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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 Honda Accord Review
All-new sedan and coupe are bigger and better.
Lineup
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The 2008 Honda Accord is offered in coupe and sedan forms, with three engine choices. Accord LX sedans are equipped with a 177-hp 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine. The LX Sedan ($20,360) comes standard with cloth upholstery, air conditioning, power mirrors and door locks, variable intermittent wipers, tilt-and-telescoping steering column and illuminated wheel-mounted controls, folding rear seats, and an MP3/WMA/auxiliary input 160-watt sound system. The LX-P Sedan ($21,360) is an LX with a premium package that adds alloy wheels, a power driver's seat, power windows, security system, and chrome tailpipe. LX models come with a choice of five-speed manual or five-speed automatic transmission ($800). The Accord EX Sedan ($23,060), EX Coupe ($23,160), and LX-S Coupe ($21,860) get a higher-revving, 190-hp version of the 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine. They come with five-speed manual or automatic transmission ($800). The EX Sedan is also available with the V6 and automatic ($25,960). The EX-L Coupe ($28,310) is available with the V6 and a choice of five-speed automatic or six-speed manual transmission. EX models add active noise cancellation and an in-dash CD changer, power moonroof, heated mirrors, an interface dial with scrolling, illuminated switch power windows, premium interior accents, driver power lumbar adjust, and 17-inch alloy wheels with P225/50 Michelin tires.
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EX-L stands for leather on the seats and steering wheel, but the EX-L Sedan ($25,060), EX-L Coupe ($25,160) also get dual-zone automatic climate control, a 270-watt sound system with subwoofer, heated front seats, auto-dimming rearview mirror, compass and outside temperature display. The EX-L V6 Sedan ($28,060) and EX-L V6 Coupe ($28,310) add four-way power adjust for the front passenger seat. Honda's navigation system is packaged with voice-activation and steering wheel controls, Bluetooth, and XM satellite radio on the EX-L Sedan ($27,260), EX-L V6 Sedan ($30,260), and EX-L V6 Coupe ($30,510). Safety equipment is standard, with six airbags, including two-stage front airbags, dual-chamber front side airbags, side curtain airbags; active front head restraints, electronic stability control, antilock brakes, and tire pressure monitors. next page |
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Do American cars suck?
Wow, there are a lot of ignorant people in this thread....
Honda, Toyota, etc are built here they all have US based...
11/16/2007 | 19:11 PM | Robert Farago
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Bye, bye, Insight
Looks like the car with the best fuel economy (and nothing else) is leaving us:
"Honda to Stop Making Insight Hybrid...
05/18/2006 | 16:05 PM | joela
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1997 Honda Accord SE
At the end of the 1997 season, North American Super Touring died a sudden death when Chrysler pulled out of the circuit, ending
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