IntelliChoice | Educating Consumers Since 1986

IntelliChoice has remained one of the most trusted sources of new- and used-car information since 1986. The organization became famous for its helpful and accurate predictions of the long-term ownership costs associated with different vehicles. In addition to publishing several vehicle-cost guides, IntelliChoice also maintains a Website that offers advice, statistics, and reviews on new and used vehicles. Read on for a more detailed explanation of how IntelliChoice got started and what its purpose is.

History

The goal of IntelliChoice is to supply consumers with all of the information they need to make informed, successful automotive choices. IntelliChoice offers critical automotive information not just for potential carbuyers, but also for sellers and current owners. Beginning in the late eighties, IntelliChoice began publishing two award-winning manuals on vehicle costs: The Complete Car Cost Guide and The Complete Small Truck Cost Guide. The automotive press immediately recognized the manuals as the most authoritative sources on long-term vehicle ownership costs. These manuals are no longer published in physical form but can be found on IntelliChoice’s Website.

IntelliChoice Five-Year Cost of Ownership

The sticker price of a vehicle is just the beginning of what it will cost to own a car. To understand how much a vehicle will cost to own in the long run, you have to examine factors beyond retail price, which is what IntelliChoice does. The IntelliChoice Five-Year Cost of Ownership, perhaps the group’s most famous analysis, shows consumers how much it will cost to own a vehicle for five years based on a number of factors. These factors include: auto financing, depreciation, fuel costs, car insurance, maintenance, repairs, fees and taxes, and opportunity costs. On IntelliChoice’s Website, you can find five-year ownership cost predictions for almost any used or new car. IntelliChoice will also indicate how a car’s cost of ownership compares to those of other vehicles in its class.

The BOVY Awards

IntelliChoice analyzes ownership costs carefully to identify the vehicles that offer consumers the best value in the long run. To recognize the vehicles that provide the highest values, IntelliChoice presents the BOVY (Best Overall Value of the Year) awards each year at the Chicago Auto Show. IntelliChoice analyzes more than 1,700 vehicles to identify those that have substantially lower ownership costs than drivers would expect at their price points. Every year, 37 vehicles in various segments and classes take home a prestigious BOVY award, a distinction automakers commonly use in advertising for a particular model.

General Information

Although IntelliChoice specializes in predicting ownership costs, the organization’s site is full of other car-buying information that consumers will find helpful. For example, on the home page, IntelliChoice keeps an up-to-date record of average national gas prices. Visitors can also find general car-buying guides that will help walk them through the purchasing process. For consumers who are looking for a car that offers a specific type of value, such as the lowest fuel or maintenance costs in its class, IntelliChoice also provides “Smart Choice Awards” to such vehicles every year.