Bang for the Buck
Buying a new car or truck is a pretty personal thing, and one shopper’s dream can be another’s nightmare. But one thing almost all car shoppers consider as they begin the hunt is relative value: the bang to be had for the bucks being spent. IntelliChoice Inc., a car-rating service in Northern California, has been charting the costs of ownership and choosing “Best Overall Value of the Year” in numerous price categories for more than a dozen years. The company’s awards are based on the projected five-year cost of buying and operating a vehicle. Financing, depreciation, insurance, maintenance, repairs, fuel and fees are considered in the calculations. Here are the 1999 BOVY top award winners, announced Feb. 10 at the Chicago Automobile Show (a broader listing, including runners-up, is available on the company’s Web site at https://www.intellichoice.com):
Best Overall Value
Class/Price: Car/Over $20,000
Maker: Mercedes-Benz
Model: E320 wagon
*
Class/Price: Car/Under $20,000
Maker: Honda
Model: Civic DX 4-door sedan
*
Class/Price: SUV/Over $25,000
Maker: Toyota
Model: 4Runner SR5, 4WD
*
Class/Price: SUV/Under $25,000
Maker: Jeep
Model: Wrangler SE
*
Class/Price: Truck/Over $18,000
Maker: GMC
Model: Sierra C2500 3-door extended cab
*
Class/Price: Truck/Under 18,000
Maker: Nissan
Model: Frontier SE king cab
Best Value by Sub-category
Class/Price: Subcompact/Over $14,000
Maker: Honda
Model: Civic LX, EX coupes and sedans
*
Class/Price: Subcompact/Under $14,000
Maker: Honda
Model: Civic CX, DX, HX coupes, sedans, hatchbacks
*
Class/Price: Compact/Over $15,000
Maker: Audi
Model: A4 1.8T/1.8T Quattro
*
Class/Price: Compact/Under $15,000
Maker: Saturn
Model: SL series
*
Class/Price: Small Wagon
Maker: Saturn
Model: SW series
*
Class/Price: Mid-Size/Over $19,500
Maker: Honda
Model: Accord EX sedan
*
Class/Price: Mid-Size/Under $19,500
Maker: Honda
Model: Accord DX, LX coupes and sedans
*
Class/Price: Mid-Size/Large Wagon
Maker: Volkswagen
Model: Passat GLS
*
Class/Price: Large Car
Maker: Toyota
Model: Avalon XLS sedan
*
Class/Price: Near-Luxury Car
Maker: BMW
Model: 323i sedan
*
Class/Price: Luxury Car
Maker: Mercedes-Benz
Model: E320 all-wheel-drive sedan and wagon
*
Class/Price: Base Sport
Maker: Chevrolet
Model: Camaro convertible
*
Class/Price: Sport
Maker: BMW
Model: M3 convertible
*
Class/Price: Minivan/Over $22,500
Maker: Nissan
Model: Quest SE
*
Class/Price: Minivan/Under $22,500
Maker: Nissan
Model: Quest GXE
*
Class/Price: Full-Size Van
Maker: Chevrolet
Model: Express 1500 3-door passenger and cargo vans
*
Class/Price: Compact Pickup, 2WD
Maker: Nissan
Model: Frontier SE king cab
*
Class/Price: Compact Pickup, 4WD
Maker: Chevrolet
Model: S-10 LS regular and extended cab
*
Class/Price: Full-size Pickup, 2WD
Maker: GMC
Model: Sierra C2500 3-door extended cab
*
Class/Price: Full-size Pickup, 4WD
Maker: GMC
Model: Sierra K2500 HD 3-door extended cab
*
Class/Price: Compact SUV
Maker: Jeep
Model: Wrangler SE
*
Class/Price: Intermediate SUV
Maker: Toyota
Model: 4Runner SR5, 2WD and 4WD
*
Class/Price: Luxury SUV
Maker: Lexus
Model: LX 470 4WD; 2WD: two-wheel drive; 4WD: four-wheel drive
Source: IntelliChoice Inc.
