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IntelliChoice Value Rating
The chart above shows the purchase price versus ownership cost for each car from a specific vehicle class. The cars with better than average ownership cost/purchase price correlations are the best values, and these best value cars are represented by the dots below the curve. (i.e. the cars that have a lower ownership cost compared to its purchase price.) Those cars, which are worse than average or poor values, appear above the curve.
One way to view the graph is to draw a vertical line through any purchase price. You may see several dots that fall on this line - each of which is a car with a similar purchase price. However, notice the difference in ownership costs of each car represented by the vertical position of the dot. Two cars with the same purchase price can have thousands of dollars difference in ownership costs. This is what separates "good value" cars from "poor value" cars.
What is a good car value?
A "good car value" is one whose cost to own and operate is less than expected. The lower the cost to own and operate a car compared to what is expected, the better the value of that car.
But how do we know a car's "expected cost"?
For each car in the class, IntelliChoice plots the car's purchase price against the total five-year cost to own and operate it as determined by IntelliChoice research. Each dot on the above chart represents a specific car. Generally, we find that as the purchase price of the car increases, the cost to own and operate that car increases. This is why the dots on the graph tend to rise upward and to the right. This phenomenon also makes intuitive sense - as the purchase price rises, financing costs tend to rise, as do insurance, depreciation, taxes, and most other car ownership costs.
This is an important concept. It's normal for car ownership costs to rise as purchase price rises. Therefore, we can't just establish one "average" ownership cost number for each class, since cars in the class have different purchase prices. (This is why the "Relative" shown on each chart is different for cars in the same car class.)
Using statistical techniques, IntelliChoice "connects the dots" to form a curve that defines, for this car class, the relationship between the car's purchase price and car's ownership costs. This curve is our "expected cost" curve. The curve defines, for any car in the class, the five-year ownership cost that we would expect to see at each possible purchase price. If every car in the class were an average value, then all the dots would fall exactly on the curve. However, it's rare that any dot is exactly on the curve. Some dots are a little higher or lower, and some are a lot higher or lower. The dots that are a little lower are better than average car values, while the dots that are a lot lower are excellent car values (A dot that is a lot lower than the curve has ownership costs much lower than expected for a car of its purchase price). Conversely, a dot a little higher than the curve is a poorer than average car value, while a dot that is much higher than the curve is a poor car value.
Value is a relative term, not an absolute term. It is performing better than the logical expectation.
So is a Mercedes-Benz E320 expensive to own and operate? Certainly in an absolute sense. Most other cars cost less. But, when its cost to own and operate is plotted against cars with comparable invoice prices, the E320 costs less. So the E320 is not expensive to own and operate - it is a good car value. The Mercedes does not have low ownership costs, but it has low ownership costs for its invoice price.
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Article From Hot Rod Magazine
Outlaw Drag Radial Showdown & Other Hot Rod News - Gearhead LifeOctober 6-8, 2005 Memphis Motor Sports Park / writer: Stephen Kim photographer: Jim Campisano /
Article provided by: Hot Rod Magazine
Lingo Of The Month: G'S
Fiddling around with some dash-mounted performance meters made us wonder how they could measure g-forces without knowing vehicle weight, so we asked someone smarter than us to explain. One g is simply one times the force of gravity, which equals 32.15 feet per second/second of acceleration. Since gravity acts equally on all objects regardless of their mass, how much a vehicle weighs-whether it's 2,500 or 4,000 pounds-is irrelevant. In other words, the g's acting on your feet while you're standing is greater than the force most cars can generate under acceleration, braking, or cornering.-Stephen Kim Hot Rod Outlaw Drag
Radial Showdown
Last year, Rick Head proved himself to be the fastest man on drag radials when he scorched the Memphis Motorsports Park dragstrip with a 7.76 at 181 mph at HOT ROD's first Outlaw Drag Radial Showdown. The class was added to the NMCA's World Finals so HOT ROD could determine once and for all who had the fastest radial-tire-equipped vehicle in the land. Head's crown will be challenged at this year's World Finals as HOT ROD returns for the second Outlaw Drag Radial Showdown at Memphis. It'll happen the weekend of October 6-9, 2005, at Memphis Motorsports Park in Memphis, Tennessee, and the rules are the same as last year-which, as you can see below, are few. The purse is $10,000, with five grand of that going to the winner. There's also a huge list of contingency sponsors, so the winner and runner-up will walk away with some real money. If you think you've got a bad ride on radials, bring it out and take on the world's best radial racers. Or, just come watch, 'cause it's going to be a wild, wheel-standing deal. For more information, check out the NMCA Web site at www.fasteststreetcar.com.-Rob Kinnan Denso/Hot Rod Outlaw Drag Radial Rules
*Stock-type chassis vehicles with stock-type replacement front and rear suspension are required.*Vehicle must be equipped with DOT-approved Drag Radial tires (BFG Drag Radial, Nitto NT555R, M/T ET Street Radial only) up to a maximum width of 12 inches. Maximum sidewall designations are 315/60-15, 295/65-15, or 325/50-15.* Must retain stock framerails, may be notched for tire clearance (back-half prohibited). Minitubs and coilovers permitted.*No wheelie bars*3,300-pound minimum weight (deduct 400 pounds for nitrous small-block).* Any power adders or engine type OK.* Automatic transmission with converter or OEM stick-shift with single-disc clutch (clutchless transmissions prohibited)* Gasoline required (max "0" on fuel check meter) Taking The Old Man's Car For A Joyride
Who said you need balls to drive a Funny Car anyway? Last Memorial Day, Ashley Force warmed up the hides and launched her dad's 8,000hp Castrol GTX Start-Up Ford Mustang at Heartland Park Topeka dragstrip just a day after it won the NHRA O'Reilly Spring Nationals. The 22-year-old has successfully campaigned both Super Comp cars and Top Alcohol dragsters, but it was her first time piloting an actual nitro Funny Car. "It wasn't as scary as I thought it'd be," she says, pointing out that some of the levers are reversed in comparison to the A/Fuel dragster she currently races. While they weren't full quarter-mile passes, the implications of the 10-minute practice session were obvious. Ashley's slated to turn pro in '07 and John Force plans to have a Funny Car ready for her. "I want her to get to where you know the car's your best friend, to where you know the car's going to protect you," says the elder Force. "That's like the power of God."-Stephen Kim ... >>next page
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