Vincentric Announces Best Auto Value Winners

Toyota, Honda Dominate Vincentric’s Best Value in America™ Awards; Hybrids
and Diesels also Perform Well

 

BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Michigan – May 4, 2005 –Vincentric’s Best Value in
America™ awards were announced today, with vehicles from Toyota and Honda
capturing 50% of the top honors.  Although Toyota led the way with ten
winners, the awards were well distributed among twelve different nameplates.
Detroit showed strength in two traditionally strong areas; Ford swept all
four awards in the Heavy Duty Pickup category, and Chevrolet’s Corvette was
a winner in both a sports car and a convertible segment. 

 

Two hybrids  - the Toyota Prius and the Honda Civic Hybrid - used their low
overall fuel costs to help win their respective categories.  In addition,
the diesel powered Dodge Sprinter captured two awards, and the Mercedes-Benz
E320W CDI was tops in the luxury car segment.  Both vehicles benefited from
reduced costs due to the high fuel economy of their diesel engines.  

 

To determine Vincentric’s Best Value in America™, Vincentric reviewed
approximately 7,000 different vehicle configurations.  Vincentric narrowed
the field to the final 34 winners using in-depth analysis of eight different
ownership cost factors including depreciation, fuel, insurance, opportunity
cost, financing, maintenance, state fees & taxes, and repairs.  

 

“The final step in our process was to examine multiple scenarios in which
various economic conditions were simulated”, stated David Wurster, President
of Vincentric.  “We developed value ratings based on each of the different
economic conditions to ensure that the value leadership exhibited by our
winners was consistent.  Even with high volatility in fuel prices, interest
rates, and consumer incentives, all of our winners met the test.” 

 

The categories and the winners of Vincentric’s Best Value in America™ are:

 


SUVs 


- Compact SUV, over $22,000:  Honda CR-V


- Compact SUV, under $22,000:  Honda CR-V


- Large SUV, over $40,000:  Lexus GX 470


- Large SUV, under $40,000:  Toyota Sequoia SR5


- Mid-Size SUV, over $30,000:  Honda Pilot EX, EXL


- Mid-Size SUV, under $30,000:  Honda Pilot LX

 


PASSENGER CARS


- Compact, over $17,000:  Honda Civic Hybrid


- Compact, under $17,000:  Honda Civic Non-Hybrid


- Convertible, over $30,000:  Chevrolet Corvette


- Convertible, under $30,000:  MINI Cooper


- Large:  Toyota Avalon XL


- Luxury:  Mercedes E-320W CDI


- Mid-Size, over $22,000:  Honda Accord EX 4 Dr. Sedan


- Mid-Size, under $22,000:  Toyota Prius


- Near Luxury:  Infiniti G35 Base Coupe


- Sport-Wagon, over $26,000:  Nissan Murano SE


- Sport-Wagon, under $26,000:  Toyota Matrix XR 2WD


- Sports Car, $33 - $80,000:  Chevrolet Corvette


- Sports Car, under $33,000:  Nissan 350Z Touring


- Subcompact:  MINI Cooper


- Wagon, over $27,000:  Volvo 70 Series


- Wagon, under $27,000:  Scion xB 

 


TRUCKS


- Compact Pickup, 2WD:  Toyota Tacoma


- Compact Pickup, 4WD:  Toyota Tacoma


- Full Size Pickup, 2WD:  Toyota Tundra


- Full Size Pickup, 4WD:  Toyota Tundra


- Heavy Duty ¾ Ton Pickup, 2WD:  Ford F-250


- Heavy Duty ¾ Ton Pickup, 4WD:  Ford F-250


- Heavy Duty 1 Ton Pickup, 2WD:  Ford F-350 XL


- Heavy Duty 1 Ton Pickup, 4WD:  Ford F-350 XL

 

 


VANS


- Cargo Van:  Dodge Sprinter Van


- Full Size Passenger Van:  Dodge Sprinter Wagon


- Minivan, over $27,000:  Toyota Sienna XLE FWD


- Minivan, under $27,000:  Toyota Sienna LE

                                                                    

Additional details on the specific ownership costs for each of the winners
may be obtained at www.vincentric.com <http://www.vincentric.com/>  

 

ABOUT VINCENTRIC

Vincentric provides data, knowledge, and insight to the automotive industry
by identifying and applying the many aspects of automotive value.  Using its
comprehensive, proprietary cost-of-ownership database, the company measures
and analyzes the overall cost of owning and operating vehicles and its
effect on the value provided to consumers.  Vincentric, LLC, is a privately
held automotive data compilation and analysis firm headquartered in
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.

 

# # #

CONTACT:
Dave Freed

Managing Partner

952-891-1054
 <http://us.f534.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=dave.freed@vincentric.com>
dave.freed@vincentric.com

 

©2005 Vincentric, LLC, All Rights Reserved.
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