|
|
|
|
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 Ford Taurus X Limited Sport Utility Packages & Options
2008 Ford Taurus X Limited Sport Utility Packages
|
|
87L
|
Limited Convenience Group
- $255
Height adjustable pedals; Memorized adjustment; Garage door opener; Coming home device; Load restraint net
|
|
87U
|
Limited Ultimate Package
- $825
Front facing heated rear seats; Second row auto-fold seats; Includes: [595] Power Liftgate; Excludes: [60D] 7-Passenger Seating - 2nd Row Bench
|
|
87W
|
Limited Wood Package
- $195
Wood steering wheel; Luxury trim wood/woodgrain on gearknob
|
|
96E
|
DVD Family Entertainment System
- $995
DVD/VCD; Display screen single rear middle; 2 wireless headphones; Remote control; Rear separate audio control
|
2008 Ford Taurus X Limited Sport Utility Options
|
|
41H
|
Engine Block Heater (Fleet)
- $35
Block heater
|
|
439
|
Moonroof
- $960
Glass electric front sunroof
|
|
44J
|
6-Speed Automatic Transmission
- $0
Automatic six-speed transmission with lock-up, electronic control, shift lever on floor, 4.484:1 first gear ratio, 2.872:1 second gear ratio, 1.842:1 third gear ratio, 1.414:1 fourth gear ratio, 1.000:1 fifth gear ratio, 0.742:1 sixth gear ratio and 2.882:1 reverse gear ratio transmission code; Standard transmission
|
|
575
|
Auxiliary Climate Control
- $650
Rear seats secondary ventilation controls; Air conditioning with rear outlet; Rear heater; Rear air conditioner
|
|
58N
|
Navigation System
- $1,995
Navigational systems : information type: full map and voice and touch screen controls DVD
|
|
595
|
Power Liftgate
- $475
Front facing heated rear seats; Second row auto-fold seats; Electric trunk/hatch pull down; Remote trunk/hatch release; Excludes: [60D] 7-Passenger Seating - 2nd Row Bench
|
|
60D
|
7-Passenger Seating - 2nd Row Bench
- $0
Three asymmetrical bucket front facing rear seats with zero adjustments fold flat to floor; Seating: seven seats;2+3+2; 3-point reel rear seat belts on center side; Three head restraints on rear seats; Excludes: [87U] Limited Ultimate Package And [595] Power Liftgate
|
|
62S
|
Satellite Radio
- $195
Audio system with satellite
|
|
64V
|
18-inch Chrome Clad Wheel 7-Spoke
- $695
Front and rear alloy chrome wheels with 18 inch rim diam and 7.0 inch rim width
|
|
85A
|
2nd Row Console Delete
- $0
|
|
86M
|
All Weather Floor Mats
- $75
Plastic/rubber floor mats
|
|
86P
|
Remote Start
- $395
Remote engine starter
|
|
86S
|
Molded Splash Guards
- $65
Front and rear mud flaps
|
|
86T
|
Trip Tunes? (iPod Portable Audio Connectivity & Charging)
- $340
Connection to ext.entertainment devices ipod; Excludes: [58N] Navigation System
|
|
942
|
Daytime Running Lamps (Fleet)
- $50
Day time running lights
|
|
99W
|
3.5L V6
- $0
3,496 cc 3.5 liters V 6 engine with 92.5 mm bore, 88.7 mm stroke, 10.3 compression ratio, double overhead cam, variable valve timing/camshaft and four valves per cylinder; Standard engine
|
|
J004
|
Standard Paint Type
- $0
Two-tone black paint; Excludes: [J005] Standard Paint Type
|
|
J005
|
Standard Paint Type
- $0
Two-tone gloss paint; Excludes: [J004] Standard Paint Type
|
|
2008 Ford Taurus X Brings Top Safety Starting At $27,365
DEARBORN, Mich., June 25, 2007 -- Th e 2008 Ford Taurus X crossover will arrive in showrooms this summer bearing both...
06/25/2007 | 14:06 PM
|
|
Ford Taurus X: Does New SUV Mark Sweet Spot for Ford?
Truck Trend Blog details the 2008 Ford Taurus X SUV which debuted at the Chicago Auto Show last month....
04/23/2007 | 21:04 PM
|
|
Ford looks to Axe Taurus X, Mercury Sable
Ford Motor Co. has to figure out ways to save. It's culled factories,workers, and even designs. Where, oh where, to...
08/13/2008 | 17:08 PM
|
|
2008 Ford Taurus X Debuts At Chicago Auto Show
CHICAGO, Feb. 7, 2007 - Ford Motor Company today announced it is bringing back the well-known Ford Taurus name,...
04/23/2007 | 21:04 PM
|
|
2008 Ford Taurus, Mercury Sable Get IIHS' Top Pick
DEARBORN, Mich., May 14, 2007 -- The 2008 Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable will arrive in showrooms this summer bearing...
05/14/2007 | 14:05 PM
|
|
|
|
|
|