Intellichoice's Best New Car Deals for 2006
Consumer Reports’ surveys are useful to
help determine possible long-term liabilities of vehicles. Same with JD Power and Associates. But what if you’re
looking for the best overall deal at the moment? Intellichoice has just
released its listing of the first of several 'Best Deals' picks for this month. Divided among twenty-nine categories,
some of the picks include:Mid-size Class
Honda Accord
Toyota Prius
Volkswagen Passat
Large Pickup Class
Chevrolet Avalanche
Chevrolet Silverado
Dodge Ram
GMC Sierra
Luxury Class
BMW 5-Series
Lexus GS
Mercedes-Benz CLK
Mercedes-Benz E320
Note that Intellichoice alphabetizes its picks.
[Source: Intellichoice via The Auto Channel]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
zverg 7:57PM (3/07/2006)
Not that I would EVER (and I'm sure I speak for most people here when I say this) take suggestions from some sort of consumer guide when buying a new car, how DARE they call the new passat a good deal!??! have you people seen the prices on those? How the hell isn't the Hyundai Sonata on that list the things you get for your dollar with Hyundai ... now that's amazing.
... oh and no I don't drive or own a Hyundai but I know people who do and I keep myself informed.
Reply
Christopher 8:01PM (3/07/2006)
As of right now, I'm planning on replacing my Civic at the end of the year with the new Honda Fit. A sub-compact.
Reply
Michael Karesh 8:07PM (3/07/2006)
If this is like in the past, they measure total cost of ownership over the first five years of the car. Or is it three? Either way, depreciation is a HUGE part of the equation, and Hyundais depreciate quickly.
I'm not sure how they calculate depreciation. I hope it's off tranaction prices and not MSRP.
In contrast, maintenance and repairs tend to have a small to moderate impact. They estimate repair costs by pricing aftermarket extended warranties, not necessarily an accurate indicator.
In a couple years I should have a better measure of repair costs at http://www.truedelta.com.
Reply
naggs 8:47PM (3/07/2006)
prius, a best overall value... this publication has lost all credibilty for me
Reply
speed42 10:00PM (3/07/2006)
Obviously the commie bastards at Intellichoice have teamed up with the commie bastards at Consumer Reports to totally snub the American auto industry. There's absolutely no way two publications could independently conclude that most American-made automobiles were total crap. This is such a huge liberal media conspiracy. Right?
**WARNING** This message contains HUGE amounts of sarcasm that could be fatal to anyone with a limited sense of humor or who has a 1985 Chevy Beretta parked in their driveway. Read at your own risk.
Reply
Tim P 10:45PM (3/07/2006)
Leftover '05 GTOs can be had for a great price. I just bought a new '05 for $24,600. You can't get a better car for that price - just an awesome car.
Reply
Dave M. 11:44PM (3/07/2006)
#1 maybe they mean Passat = good value in as it's German made and solid as a rock. I'll take mine in the glacier blue wagon with TDI. Hopefully reliability has improved...
I can see the Accord, but the Prius? Dealers here in Houston are still charging $4k ADM!! And Chevy pick-ups over Ford? Are they nuts??!?
Reply
PJ 12:02AM (3/08/2006)
The Prius was likely included not because of the "feel-good" factor criticized by so many auto-press windbags, but because it is roomy, fuel-efficient, holds its value exceptionally well, and has also scored exceptionally well in reliability surveys.
Mostly because of those resale values, the Prius makes good sense as an ownership prospect (as long as you're not expecting the gas mileage to pay back the high-ish list price). I don't know how common dealer markup is in other states, but there is none in California, and waiting lists are down to a week or two.
Reply
Car-la 7:47AM (3/08/2006)
Wow, big news here. Look at the large pick-up class:
Chevrolet Silverado
Dodge Ram
GMC Sierra
ehm...except for the F-Series and Nissan Titan, that's it, right? I'm sure the F-Series and Titan aren't far behind, either. What this tells me is that I should simply buy the car I like and drive it until it falls apart.
Reply
Leo 10:58AM (3/08/2006)
Passat and Avalanche - a good deal? Are you kidding me? I guess the Mazda 6, Altima and Tundra are just awful in their eyes.
What a joke.
Reply
Matt Keegan 12:22PM (3/08/2006)
Just as I expected to see: the full size GMC/Chevy pick ups on the list and Ford off the list. That's great!
http://www.thearticlewriter.com/gmc-to-launch-all-new-pick-ups-early.htm
Reply
Brian 1:35PM (3/08/2006)
Where is the Sonata LX that I felt I got for an extremely good deal with rebates and loyalty discount.
Reply
Stoneman 9:59PM (3/16/2006)
Where is the Mazda 3? Or even the 6? Man that's bullsh#@I can believe the Lexus choice, but come one... a Toyota Prius for mid-sized car? The reliability and God only knows how much a replacement battery pack will cost.
Get the Mazda Speed 6!
(I'm test driving one this weekend hopefully).
Reply