IntelliChoice.com: Toyota Stays Strong Among Top April Deals
IRVINE, Calif. — IntelliChoice.com rolled out its "Best Deals of the Month" for April recently, and despite the automaker's off-the-lot turmoil, several different Toyota models were the choice in a host of segments.
Site editors conceded that competitors knocked a Toyota unit from a couple of segments, but many of the automaker's mainstays remained. All told, the OEM took a third of the spots on this list.
Among those highlights were the Yaris in the subcompact segment, the Corolla among compacts below $17,000, the much publicized Prius among midsize cars and the RAV4 in the compact SUV segment.
"Once again, Toyota's reputation for value has proven to be a top priority for consumers. In these economic times, buyers appreciate Toyota's low cost of ownership," explained Charlie Vogelheim, executive editor of IntelliChoice.com.
"Toyota did lose the top spot in several segments, but competitor incentives were the determining factor rather than Toyota's recalls," Vogelheim continued.
"In three of the segments where Toyota slipped from the top spot, the winners of those segments offered large rebates ranging from $2,000 to $4,000," he went on to say.
The rebate amounts Vogelheim referenced are much higher than the April average. The site calculated the average rebate for the month to be $974, up slightly from the $861 automakers averaged in March.
The site also mentioned how the average rebate is off from the recent highpoint of $1,503 in January.
Where the higher rebate amounts reside are for full-size trucks. IntelliChoice.com spotted rebates in that segment ranging from $750 to $5,000.
Another example where a competitor overtook a Toyota offering was in the full-size SUV category. The site mentioned the $4,000 rebate available for the Nissan Armada, which knocked off the Toyota Sequoia for the best deal in April.
In other rebate discussion, site editors also highlighted the $3,000 rebate available for their luxury crossover choice, the Lincoln MKX. They also mentioned another generous rebate from Nissan, this time $5,000 off for the Titan King Cab 4WD.
While much of the April rundown was connected with foreign brands, IntelliChoice.com pointed out a couple other highlights for domestic automakers.
The site noted General Motors' performance in the full-size truck categories with deals for the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra. GM also got the nod in the sports car segment for the Chevrolet Corvette.
Also, Chrysler placed vehicle on the list when the site went with the Chrysler 300C among sports sedans/wagons.
IntelliChoice.com's best values for April are:
Cars
—Subcompact: Toyota Yaris
—Base Sport: Volkswagen GTI 2-door
—Compact less than $17,000: Toyota Corolla
—Compact more than $17,000: Golf TDI
—Midsize Car: Toyota Prius
—Convertible: MINI Cooper Convertible
—Wagon: Volkswagen Jetta TDI Wagon
—Full-Size Car: Toyota Avalon
—Near Luxury Car: Lexus ES
—Luxury Car: Audi A5 Coupe
—Luxury Convertible: Volvo C70
—Sports Car: Chevrolet Corvette
—Sport Sedan/Wagon: Chrysler 300C
—Luxury Sports Sedan/Wagon: Lexus IS 350 Sedan, Lexus GS (tie)
Sport Utilities and Crossovers
—Compact SUV/Crossover: Toyota RAV4
—Midsize Crossover: Toyota Highlander
—Luxury Crossover: Lincoln MKX
—Luxury SUV: GMC Yukon Denali
—Midsize SUV: Toyota FJ Cruiser
—Full-size SUV: Nissan Armada
Trucks
—Compact Pickup 2WD: Toyota Tacoma 2WD
—Compact Pickup 4WD: Toyota Tacoma Regular Cab 4WD
—Full-Size Pickup 2WD Half-Ton: Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Crew Cab Hybrid 2WD, GMC Sierra 1500 Crew Cab Hybrid 2WD (tie)
—Full-Size Pickup 2WD Three-Quarter-Ton: Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD Crew Cab 2WD
—Full-Size Pickup 2WD One Ton: Chevrolet Silverado 3500 Crew Cab 2WD
—Full-Size Pickup 4WD Half-Ton: Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Crew Cab Hybrid 4WD, GMC Sierra 1500 Crew Cab Hybrid 4WD (tie)
—Full-Size Pickup 4WD Three-Quarter-Ton: Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD Crew Cab 4WD
—Full-Size Pickup 4WD One Ton: Chevrolet Silverado 3500 Crew Cab 4WD,
Vans
—Full-Size Van: Chevrolet Express 1500
—Minivan: Toyota Sienna