J.D. Power and Associates Consumer Center Introduces Automotive Retained Value Rating Feature from Power Information Network

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.--July 19, 2004--The J.D. Power Consumer Center--a Web site that provides voice-of-the-customer ratings on a number of products and services--has introduced a new feature on its automotive site that allows consumers to see how well a new vehicle retains its value over time.

The PIN Retained Value(TM), developed by the Power Information Network (PIN), an affiliate of J.D. Power and Associates, offers ratings on the retained values of new vehicles after three years of ownership. The PIN Retained Value rating measures vehicle depreciation by dividing the wholesale value of a used vehicle at retail-ready condition by the transaction prices of the same vehicle when sold new three years ago. This measure is based on new- and used-vehicle retail sales transactions from more than 6,000 franchises nationwide.

The projected retained value ratings are depicted using from two to five Power Circles and incorporate the impact of vehicle design, performance, and long-term quality as reported in J.D. Power and Associates automotive studies. Additionally, brand image, product lifecycle age, new-vehicle pricing and incentives at the time of used-vehicle resale, and rental and lease sales volumes are also factored into the projection of retained values. Finally, retained value ratings for each model are based on a comparison of similar models in the same vehicle segment.

"The PIN Retained Value rating is a closer reflection of a vehicle's depreciation than the traditional industry standard calculations of residual value because it uses an average of actual prices paid for new vehicles rather than MSRP and is computed and updated on a monthly basis to reflect more accurately the constantly changing marketplace," said Jie Cheng, vice president for solution development for PIN. "This information, in combination with several other quality ratings offered at the model level on the Consumer Center, will surely assist consumers in making more informed decisions in their evaluation and selection of new vehicles."

CLICK2 To find PIN Retained Value ratings for new vehicles.at the J.D. Power Consumer Center

ABOUT POWER INFORMATION NETWORK

PIN's automotive solutions are based on the collection and analysis of daily new and used vehicle retail transaction information from automotive franchises. More than 250 details from individual new-vehicle purchase transactions are aggregated, cleansed and analyzed to help dealers, manufacturers, and financial institutions better align sales, marketing and product distribution strategies. PIN's industry-leading automotive solutions incorporate consumer demand and sales information to improve results in product planning, marketing, sales, and vehicle production and distribution processes for its customers including pricing, revenue management, incentives optimization, and vehicle remarketing. www.powerinfonet.com

ABOUT J.D. POWER AND ASSOCIATES

Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is an ISO 9001-registered global marketing information services firm operating in key business sectors including market research, forecasting, consulting, training and customer satisfaction. The firm's quality and satisfaction measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually.