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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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2008 Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class SLK350 Roadster Packages & Options
2008 Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class SLK350 Roadster Packages
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319
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Lighting Package
- $1,010
Bi-Xenon headlights; High pressure headlight cleaners; Corner illuminating fog lamps; Cornering lights/curb illumination
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321
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AMG Sport Package
- $3,810
Front alloy wheels with 17 inch rim diam and 7.5 inch rim width, rear alloy wheels with 17 inch rim diam and 8.5 inch rim width; Side body skirts, side body skirts; Front tires with 225 mm tire width and 45% tire profile, rear tires with 245 mm tire width and 40% tire profile; Sport alternate suspension; Body color front and trunk/hatch spoiler; Rear apron; Transmission with shift lever on steering wheel
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322
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Appearance Package
- $1,000
Wood & leather steering wheel; Luxury trim wood & leather on gearknob; 17" 6-Twin-Spoke wheels; Black Headlamp inlays; Vavona wood trim parts; Black roof liner; Includes: [&864] Brown Nappa Leather; Excludes: [321] AMG Sport Package
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323
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Heating Package
- $980
AIRSCARF neck-level heating system; Neck level heating; Heated driver and passenger seat; Wind deflector behind seats
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328
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Mercedes Run-Flat Tire Package
- $250
Front and rear run flat/punctureproof tires; Low tire pressure indicator
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P01
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P1 Package
- $2,250
Electrically adjustable driver and passenger seat with height adjustment, lumbar adjustment, six adjustments and tilt adjustment; Memorized adjustment with three settings on door mirror position and steering wheel position with four driver's seat positions and four passenger seat positions; Electrically adjustable steering wheel easy entry; Automatic operation rear view mirror; Driver door mirrors with automatic operation; Audio system with satellite; Garage door opener; Coming home device; Windshield wipers with automatic intermittent wipe and rain sensor; Infrared Remote roof automation; Interior ambient lighting
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P02
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P2 Package
- $3,995
Eleven upgraded speaker(s) harman/kardon; Harman/kardon audio system; Hands-free cellular phone; Voice activating system includes phone; Includes: [P01] P1 Package
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P03
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P3 Package
- $5,195
Navigational systems : information type: full map and voice and touch screen controls DVD and color; Includes: [P02] P2 Package
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P03
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P3 Package
- $5,195
Navigational systems : information type: full map and voice and knobs/touch buttons controls DVD and color; Includes: [P02] P2 Package
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2008 Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class SLK350 Roadster Options
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&864
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Brown Nappa Leather
- $420
Leather seat upholstery with additional leather; Luxury trim wood/woodgrain on dashboard; Excludes: [801] Black Premium Leather And [805] Beige Premium Leather And [807] Red Leather And [808] Ash Premium Leather
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057
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iPod Integration Kit
- $375
Connection to ext.entertainment devices ipod; Requires: [P03] P3 Package; Or [P02] P2 Package
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057
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iPod Integration Kit
- $375
Connection to ext.entertainment devices ipod; Requires: [P03] P3 Package; Or [P02] P2 Package
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427
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7-Speed Automatic Transmission w/ Touch Shift
- $0
Fuel economy EPA highway (mpg): 25 and EPA city (mpg): 19; Fuel consumption: EPA urban (mpg): 19, country/highway (mpg): 25, combined (mpg): 21, 8.1, 10.6, 8.9, 23, 30 and 25; Automatic 7-speed transmission with mode select, lock-up, electronic control, manual mode, 4.380:1 first gear ratio, 2.860:1 second gear ratio, 1.920:1 third gear ratio, 1.370:1 fourth gear ratio, 1.000:1 fifth gear ratio, 0.820:1 sixth gear ratio and 3.420:1 reverse gear ratio automatic with manual mode and 0.730; Automatic drive indicator on dashboard
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581
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Digital (Dual-Zone) Automatic Climate Control
- $720
Passenger seat secondary ventilation controls
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819
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CD Changer
- $450
Disc autochanger glove box and 6; Audio system with Disc Autochanger and six-disc remote changer
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A
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Metallic Paint
- $710
Metallic paint; Excludes: [J005] Standard Paint Type
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J005
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Standard Paint Type
- $0
Gloss paint; Excludes: [A] Metallic Paint
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