XPost: az.general   
   From: michelle@michelle.org   
      
   Of course, dumbfucks like Spammy will   
   a.  Reply with outdated information about discontinued makes or models.   
   b.  Make totally irrelevant remarks about my sexuality, and/or   
   c.  Make a fool of themselves in some other manner.   
   d.  Continue to pollute the planet, and be proud of it.  (Oh, that's   
   part of "c.", actually.)   
      
   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.   
      
   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.   
      
      
   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   
      
   --   
   Support the troops:  Bring them home ASAP.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)