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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 Saab 9-3 Aero Sedan Packages & Options
2008 Saab 9-3 Aero Sedan Packages
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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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PCZ
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Touring Package
- $895
Parking distance sensors rear and radar; Automatic operation rear view mirror; Compass; Garage door opener; Coming home device; Memorized adjustment with three settings on door mirror position with four driver's seat positions
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2008 Saab 9-3 Aero Sedan Options
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&02V
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Pepper Green Metallic
- $550
Metallic paint; Excludes: [J005] Standard Paint Type And [&5TU] Ice Blue Metallic And [&5MU] Jet Black Metallic And [&5OU] Fusion Blue Metallic And [&3YU] Titan Gray Metallic And [&1XU] Nocturne Blue Metallic And [&1QU] Smoke Beige Metallic And [&1OU] Parchment Silver Metallic And [&05U] Snow Silver Metallic
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&05U
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Snow Silver Metallic
- $550
Metallic paint; Excludes: [J005] Standard Paint Type And [&5TU] Ice Blue Metallic And [&5MU] Jet Black Metallic And [&5OU] Fusion Blue Metallic And [&3YU] Titan Gray Metallic And [&1XU] Nocturne Blue Metallic And [&1QU] Smoke Beige Metallic And [&1OU] Parchment Silver Metallic And [&02V] Pepper Green Metallic
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&1OU
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Parchment Silver Metallic
- $550
Metallic paint; Excludes: [J005] Standard Paint Type And [&5TU] Ice Blue Metallic And [&5MU] Jet Black Metallic And [&5OU] Fusion Blue Metallic And [&3YU] Titan Gray Metallic And [&1XU] Nocturne Blue Metallic And [&1QU] Smoke Beige Metallic And [&05U] Snow Silver Metallic And [&02V] Pepper Green Metallic
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&1QU
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Smoke Beige Metallic
- $550
Metallic paint; Excludes: [J005] Standard Paint Type And [&5TU] Ice Blue Metallic And [&5MU] Jet Black Metallic And [&5OU] Fusion Blue Metallic And [&3YU] Titan Gray Metallic And [&1XU] Nocturne Blue Metallic And [&1OU] Parchment Silver Metallic And [&05U] Snow Silver Metallic And [&02V] Pepper Green Metallic
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&1XU
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Nocturne Blue Metallic
- $550
Metallic paint; Excludes: [J005] Standard Paint Type And [&5TU] Ice Blue Metallic And [&5MU] Jet Black Metallic And [&5OU] Fusion Blue Metallic And [&3YU] Titan Gray Metallic And [&1QU] Smoke Beige Metallic And [&1OU] Parchment Silver Metallic And [&05U] Snow Silver Metallic And [&02V] Pepper Green Metallic
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&3YU
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Titan Gray Metallic
- $550
Metallic paint; Excludes: [J005] Standard Paint Type And [&5TU] Ice Blue Metallic And [&5MU] Jet Black Metallic And [&5OU] Fusion Blue Metallic And [&1XU] Nocturne Blue Metallic And [&1QU] Smoke Beige Metallic And [&1OU] Parchment Silver Metallic And [&05U] Snow Silver Metallic And [&02V] Pepper Green Metallic
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&5MU
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Jet Black Metallic
- $550
Metallic paint; Excludes: [J005] Standard Paint Type And [&5TU] Ice Blue Metallic And [&5OU] Fusion Blue Metallic And [&3YU] Titan Gray Metallic And [&1XU] Nocturne Blue Metallic And [&1QU] Smoke Beige Metallic And [&1OU] Parchment Silver Metallic And [&05U] Snow Silver Metallic And [&02V] Pepper Green Metallic
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&5OU
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Fusion Blue Metallic
- $550
Metallic paint; Excludes: [J005] Standard Paint Type And [&5TU] Ice Blue Metallic And [&5MU] Jet Black Metallic And [&3YU] Titan Gray Metallic And [&1XU] Nocturne Blue Metallic And [&1QU] Smoke Beige Metallic And [&1OU] Parchment Silver Metallic And [&05U] Snow Silver Metallic And [&02V] Pepper Green Metallic
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&5TU
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Ice Blue Metallic
- $550
Metallic paint; Excludes: [J005] Standard Paint Type And [&5MU] Jet Black Metallic And [&5OU] Fusion Blue Metallic And [&3YU] Titan Gray Metallic And [&1XU] Nocturne Blue Metallic And [&1QU] Smoke Beige Metallic And [&1OU] Parchment Silver Metallic And [&05U] Snow Silver Metallic And [&02V] Pepper Green Metallic
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F46
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XWD Cross-Wheel Drive System
- $2,645
Full-time 4x4-wheel drive; Power: 209 kW , 280 HP SAE @ 5,000 rpm; 295 ft lb , 400 Nm SAE @ 1,900 rpm; Rear suspension levelling; Front and rear alloy wheels with 18 inch rim diam and 7.5 inch rim width; Front and rear all seasons tires with 235 mm tire width, 45% tire profile and Y tire rating
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J005
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Standard Paint Type
- $0
Gloss paint; Excludes: [&5TU] Ice Blue Metallic And [&5MU] Jet Black Metallic And [&5OU] Fusion Blue Metallic And [&3YU] Titan Gray Metallic And [&1XU] Nocturne Blue Metallic And [&1QU] Smoke Beige Metallic And [&1OU] Parchment Silver Metallic And [&05U] Snow Silver Metallic And [&02V] Pepper Green Metallic
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MM1
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Automatic Transmission
- $1,350
Automatic drive indicator on dashboard; Automatic six-speed transmission with mode select, lock-up, electronic control, manual mode and shift lever on steering wheel
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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; RDS audio system ; speed adjustable
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W9Z
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Semi-Aniline Leather Upholstery
- $1,500
Leather seat upholstery; Excludes: [66X] Parchment Leather with Black Inserts And [58X] Black Leather with Parchment Inserts
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Hottest 50 Cars, Trucks, and SUVs for 2006
The new model year is upon us, bringing the darlings of the last auto show season to our local dealers and driveways. From show floor to showroom, these are the most promising new models.
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Hottest 50 Cars, Trucks, and SUVs for 2006
The new model year is upon us, bringing the darlings of the last auto show season to our local dealers and driveways. From show floor to showroom, these are the most promising new models.
more
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Hottest 50 Cars, Trucks, and SUVs for 2006
The new model year is upon us, bringing the darlings of the last auto show season to our local dealers and driveways. From show floor to showroom, these are the most promising new models.
more
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2008 Saab 9-3 XWD
Saab's new all-wheel-drive system, coined cross-wheel drive (XWD), might be late to the party, but it's anything but behind the times. It was developed with Haldex, the same company that supplies all-...
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