|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2008 Chevrolet Corvette Base Convertible Packages & Options
2008 Chevrolet Corvette Base Convertible Packages
|
|
3LT
|
Corvette Preferred Equipment Group
- $5,100
Dashboard with head-up display; Garage door opener; Coming home device; Memorized adjustment with two settings on door mirror position and steering wheel position with three driver's seat positions; Memory setting for radio, A/C , S/W; Automatic operation rear view mirror; Compass; Heated driver and passenger seat; Disc autochanger dashboard, 6 and CD; Upgraded speaker(s) Bose; Bose audio system with satellite, Disc Autochanger and six-disc remote changer; Electrically adjustable multi-function steering wheel with telescopic adjustment; Driver door mirrors with automatic operation; Smart card / smart key automatic, includes central locking, includes ignition starter, includes memory seat adjustments, includes radio settings and includes memory steering wheel position; Electric softtop convertible roof; Steering wheel mounted remote audio controls
|
|
4LT
|
Corvette Premium Equipment
- $8,600
Custom leather wrapped interior package; Luxury trim leather on center floor console, leather on doors and leather on dashboard; Includes: [3LT] Corvette Preferred Equipment Group
|
|
VPK
|
GCA Utlimate Exterior Package (Dealer)
- $2,095
Trunk/hatch spoiler; Racing C6 or Z06-design spoile; Screen mesh package; Body-color rear license plate frame; Underhood blanket and lamp kit; Exterior graphics package; Vehicle cover; Chrome or body-color door handles; Excludes: [VPL] GCA Utlimate Exterior Package with Wheels (Dealer)
|
|
VPL
|
GCA Utlimate Exterior Package with Wheels (Dealer)
- $5,475
Trunk/hatch spoiler; Racing C6 or Z06-design spoile; Screen mesh package; Body-color rear license plate frame; Underhood blanket and lamp kit; Exterior graphics package; Vehicle cover; Chrome or body-color door handles; Chrome 7-Spoke wheels; 15-Spoke polished wheels; Excludes: [VPK] GCA Utlimate Exterior Package (Dealer)
|
|
Z51
|
Performance Handling Package
- $1,695
Sport alternate suspension; Stiffer Springs & Stabilizer Bars; Heavy duty engine cooling system; Transmission with 2.970:1 first gear ratio, 2.070:1 second gear ratio, 1.430:1 third gear ratio, 1.000:1 fourth gear ratio, 0.710:1 fifth gear ratio, 0.570:1 sixth gear ratio and 3.280:1 reverse gear ratio; Includes: [GU2] Rear Axle 2.73 ratio
|
2008 Chevrolet Corvette Base Convertible Options
|
|
&45U
|
Velocity Yellow
- $750
Multi-coat paint; Excludes: [J004] Standard Paint Type And [J005] Standard Paint Type And [&83U] Atomic Orange
|
|
&83U
|
Atomic Orange
- $300
Metallic paint; Excludes: [J004] Standard Paint Type And [J005] Standard Paint Type And [&45U] Velocity Yellow And [&85U] Jetstream Blue And [&89U] Crystal Red
|
|
&85U
|
Jetstream Blue
- $750
Metallic paint; Excludes: [J004] Standard Paint Type And [J005] Standard Paint Type And [&83U] Atomic Orange And [&89U] Crystal Red
|
|
&89U
|
Crystal Red
- $750
Metallic paint; Excludes: [J004] Standard Paint Type And [J005] Standard Paint Type And [&83U] Atomic Orange And [&85U] Jetstream Blue
|
|
**6
|
Two-Tone Seats with Embroidery
- $695
Two-Tone Seats with Embroidery
|
|
D30
|
Custom Color and Trim Combinations
- $590
Custom Color and Trim Combinations
|
|
F55
|
Magnetic Selective Ride Control
- $1,995
Driver selectable responsive suspension; Excludes: [Z51] Performance Handling Package
|
|
GU2
|
Rear Axle 2.73 ratio
- $395
2.730:1 axle ratio; Requires: [MX0] 6 Speed Paddle Shift Auto Trans
|
|
J004
|
Standard Paint Type
- $0
Black paint; Excludes: [J005] Standard Paint Type And [&45U] Velocity Yellow And [&83U] Atomic Orange And [&85U] Jetstream Blue And [&89U] Crystal Red
|
|
J005
|
Standard Paint Type
- $0
Gloss paint; Excludes: [J004] Standard Paint Type And [&45U] Velocity Yellow And [&83U] Atomic Orange And [&85U] Jetstream Blue And [&89U] Crystal Red
|
|
LS3
|
6.2 Liter LS3 SFI Engine
- $0
Engine LS3; Standard engine
|
|
MN6
|
6-Speed Manual Transmission
- $0
Manual six-speed transmission with shift lever on floor Tremec T56; Standard transmission; Excludes: [MX0] 6 Speed Paddle Shift Auto Trans
|
|
MX0
|
6 Speed Paddle Shift Auto Trans
- $1,250
Automatic six-speed transmission with mode select, lock-up, electronic control, manual mode, shift lever on steering wheel, 4.020:1 first gear ratio, 2.360:1 second gear ratio, 1.530:1 third gear ratio, 1.150:1 fourth gear ratio, 0.850:1 fifth gear ratio, 0.670:1 sixth gear ratio and 3.060:1 reverse gear ratio 6L80; Fuel economy EPA highway (mpg): 27 and EPA city (mpg): 17; Fuel consumption: EPA urban (mpg): 17, country/highway (mpg): 27, combined (mpg): 21, 7.2, 11.5, 8.9, 20, 32 and 25; Excludes: [MN6] 6-Speed Manual Transmission
|
|
NPP
|
Exhaust System Performance
- $1,195
Dual mode 2.5" exhaust system; Power: 325 kW , 436 HP SAE and 580 ft lb , 428 Nm SAE
|
|
QG7
|
Polished Aluminum Wheels
- $1,295
Front alloy chrome wheels with 18 inch rim diam and 8.5 inch rim width, rear alloy chrome wheels with 19 inch rim diam and 10.0 inch rim width; Excludes: [QX1] Competition Gray Aluminum Wheels And [QX3] Chrome Aluminum Wheels
|
|
QX1
|
Competition Gray Aluminum Wheels
- $395
Front alloy wheels with 18 inch rim diam and 8.5 inch rim width, rear alloy wheels with 19 inch rim diam and 10.0 inch rim width; Excludes: [QG7] Polished Aluminum Wheels And [QX3] Chrome Aluminum Wheels
|
|
QX3
|
Chrome Aluminum Wheels
- $1,850
Front alloy chrome wheels with 18 inch rim diam and 8.5 inch rim width, rear alloy chrome wheels with 19 inch rim diam and 10.0 inch rim width; Excludes: [QG7] Polished Aluminum Wheels And [QX1] Competition Gray Aluminum Wheels
|
|
R8C
|
Corvette Museum Delivery
- $490
Corvette Museum delivery
|
|
U3U
|
AM/FM CD With DVD Navigation
- $1,750
Navigational systems : information type: full map and voice and touch screen controls DVD; Steering wheel mounted remote audio controls; Multi-function steering wheel; Audio system with CD player and Disc Autochanger; Requires: [3LT] Corvette Preferred Equipment Group; Or [4LT] Corvette Premium Equipment
|
|
Tools For The Track
With so many Corvette owners putting their cars to the test on autocross courses and dragstrips across the country, the need to be properly prepared for increasingly tougher competition has never been...
more
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |