|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2008 Jeep Liberty Review
All-new, smoother and a little larger.
2008 Liberty Review Summary & Specifications
|
The 2008 Jeep Liberty has better off-road capability and more towing capacity than most of its competitors. It offers generous cargo space and a high seating position. All-new for 2008, the latest version is more refined than the previous generation. But it's heavy for a compact SUV, and it lacks the handling and fuel economy of most of its rivals. If off-road capability is important, Liberty is a good choice; otherwise several rivals will handle better and go easier on gas. NewCarTestDrive.com correspondent Kirk Bell filed this report on the 2008 Jeep Liberty from Indianapolis.
|
|
| Vehicle Category | Sport Utility Vehicles |
| Editor | Kirk Bell |
| Model Lineup | Jeep Liberty Sport ($20,330), Sport 4WD ($21,940), Limited ($24,515), Limited 4WD ($26,125) |
| Engines (standard) | 3.7-liter sohc 12-valve V6 |
| Engines (optional) | 210-hp 3.7-liter V6 |
| Transmissions (standard) | 4-speed automatic |
| Transmissions (optional) | 6-speed manual; 4-speed automatic |
| Safety Equipment (standard) | front airbags, head-protecting side-curtain airbags with rollover sensors, torso-protecting front side airbags, anti-lock brakes with rough-road detection and brake assist, traction control, electronic stability control with rollover mitigation, hill descent control (4x4), hill start assist |
| Safety Equipment (optional) | trailer sway control, rear obstacle detection |
| Basic Warranty | 3 years/36,000 miles |
| Assembled In | Toledo, Ohio |
| Manufacturer Phone | 800-247-9753 |
| Manufacturer URL | www.jeep.com |
| Base Price MSRP | 20330 |
| Model Tested MSRP | Jeep Liberty Limited 4x4 |
| Standard Equipment | air conditioning, tilt steering wheel, 60/40 split folding rear seats, power heated mirrors, power locks, power windows, remote keyless entry, 368-watt AM/FM/CD Infinity stereo with eight speakers and auxiliary input jack, cruise control, leather-wrapped steering wheel with redundant audio and trip computer controls, auto-dimming rearview mirror, roof rails, six-way power driver's seat, fold-flat front passenger seat, vehicle information center, universal garage door opener, antitheft alarm, fog lamps, full-size spare, P235/65R17 all-season tires on aluminum wheels |
| Destination Charge | 660 |
| Options as Tested (MSRP) | Premium Group 2 ($2295) with automatic headlights, heated front seats, leather upholstery, six-way power driver's seat with memory, two-way power passenger seat, remote starting, automatic climate control, interior air filter, rear obstacle detection, and P235/60R18 all-season tires on chromed aluminum wheels; Class III towing package with trailer sway control ($495); skid plates ($225); MyGIG Multi-Media Infotainment System ($1550) with navigation system, 20-gigabyte hard drive, and Sirius satellite radio with real-time traffic and one-year subscription; Selec-Trac II full-time four-wheel drive ($445); Sky Slider sunroof ($1200) |
| Gas Guzzler Tax | |
| Price as Tested | 32335 |
| Layout | four-wheel drive |
| Horse Power | 210 @ 5200 |
| Torque | 235 @ 4000 |
| Fuel Economy | 15/21 |
| Wheelbase | 106.1 |
| Length/Width/Height | 176.9/72.4/70.6 |
| Track Front/Rear | |
| Turning Radius | 35.5 |
| Seating Capacity | 5 |
| Front Head/Hip/Leg room | 40.4/52.7/40.8 |
| Middle Head/Hip/Leg room | |
| Rear Head/Hip/Leg room | 40.3/48.5/38.8 |
| Trunk Volume | 64.6 |
| Payload | |
| Towing Capacity | 5000 |
| Front Suspension | independent, upper and lower A-arms, coil spring, shocks, stabilizer bar |
| Rear Suspension | five-link, solid axle, upper and lower trailing links, track bar, coil springs, shocks, stabilizer bar |
| Ground Clearance | 7.4 |
| Curb Weight | 4222 |
| Stock Tires | P235/60R18 |
| Brakes Front/Rear | disc/disc with ABS with brake assist |
| Fuel Capacity | 19.5 |
|
2003 Jeep Liberty, a Recall, and Fred, and Ethel
“Ethel, do you feel that vibratin’ coming from the front of the Liberty?†“Oh dear, I think the right front...
04/28/2008 | 23:04 PM
|
|
2008 Jeep Liberty Redesigned with More Goods at Lower Price
Auburn Hills, Mich., July, 2007 - The Chrysler Group last week announced pricing for the all-new 2008 Jeep Liberty....
07/23/2007 | 15:07 PM
|
|
2008 Jeep Liberty Returns To Rugged Roots At NY Auto Show
New York, Apr 4, 2007 -- The Jeep® Liberty has remained a leader in the mid-size sport-utility vehicle (SUV) market...
04/23/2007 | 21:04 PM
|
|
Win 2008 Jeep Liberty in 'Sweetest Day the Jeep Way' Contest
Auburn Hills, Mich., Sep 18, 2007 - More than seven in 10 Americans, or 71 percent, believe anything is better when...
09/19/2007 | 17:09 PM
|
|
Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep garner Safety Stars in Crash Tests
Auburn Hills, Mich., Dec 7, 2007 - The 2008 Jeep® Liberty, 2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee, 2008 Dodge Nitro, 2008 Dodge...
01/03/2008 | 00:01 AM
|
|
|
05 Jeep Liberty 30,000 mile maintenance price
What exactly are you looking servicing for the 05 Liberty? $600 should do fine but anything beyond that is a rip-off....
07/01/2008 | 07:07 AM
|
|
|
Jeep Liberty Engineering Event
Hey everyone, I wanted to stop in real quick and let you know about the Jeep Engineering Event that’s taking place on...
11/27/2007 | 19:11 PM
|
|
|
Jeep Liberty: 3rd Most Recalled Vehicle
At least it's not #1! Business Week just posted a list of the top 15 most recalled vehicles for 2007 (so far), and the...
08/30/2007 | 00:08 AM
|
|
|
2002-2004 Jeep Liberty Engine Misfire
I have a 05 Liberty with only 24k miles and am having the same problem. I have alreay had the head work done as it's...
05/10/2007 | 12:05 PM
|
|
|
2007 Jeep Liberty
Found that it was a rental which the salesperson 'neglected' to mention.......
04/11/2007 | 01:04 AM
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Road Test: 2008 Jeep Liberty
It's 103 degrees in the shade--and, unfortunately, there's no shade for miles. Jeep invited us to Utah's red-rock country to test the new Liberty SUV's mettle (and metal) on some of Moab's best trails...
more
|
|
2004 SEMA Automotive Aftermarket Show Review
Our trip to the SEMA Automotive Aftermarket show is one of the biggest expense reports we submit all year. Seeing all the new products, the familiar faces, and the wild project vehicles in four days d...
more
|
|
|
|
|
|