PRIUS MEANS VALUE, SAY THE EXPERTS

Car owners and car shoppers measure value in a variety of ways. For some, the measurement is in dollars -- initial cost, fuel economy, maintenance, resale value, insurance, taxes. For others, a vehicle's value is determined by its effects -- or lack of effects -- on the environment.

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Performance and suitability for their own use may be the determinants for others. And for many of us, there are intangibles that are difficult to measure: how the car feels, and makes us feel; how it looks, and makes us look.

Recently, several highly trusted automotive authorities honored the Toyota Prius based on their surveys and research. One called the Prius "Most Satisfying,"¹ another "Best Overall Value of the Year"² and yet another stated Prius has "The Best Resale Value."³

Consumer Reports, long renowned for its authority in the measurement of value in products and services, searches for the car owner's feelings with an annual survey that measures customer satisfaction with a single question: "Considering all factors (price, performance, reliability, comfort, enjoyment, etc.), would you get this car if you had to do it all over again?"

Cars and trucks in the survey find their places on the Most Satisfying list based on the percentage of those who answered "definitely yes" to the survey question.

ConsumerReports.org says this about the current year's survey: "The Toyota Prius ranks as the most satisfying vehicle overall for the fourth straight year, with 92 percent of owners saying they'd get another one."

Prius earned a top rating from IntelliChoice.com, the online source for automotive ownership cost and value analysis, in its "Best Overall Value of the Year" awards for model year 2007. IntelliChoice said, "The Toyota Prius, one of four hybrids on the list, is the Best Car Value Under $23,000 for the second consecutive year."

In an article entitled "The Hype Over Hybrids," IntelliChoice said, "What IntelliChoice has found is that the Prius is holding its value amazingly well -- the car simply refuses to stop being in demand, both as a new and used vehicle. Its resale values can't seem to drop, and analysis of years of accumulated data allows us to state confidently that in terms of depreciation, the future looks particularly rosy for the Prius."⁴

Kelley Blue Book, the widely quoted authority on used-vehicle pricing, this year named the Prius the "2007 Best Resale Value" in the hybrid category. Prius was also named to Kelley Blue Book's Top 10 list. The online service kbb.com says, "The Best Resale Value: Top 10 awards reflect the overall leaders in projected resale value. These are the vehicles -- across all categories -- that will best retain their value after five years of ownership."

Edmunds.com, another leading authority on vehicle values, mentions several additional benefits that can be of value to hybrid owners. These include federal, state and local tax credits and rebates; HOV/carpool lane access; free or reduced parking at some public and private lots; employer-provided cash incentives for employees who purchase hybrid vehicles; and discounts on auto insurance for hybrids from some auto insurers.⁵

So, it seems that no matter how you measure value, Prius comes up a winner.

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¹"Used Car Owner Satisfaction," consumerreports.org, 3/02/07

²"IntelliChoice Best In Class Winner," intellichoice.com, 3/02/07

³"Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com Releases Residual Value Analysis," kkb.com, 11/29/06

⁴"The Hype Over Hybrids," intellichoice.com, 3/21/07

⁵"Finding Great Perks for Hybrid Buyers," edmunds.com, 1/16/07