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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 Ford Taurus Packages & Options
2008 Ford Taurus Packages
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85A
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Interior Convenience Package
- $895
Driver seat with four adjustments; Disc autochanger dashboard and 6; Air conditioning with climate control; Passenger seat secondary ventilation controls; Headlight control with time delay switch-off and dusk sensor; External temperature; Luxury trim wood/woodgrain on doors; Audio system with Disc Autochanger and six-disc remote changer
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85S
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Safety & Security Package
- $695
Peripheral anti-theft protection; Driver and passenger heated door mirrors; Door entry light; Stability control
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96E
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Family Entertainment System
- $995
DVD/VCD; Display screen single rear middle; 2 wireless headphones; Remote control; Rear separate audio control; Requires: [85A] Interior Convenience Package; Excludes: [439] Moonroof
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2008 Ford Taurus Options
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41H
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Engine Block Heater (Fleet)
- $35
Block heater
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422
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California Emissions
- $0
Emission control level California
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439
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Moonroof
- $895
Glass electric front sunroof
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44J
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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
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53M
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SYNC
- $395
Voice activating system includes radio settings and includes phone; Cellular phone Bluetooth; Wireless connection Bluetooth; Connection to ext.entertainment devices includes input AUX jack; Automatic operation rear view mirror
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53V
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Rear Window Sunshade
- $225
Rear manual blind
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58N
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Navigation System
- $1,995
Navigational systems : information type: full map and voice and touch screen controls DVD; Voice activating system includes navigation system; Requires: [85A] Interior Convenience Package
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62S
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Satellite Radio
- $195
Audio system with satellite
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63H
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Front Row Heated Seats
- $240
Heated driver and passenger seat; Requires: [85A] Interior Convenience Package And [H] Leather Trim
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647
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18-inch 7-Spoke Chrome Clad Wheels
- $895
Front and rear alloy chrome wheels with 18 inch rim diam, 7.0 inch rim width and partial wheel covers
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76R
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Reverse Sensing
- $295
Parking assistance rear
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90C
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Power Adjustable Pedals
- $120
Height adjustable pedals
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942
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Daytime Running Lamps (Fleet)
- $50
Day time running lights
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97M
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All Weather Floor Mats
- $75
Plastic/rubber floor mats
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97S
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Remote Start
- $395
Remote engine starter
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97T
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Triptunes Advanced
- $340
Connection to ext.entertainment devices ipod; Excludes: [58N] Navigation System
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99W
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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
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H
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Leather Trim
- $895
Leather seat upholstery with additional vinyl; Rear seat center armrest integral box; Excludes: [CC] Camel Cloth And [CL] Medium Light Stone
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J004
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Standard Paint Type
- $0
Black paint; Excludes: [J005] Standard Paint Type
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J005
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Standard Paint Type
- $0
Gloss paint; Excludes: [J004] Standard Paint Type
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