Vincentric Reveals Brands, Vehicles Offering Best Value

On Tuesday, Vincentric rolled out its seventh annual Best Value in America awards, which for the first time included brand value awards.

Winning these top honors are Toyota in the passenger car category, Volvo in the luxury vehicles category and GMC in the trucks category. The awards also recognize winners in 38 segment categories.

Vincentric determines Best Value honorees based on the models that prove to have lower-than-expected ownership costs considering their respective segments and prices.

The company analyzed each vehicle throughout all states and Washington, D.C. For evaluations, officials implemented an assortment of annual mileage intervals and insurance profiles. Eight factors are considered when determining cost of ownership. These are depreciation, fuel, insurance, opportunity cost, financing, maintenance, taxes and state fees, and repair. Vincentric uses a statistical model to calculate winners.

“Vincentric’s 2011 Best Value in America awards use cost-of-ownership to provide an independent benchmark that helps consumers understand which vehicles provide the best value in their segment,” shared Vincentric president David Wurster.

“This year’s results show strong performance from manufacturers that measure and proactively manage the key factors impacting cost-of-ownership,” he added. “When residual values, scheduled maintenance intervals, parts costs, and other factors impacting ownership costs are understood, value can be built into the vehicle upfront, minimizing the need to discount later at the point of sale.”

Breaking it down, Toyota vehicles took nine segment categories and Chevrolet was honored in five categories. Honda models took four categories, while Audi and Volvo each were recognized in three.

Ford, Infiniti, and Lincoln each grabbed two segment awards. BMW, Buick, GMC, Hyundai, Lexus, Mazda, Nissan and Subaru each were represented in one category.

Officials noted that a new individual category this year was the eco segment, which the Chevrolet Volt won. In its calculations for the Volt and Nissan Leaf — both of which are electric vehicles — Vincentric included its process for measuring electric vehicle ownership costs.

Moving along, Audi offered some response to its strong performance in the awards. Officials with the company noted that five of its vehicles were honored across three categories. The midsize, coupe category was shared by Audi’s A5 and S5; and the large, premium category honors were bestowed upon the Audi A6 and S6, which shared the award in that particular class. The Audi A6 Avant won the wagon, premium class.

“This is the second year in a row the A5 and A6 Avant have been honored as Vincentric’s Best Value in America, and the third time the A6 has received the honor,” officials noted in a statement released by Audi. “Key factors that were instrumental in Vincentric’s selection of these winning Audi vehicles included: both A5 and S5 had the lowest depreciation rate in their class; both A6 and S6 had the lowest fuel costs in its class; and the A6 Avant had the best cost of ownership in its segment.”

The complete list of winners is as follows: