Rebates and Employee Pricing Determine IntelliChoice.com’s Best Deals for September

GM beats Toyota in certain classes with extended Employee Pricing Program; Dodge breaks Chevrolet’s Reign in the Large Pick Up classes

CAMPBELL, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--IntelliChoice.com (www.intellichoice.com), the leading source for automotive ownership cost and value analysis, today announced its “Best Deals of the Month” for September for all new cars, trucks, and sport utility vehicles. The monthly ranking shows that auto rebates, and now employee new car pricing discounts, continue to impact which vehicles are best in their class.

“The big news this month is that GM has taken honors in two new segments on September’s Best Deals list. This is a bit of a mixed blessing, as GM’s September winners are largely SUVs and trucks that are benefiting from large car rebates and the extension of last month’s Employee Discount Car Pricing promotion. But we have to give credit where credit is due,” said James Bell, publisher and editor of IntelliChoice.com. “Please note that HUMMER made our list twice. Some may be shocked by this news because of a perception of high maintenance, repair and, especially, fuel costs. This perception may tie back to the original H1 model. However, the HUMMER H3 and H2 are based on standard GM platforms and do not suffer the same issues. The H3 held its spot for Intermediate SUV from August, but the H2 knocked out the Lexus GX in the Luxury SUV category thanks to its $6,000 rebate, one of this month’s highest.”

Bell also noted that IntelliChoice.com’s list of Best Deals for September shows that regular contenders will need to up their game if they want to stay on the Best Deals list. “Models within many vehicle segments are close in value, which shows why incentives are such a factor. The Chevy Silverado has dominated the Full-Size pickup truck segments for months on the back of $1,000 and $2,000 rebates. Lincoln offered a $6,500 rebate on the Mark LT 4WD. It’s also worth noting that in the small and midsize car segments, auto makers will need to significantly increase their incentives if they want to displace Toyota and Honda. Another case in point is the Lincoln Town Car. The Town Car was neck in neck with the Saab 9-5 Wagon, but Lincoln is offering a staggering rebate of $8,750.”

IntelliChoice.com’s “Best Deals of the Month” identify new cars, trucks, and SUVs with the best ownership cost value in 33 respective classes. Selections are based on current car prices, market conditions and the lowest national manufacturer consumer new car rebate. In addition, IntelliChoice.com uses the latest information from numerous automotive resources to evaluate what it costs to buy, own and operate each new car model-year trim line over a five-year basis.

The following “Best Deals” for September 2008 are ranked by vehicle type and size:

Class	Brand	Model
Subcompact Car	MINI	Cooper Hatchback
Compact Car over $17,000	Honda	Civic Hybrid
Compact Car under $17,000	Toyota	Corolla
Midsize Car over $21,000	Toyota	Prius
Midsize Car under $21,000	Toyota	Prius
Convertible	MINI	Cooper Convertible
Luxury Convertible	Audi	A4 Convertible
Near Luxury Car	Lexus	ES
Luxury Car	Lincoln	Town Car
Large Car	Hyundai	Sonata
Base Sports Car	Volkswagen	R32
Sports Car	Chevrolet	Corvette Convertible
Sport Sedan/Wagon over $38,000	Lexus	GS
Sport Sedan Wagon under $38,000	Pontiac	Grand Prix GXP
Compact SUV/Crossover	Saturn	VUE Hybrid
Midsize Crossover	Toyota	Highlander
Luxury Crossover	Lexus	RX 400h
Small Wagon	Scion	xB
Midsize/Large Wagon	Subaru	Outback Wagon
Intermediate SUV	Hummer	H3
Full-Size SUV	Toyota	Sequoia
Luxury SUV	Hummer	H2
Compact Pickup Truck 2WD	Toyota	Tacoma Regular Cab 2WD
Compact Pickup 4WD	Toyota	Tacoma Regular Cab 4WD
Full-Size Pickup 2WD 1/2 Ton	Toyota	Tundra Regular Cab 2WD
Full-Size Pickup 2WD 3/4 Ton	Dodge	Ram 2500 Quad Cab 2WD
Full-Size Pickup 2WD One Ton	Dodge	Ram 3500 Regular Cab 2WD
Full-Size Pickup 4WD 1/2 Ton	Lincoln	Mark LT 4WD
Full-Size Pickup 4WD 3/4 Ton	Dodge	Ram 2500 Regular Cab 4WD
Full-Size Pickup 4WD One Ton	Dodge	Ram 3500 Quad Cab 4WD
Minivan	Toyota	Sienna
Full-Size Van	Chevrolet	Express 1500 Passenger Van
Cargo Van	Chevrolet	Uplander Cargo Van

IntelliChoice.com Helps Consumers Do Their Homework

IntelliChoice.com updates vehicle data several times a month in order to capture the many expiring auto rebates and ongoing incentive programs offered by manufacturers—giving consumers the most up-to-date analysis.

IntelliChoice.com’s “Best Deals” designation enables consumers to identify how car rebates affect a vehicle’s value throughout ownership and not just at the time of purchase. Ownership costs can vary significantly among different trim lines of the same model. Additionally, IntelliChoice.com continuously updates fuel costs based on the latest data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Vehicles designated as “IntelliChoice.com Best Deals of the Month” are typically cars and trucks that have good to great ownership cost values before any manufacturer rebate. A rebate can often turn a good ownership cost value into a great value, and a great value into an “IntelliChoice.com Best Deal of the Month.”

Please visit www.intellichoice.com for more information or to check the auto rebate section of any vehicle report for the most up-to-date incentives.

About IntelliChoice.com

IntelliChoice.com, part of SOURCE INTERLINK MEDIA, is the market leader in automotive ownership cost and value analysis. Founded in 1986, IntelliChoice.com is committed to empowering consumers to make better purchase decisions by providing independent and essential automotive information and tools. Through the IntelliChoice.com web site (www.intellichoice.com), consumers get the help they need to research, compare, configure and price vehicles. The site also connects buyers to the buying alternatives of their choice, including vehicle manufacturers and an online car buying guide. SOURCE INTERLINK MEDIA is a division of Source Interlink Companies, Inc., (NASDAQ: SORC), a media and marketing services company. Source Interlink (www.sourceinterlink.com) is one of the largest publishers of magazines and online content for enthusiast audiences and a leading distributor of home entertainment products, including DVDs, music CDs, magazines, video games, books and related items.