTERRA |
| Units Affected: |
12500
Recall Details
|
Recall Date:
OCT 05, 2005
Model Affected:
2005 NISSAN XTERRA
Summary:
ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A NISSAN ACCESSORY TOW HITCH, INADEQUATE QUALITY OF SOME WELDED JOINTS IN THE HITCH ASSEMBLY MAY RESULT IN SEPARATION OF THE HITCH FROM THE VEHICLE WHEN BEING USED TO TOW.
Consequence:
THIS COULD RESULT IN THE TRAILER SEPARATING FROM THE VEHICLE AND CAUSE A CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
Remedy:
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE TOW HITCHES. ON OCTOBER 17, 2005, OWNERS WERE SENT AN INTERIM LETTER ADVISING THEM NOT TO USE THE TOW HITCH UNTIL IT CAN BE REPAIRED. ANOTHER LETTER WAS SENT OUT ON NOVEMBER 21, 2005, NOTIFYING THEM TO BRING THEIR VEHICLES IN FOR REPAIR. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.
Units Affected:
12500
Notes:
NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC.
| Recall Date: |
SEP 30, 2005 |
| Component: |
TRAILER HITCHES |
| Model Affected: |
XTERRA |
| Units Affected: |
498
Recall Details
|
Recall Date:
SEP 30, 2005
Model Affected:
2005 NISSAN XTERRA
Summary:
CERTAIN VALLEY INDUSTRIES HITCH-CLASS III RECEIVER TRAILER HITCHES P/N 82850 MANUFACTURED BETWEEN MARCH AND SEPTEMBER 2005 SOLD FOR USE AS REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT FOR 2005 NISSAN XTERRA PASSENGER VEHICLES. DUE TO INSUFFICIENT WELD STRENGTH, UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, THE HITCHES MAY BREAK WHILE IN USE.
Consequence:
THE TRAILER OR ITEM IN TOW MAY RELEASE PARTIALLY OR WHOLLY FROM THE MOTOR VEHICLE, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
Remedy:
VALLEY INDUSTRIES WILL NOTIFY ITS CUSTOMERS AND REPLACE THE TRAILER HITCHES FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 3, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VALLEY INDUSTRIES AT 209-368-8881.
Units Affected:
498
Notes:
VALLEY INDUSTRIES
| Recall Date: |
JUL 03, 2007 |
| Component: |
EQUIPMENT |
| Model Affected: |
XTERRA |
| Units Affected: |
3500
Recall Details
|
Recall Date:
JUL 03, 2007
Model Affected:
2005 NISSAN XTERRA
Summary:
CERTAIN HOPKINS AFTERMARKET TRAILER BRAKE CONTROL CONNECTION HARNESSES SOLD FOR USE ON CERTAIN MODELS OF NISSAN VEHICLES WHICH ARE LISTED ABOVE. THE INTERNAL PART NUMBERS WITHIN HOPKINS ARE: 1010476025, 1040376025, 1110476025, 1170376025, 1290376025, 1010476035, 1040376035, 1110476035, 1170376035, AND 1290376035. A WIRE MAY HAVE BEEN PLACED IN AN INCORRECT POSITION IN THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR HOUSING. THIS RESULTS IN AN INCORRECT ROUTING OF WIRES BETWEEN THE TRAILER BRAKE CONTROLLER AND THE TOWING VEHICLE WIRING SYSTEM.
Consequence:
THIS HARNESS WOULD RESULT IN POWER FROM THE TRAILER BRAKE CONTROLLER GOING TO THE TOWING VEHICLE DASH LIGHT CIRCUIT RATHER THAN THE TRAILER BRAKES. THIS RESULT WOULD BE THE LACK OF TRAILER BRAKING WHEN THE TOWING VEHICLE BRAKES WERE APPLIED. IT WOULD ALSO RESULT IN THE TOWING VEHICLES DASH LIGHTS BEING ACTIVATED WHEN THE VEHICLE BRAKES WERE APPLIED. THE FAILURE OF THE APPLICATION OF THE TRAILER BRAKE COULD RESULT IN REDUCED ABILITY TO STOP AND CONTRIBUTE TO A POSSIBLE CRASH.
Remedy:
HOPKINS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE ORIGINAL HARNESS WITH A REVISED HARNESS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN AUGUST 17, 2007. OWNERS CAN CONTACT HOPKINS AT 800-835-0129.
Units Affected:
3500
Notes:
HOPKINS MANUFACTURING CORP.
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2008 Nissan Frontier and Xterra Receive New Model, Features
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Nissan Gets Lean with Transition Program Completion
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