IntelliChoice.com Names Best Certified Pre-Owned Vehicle Programs for 2006; Jaguar and Volkswagen Top the List for Program Quality

CAMPBELL, Calif.--Oct. 2, 20057, 2005--IntelliChoice.com, the leading consumer automotive data resource, today announced the winners of the seventh annual ranking of certified pre-owned (CPO) manufacturer sponsored programs. For the fifth year in a row, Jaguar was selected as the best Luxury program and Volkswagen received its second recognition from IntelliChoice.com for best Non-Luxury program. The winners are being honored today at the 2005 National Remarketing Conference & Used Car Expo, in Orlando, Florida.

IntelliChoice.com initiated a certified pre-owned awards program seven years ago in 1999 due to the growth of the industry and consumer demand for comprehensive analysis. IntelliChoice.com estimates 1.6 million CPO vehicles will be sold in 2005, equating to roughly 10 percent of the total automotive sales market. Most major automakers now have a CPO program and IntelliChoice.com investigates and analyzes 29 different manufacturer programs.

"Certified pre-owned vehicles sales continue to gain momentum and have secured a significant and valuable place in the automotive landscape," said James Bell, publisher of IntelliChoice.com. "As the only consumer automotive site to evaluate and rank these programs, we feel it is critical to provide car buyers with the most up-to-date information and tools they need to determine the greatest value for their money. Certified pre-owned vehicles offer an outstanding economic alternative to a typical new car, SUV, or truck purchase."

The IntelliChoice.com Best Certified Pre-Owned Awards are presented in the Luxury and Non-Luxury classes. Programs are rated on a set of criteria that consumers identify as having the most value such as extended manufacturer warranties, title verification, certification inspection process and roadside assistance in addition to special financing and return exchange policies. The top five rated programs in each class for 2006 are:

Top Certified Pre-Owned Programs by Class

Luxury                         Non-Luxury
1. Jaguar                      1. Volkswagen
2. Volvo                       2. Mazda
3. Cadillac                    3. Honda
4. Saab                        4. Toyota
5. Audi                        5. Ford/Mercury

The most important considerations cited by consumers when shopping for a certified pre-owned vehicle are the warranties and inspections offered by the manufacturers. In the Luxury class, Jaguar took top honors with the Best Warranty accolade while Audi, Jaguar, Land Rover, Infiniti tied for number one in the Best Inspection category. In the Non-Luxury class, Mazda ranked first with the Best Warranty and Nissan took the Best Inspection honor.

In addition to Jaguar and Volkswagen, other notable performances include Cadillac which stayed in the top five for the second year, coming in third for best overall program in the Luxury class. In Non-Luxury, Mazda beat out Honda for second place, and Toyota joined the list for the first time.

About IntelliChoice.com

Part of PRIMEDIA, the country's leading targeted media company, IntelliChoice.com is the market leader in automotive ownership cost and value analysis. Founded in 1986, IntelliChoice.com is committed to empowering consumers to make better purchase decisions by providing independent and essential automotive information and car-buying tools. Through IntelliChoice.com consumers get the help they need to research, compare, configure and price vehicles. The site also connects buyers to the buying alternatives of their choice, including vehicle manufacturers and online buying services.