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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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Lamborghini Murcielago Specs
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• Four-wheel ABS
• Brake assist system
• Four disc brakes including four ventilated discs
• Electronic brake distribution
• Electronic traction control via ABS & engine management
• Immobilizer
• Front and rear limited slip differential
• Wishbone front and rear suspension independent with stabilizer bar and coil springs
• Tire kit
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• Body color front and rear bumpers
• Concealed system convertible rollover protection
• Electric softtop convertible roof with glass rear window
• Driver and passenger power heated black door mirrors
• External dimensions: overall length (inches): 181.5, overall width (inches): 81.0, overall height (inches): 44.7, wheelbase (inches): 104.9, front track (inches): 64.4, rear track (inches): 66.7 and curb to curb turning circle (feet): 41.2
• Electric foldable mirrors
• Front fog lights
• Projector beam lens Bi-Xenon headlights
• Luxury trim alloy on gearknob, leather on doors and leather on dashboard
• Metallic paint
• Fixed rear window
• Trunk/hatch spoiler
• Tinted glass on cabin
• Weights: curb weight (lbs) 3,726
• Windshield wipers with variable intermittent wipe
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• 12v power outlet: front and 1
• Air conditioning with climate control
• Element antenna
• Peripheral anti-theft protection
• Kenwood RDS audio system with AM/FM, Disc Autochanger and six-disc remote changer CD player reads MP3
• Cargo area light
• Clock
• Computer with average speed and range for remaining fuel
• Full dashboard console, full floor console with covered storage box
• Delayed/fade courtesy lights
• Door ajar warning
• DVD/VCD
• External temperature
• Floor mats
• Driver front airbag, passenger front airbag with occupant switch off and multi-stage deployment
• Sports driver and passenger seat with height adjustment and lumbar adjustment
• Height adjustable 3-point reel front seat belts on driver seat and passenger seat with pre-tensioners
• Front seat center armrest
• Two head restraints on front seats
• Low tire pressure indicator
• Remote power locks speed sensing
• Power steering
• Front power windows with two one-touch
• Front reading lights
• Rear view mirror
• Remote fuel filler door release
• Mechanical remote trunk/hatch release
• Front seat back storage
• Leather seat upholstery with additional leather
• Seating: two seats
• Four speaker(s) Kenwood
• Leather covered steering wheel with tilt adjustment and telescopic adjustment
• Tachometer
• Ventilation system with micro filter
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