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Vincentric's Best Fleet Value awards announced; Toyota, Chevrolet Lead the Way


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BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Michigan – March 1, 2006 – Vincentric’s Best Fleet Value in America™ awards were announced today, with Toyota leading the field by winning 12 of the 29 vehicle segments. Chevrolet took top honors in 8 segments, powered by its sweep of the full-size pick-up and full-size van categories.

To determine Vincentric’s Best Fleet Value in America™ awards, Vincentric developed the most comprehensive analysis of fleet lifecycle costs ever performed for the industry. The company measured 8 cost factors for over 1,900 2006 model year vehicle configurations. Twelve different mileage/lifecycle timeframe scenarios were used for each of the 50 states plus DC. The resulting 9,000,000+ lifecycle cost measurements were then used to determine the winning vehicles.

The eight cost factors used to determine overall lifecycle costs were depreciation, fuel, insurance, opportunity cost, financing, maintenance, taxes and state fees, and repairs. These costs were integrated with the Vincentric Fleet Price, which estimates the acquisition price for each of the vehicles included in the study. “This is the most comprehensive lifecycle cost study ever performed for the fleet industry. Our winners provide great value in a wide range of lifecycle scenarios”, stated David Wurster, President of Vincentric. “Annual mileage was measured ranging from a low of 20,000 miles to a high of 30,000 miles, along with timeframes from 24 to 60 months of ownership.”  /p>

The vehicle segments and the winners of Vincentric’s Best Fleet Value in America™ awards for the 2006 model year are listed below. In addition, a review of each winner and further information about the study is available at www.vincentric.com.

Cars/Crossovers:
Subcompact Chevrolet Aveo Special Value 4D Hatchback
Compact, over $17,000 Mazda3 S 4D Hatchback
Compact, under $17,000 Toyota Corolla CE 4D Sedan 5sp
Mid-Size, over $23,000 Toyota Camry SE V6 VVTi 4D Sedan at
Mid-Size, under $23,000 Toyota Camry Base 4D Sedan 5sp
Large Toyota Avalon XL 4D Sedan
Near Luxury Volvo S40 2.4i 4D Sedan
Luxury Volvo S80 2.5T 4D Sedan
Prestige Luxury Mercedes-Benz E Class E500 4D Sedan
Wagon, over $24,500 Subaru Legacy Outback 5D Wagon 5sp
Wagon, under $24,500 Toyota Matrix STD 4D Hatchback 2WD 5sp
Crossover, over $28,000 Nissan Murano SL 4D Utility 2WD
Crossover, under $28,000 Chrysler PT Cruiser Base 4D Utility
Sport Utility Vehicles:
Compact SUV, over $22,500 Toyota Rav4 Limited 4D Utility 2WD 4cyl
Compact SUV, under $22,500 Toyota Rav4 Base 4D Utility 2WD 4cyl
Mid-Size SUV, over $30,000 Toyota Highlander Limited 4D Utility 2WD w/3rd row seat
Mid-Size SUV, under $30,000 Toyota Highlander Base 4D Utility 2WD 4cyl
Large SUV, over $40,500 Toyota Sequoia Limited 4D Utility 2WD
Large SUV, under $40,500 Chevrolet Trailblazer LS 4D Utility Ext 2WD
Pickup Trucks and Cab/Chassis:
Compact Pickup Toyota Tacoma Base Reg Cab 2WD 5sp
Full Size Pickup Chevrolet Silverado 1500 W/T Reg Cab 2WD 119
Heavy Duty ¾ Ton Pickup Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD W/T Reg Cab 2WD LWB
Heavy Duty 1 Ton Pickup Chevrolet Silverado 3500 LT Ext Cab 2WD LWB DRW
Cab/Chassis Chevrolet Silverado 3500LD C/C LT Reg Cab 2WD 137.0
Vans:
Minivan, over $27,000 Toyota Sienna XLE 5D Wagon 7 Pass FWD
Minivan, under $27,000 Mazda5 Sport 4D Wagon
Full Size Passenger Van GMC Savana/Chevrolet Express G1500 Wagon SWB
Mini Cargo Van Dodge Caravan Base Cargo Van
Full Size Cargo Van GMC Savana/Chevrolet Express G1500 Cargo SWB

ABOUT VINCENTRIC

Vincentric provides data, knowledge, and insight to the automotive industry by identifying and applying the many aspects of automotive value. Using Vinbase™, 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 buyers. Vincentric data is used by organizations such as Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, The AutoChannel.com, Business Fleet Magazine and Fleet-Central.com as a means of providing automotive insight to their clientele. Vincentric, LLC, is a privately held automotive data compilation and analysis firm headquartered in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.