Toyota, Chevrolet and Lexus Dominate IntelliChoice.com's 2007 ''Best Overall Value of the Year'' Awards

SEE ALSO: 2007 Vincentric Best Value in America Awards

CHICAGO--PRIMEDIA’s IntelliChoice.com, the online source for automotive ownership cost and value analysis, today announced the results of its “Best Overall Value of the Year” awards for model year 2007. The Toyota Prius, one of four hybrids on the list, is the Best Car Value Under $23,000 for the second consecutive year. It is joined by the Toyota Tacoma 2WD, named Best Overall Truck Value Under $27,000. Overall, Toyota Motor Company comes away with a total of 11 awards, the most of any auto manufacturer.

Chevrolet was well represented on the list, winning a total of ten awards followed closely by Lexus, which earned seven awards, including the ES sedan for Best Car Value Over $23,000 and the RX 350 for Best SUV Value Over $28,000.

Now in its 21^st year, IntelliChoice.com’s “Best Overall Value of the Year” awards recognize vehicles whose cost of ownership is significantly lower than that of peer models. The awards provide a quick reference to finding vehicles that promise the best return on investment. A listing of this year’s winners and additional information on the awards can be found online at www.IntelliChoice.com.

“Toyota continues to prove that value is a critical ingredient for Toyota’s success with the American consumer,” said James Bell, publisher of IntelliChoice.com. “Toyota also went back to their roots with the subcompact Yaris, which wins in a category that saw a lot of strong entries for 2007.”

Winners for 2007

This year, IntelliChoice.com identified thirty-three winning models by segment and class, plus eight overall category winners. The eight overall category winners are:

Best Car Value Under $23,000 – Toyota Prius
Best Car Value Over $23,000 – Lexus ES
Best SUV Value Under $28,000 – Ford Escape Hybrid
Best SUV Value Over $28,000 – Lexus RX 350
Best Truck Value Under $27,000 – Toyota Tacoma 2WD
Best Truck Value Over $27,000 – Chevrolet Silverado Classic 3500 Extended Cab 2WD
Best Van Value Under $25,000 – Honda Odyssey Passenger Van
Best Van Value Over $25,000 – Honda Odyssey Passenger Van

Similar to last year’s awards, hybrid vehicles continue to score well, with the Prius, Ford Escape, Toyota Highlander and Honda Civic winning awards within their respective classes. Rather than focusing solely on sticker price, IntelliChoice.com uses multiple criteria such as depreciation, maintenance, repairs, fuel costs and state fees to analyze the value of hybrids. Against these criteria, buyers can expect a lower cost of ownership in relation to the price of that vehicle.

Bell added that some observers might wonder about the inclusion of hybrid vehicles on the same list as the Hummer H3, which makes IntelliChoice.com’s Best Overall Value list for the first time.

“Looking at the Hummer H3 tells consumers a great deal about how the Sports Utility/Crossover market has changed in the past year,” Bell said. “We re-segmented our class designations to reflect what we feel is a true sports-utility vehicle. The H3 is constructed on a truck-based platform and has real off-road capabilities. In terms of its overall value, the H3 gets good gas mileage within its class, and Hummer has kept inventory volume close to demand, which helps the H3 retain its value.”

Further highlights from the list include the Honda Odyssey sweeping the minivan category for the third consecutive year.

How IntelliChoice.com Determines “Best Overall Value”

2007 marks IntelliChoice.com’s twenty-first year publishing ownership cost and value analysis. The Best Overall Value of the Year (BOVY) awards identify the vehicles that promise the best return on investment within their classes. The IntelliChoice.com evaluation process aggregates and analyzes data from auto manufacturers, the U.S. government, and third-party data resources to determine the true costs of owning every 2007 vehicle over a five-year ownership period. For the 2007 BOVY’s, IntelliChoice.com assigned a value rating to more than 1,700 mainstream vehicles sold in America. This value rating factors the accumulated costs of depreciation, maintenance, repairs, fuel, state fees, financing, and insurance to identify the true standout models in each class.

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 and celebrating its 20^th Anniversary, 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.

                        BEST OVERALL VALUE OF THE YEAR
                        MODEL YEAR 2007 AWARD WINNERS

Cars

Subcompact Class – Toyota Yaris Hatchback
Compact Class under $16,000 – Honda Civic Sedan
Compact Class over $16,000 – Honda Civic Hybrid
Midsize Class under $21,000 – Toyota Prius
Midsize Class over $21,000 – Toyota Prius
Large Class – Toyota Avalon
Near Luxury Class – Lexus IS
Luxury Class – Lexus ES
Luxury Convertible – Audi A4 Convertible
Convertible – Volkswagen Beetle Convertible
Small Wagon Class – Toyota Matrix
Midsize/Large Wagon Class – Subaru Outback Wagon
Base Sport Class – Honda Civic Si Coupe
Sport Class – Chevrolet Corvette
Sports Sedan/Wagon under $38,000 – Infiniti G35 (Manual) Sports Sedan
Sports Sedan/Wagon over $38,000 – Lexus GS

Sport Utilities

Compact Utility/Crossover – Ford Escape Hybrid
Intermediate Utility Class – Hummer H3
Luxury Utility Class – Lexus GX
Utility Class– Toyota Land Cruiser

Crossovers

Midsize Crossover Class – Toyota Highlander Hybrid
Luxury Crossover Class – Lexus RX 350

Trucks

Compact Pickup Class 2WD – Toyota Tacoma
Compact Pickup Class 4WD – Toyota Tacoma
Full-Size Pickup Class 1/2 Ton 2WD – Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Extended Cab 2WD
Full-Size Pickup Class 1/2 Ton 4WD – Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Regular Cab 4WD
Full-Size Pickup Class 3/4 Ton 2WD – Chevrolet Silverado Classic 2500 HD Crew Cab 2WD
Full-Size Pickup Class 3/4 Ton 4WD – Chevrolet Silverado Classic 2500 HD Extended Cad 4WD
Full-Size Pickup Class One Ton 2WD – Chevrolet Silverado Classic 3500 Crew Cab 2WD
Full-Size Pickup Class One Ton 4WD – Chevrolet Silverado Classic 3500 Crew Cab 4WD

Vans

Mini-Van Class – Honda Odyssey Passenger Van
Full-Size Van Class – Chevrolet Express 1500 Passenger Van
Cargo Van Class – Chevrolet Uplander