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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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2007 Saab 9-3 Packages & Options
2007 Saab 9-3 Packages
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PCL
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60th Anniversary Package
- $2,825
Front and rear alloy wheels with 17 inch rim diam; Sports driver seat , sports reclining electrically adjustable passenger seat with fore/aft adjustment, height adjustment, lumbar adjustment, four adjustments and tilt adjustment; Saab Embossed Blk Seats w/Gray Inserts; Discount 1825.00: Excludes: [PCU] Navigation Audio Package And [U3R] Navigation System And [PDB] Premium Audio Package And [PCM] Premium Package 17 And [PDX] Premium Package 16 And [J005] Standard Paint Type; Includes: [&MPNT] Metallic Paint
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PCM
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Premium Package 17
- $1,995
Front and rear alloy wheels with 17 inch rim diam; Excludes: [PCL] 60th Anniversary Package; Includes: [PDX] Premium Package 16
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PCU
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Navigation Audio Package
- $2,740
Navigational systems : information type: full map and voice and knobs/touch buttons controls DVD and color; Bose audio system with satellite and CD player; Amplifier; Eleven speaker(s); Excludes: [U3R] Navigation System And [PDB] Premium Audio Package And [PCL] 60th Anniversary Package; Requires: [UE1] OnStar
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PCX
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Cold Weather Package
- $550
Heated driver and passenger seat; High pressure headlight cleaners
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PDB
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Premium Audio Package
- $895
Disc autochanger dashboard and 6; Amplifier; Eleven speaker(s); Cellular phone preparation; Bose audio system with satellite, Disc Autochanger and six-disc remote changer; Excludes: [PCL] 60th Anniversary Package And [PCU] Navigation Audio Package
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PDX
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Premium Package 16
- $1,795
Bucket reclining electrically adjustable passenger seat with fore/aft adjustment, height adjustment, lumbar adjustment, four adjustments and tilt adjustment; Projector beam lens Xenon bulb headlights; Front fog lights; Red Walnut Interior Trim; Memorized adjustment with three settings on door mirror position with four driver's seat positions; Parking distance sensors rear and radar; Windshield wipers with automatic intermittent wipe and rain sensor; Excludes: [PCL] 60th Anniversary Package
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2007 Saab 9-3 Options
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&MPNT
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Metallic Paint
- $550
Metallic paint; Excludes: [J005] Standard Paint Type
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CF5
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Power Moonroof
- $1,200
Glass electric front sunroof with one-touch opening
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J005
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Standard Paint Type
- $0
Gloss paint; Excludes: [&MPNT] Metallic Paint
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MM1
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Automatic Transmission
- $1,350
Automatic five-speed transmission with mode select, lock-up, electronic control, manual mode, shift lever on floor, 4.580:1 first gear ratio, 2.980:1 second gear ratio, 1.950:1 third gear ratio, 1.320:1 fourth gear ratio, 1.000:1 fifth gear ratio and 5.020:1 reverse gear ratio; Automatic drive indicator on dashboard; Fuel consumption: EPA urban (mpg): 22, country/highway (mpg): 31 and combined (mpg): 25; Fuel economy EPA highway (mpg): 31 and EPA city (mpg): 22
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U3R
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Navigation System
- $2,145
Navigational systems : information type: full map and voice and knobs/touch buttons controls DVD; Requires: [UE1] OnStar
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UE1
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OnStar
- $695
Online information system; Voice activating system includes phone and includes internet/e-mail; Internet connection; Telematics 199.00 and 12
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2008 Saab 9-3
Taking inspiration from the jaw-dropping Aero X concept car from a few show seasons ago (remember the one with the lift off canopy that slid forward like a fighter jet's), Saab has spruced up its 9-3 ...
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First Drive: 2006 Saab 9-3 Aero
The last time Saab begged parent GM for an engine with enough cylinders to compete in the U.S., it was thrown an odd 3.0-liter, 54-degree iron-block V-6 and a tiny budget with which to Saabify it.
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