German Car Zone

BMW takes top honours in 2006 Total Value Winners Awards

San Diego, California - BMW and Mini topped all brands as Total Value leaders by points in Strategic Vision's 2006 Total Value Awards. The San Diego-based research firm surveys over 64,000 new-vehicle owners for its annual award, which factors in reliability, warranty, strong anticipated resale value, durability and innovation.

Hyundai and Kia garnered four leaders, with the Kia Sedona topping the Honda Odyssey in the minivan category; Toyota had three leaders from Lexus and Scion; and GM was the top domestic automaker, with four winners.

The segment winners were:

• Small Car - Honda Civic
• Small Multifunction - Scion xB
• Medium Car - Kia Optima (sold in Canada as the Magentis)
• Medium Multifunction - Mazda6 Wagon
• Large Car - Hyundai Azera
• Near-Luxury Car - BMW 3-Series Sedan
• Luxury Car - Lexus LS430/Audi A8 Sedan/Acura RL (tie)
• Luxury Multifunction - Audi A4/S4 Avant
• Small Specialty Under US$25,000 - Mini Cooper
• Small Specialty Over US$25,000 - Chevrolet Corvette Coupe
• Mid-Specialty Car - Honda Accord Coupe
• Convertibles Under US$30,000 - Mini Cooper Convertible
• Convertibles Over US$30,000 - Chevrolet Corvette Convertible
• Minivan - Kia Sedona
• Small SUV - Saturn Vue/Hyundai Tucson (tie)
• Medium SUV - Nissan Xterra
• Medium Crossover - Honda Pilot
• Large SUV - Nissan Armada
• Near-Luxury SUV - Lexus RX330/400H
• Luxury SUV - Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
• Compact Pickup - Honda Ridgeline
• Full-Size Pickup - Nissan Titan
• Heavy-Duty Pickup - Chevrolet Silverado 2500/3500

Source

What ever little this means, I'm happy.

I'm not surprised the 3 series is on the list, it offers an afforable, practical, powerful, sporty saloon for reasonable pricing.

The exectuve saloon category sure has a hard tie, regardless of which you actually think is the best value you can't argue that they are all great saloons.

Thanks for the post.

BMW "Total Value" Leader According to Strategic Vision
BMW- North America

Woodcliff Lake, NJ - October 17, 2006... The BMW brand has been named the leader across the board in "Total Value" by the 2006 Strategic Vision Total Value Index. According to the study, the brand received top honors in the "Warranty" category and dominated the field in most segments including high marks in total value in the "Luxury Car", "Convertible", and "Luxury SUV" categories. For the second year in a row, the BMW 3 Series received the highest scores in total value in the "Near-Luxury" category.

"We are delighted to receive top honors from this prestigious study," said Tom Purves, Chairman and CEO of BMW (US) Holding Corp. "As an independent carmaker, BMW has the autonomy to build cars that continue to satisfy our customers. The fact that the 3 Series was singled out again is a testament to the iconic line."

Over the past three years, BMW has committed to consistently increasing the total value of their vehicles, creating cars with the highest level of believed resale value. This year's Strategic Vision survey concludes that BMW automobiles retain their original value more than most other vehicles. This was validated through outside sources. The "Total Value" segment is a very competitive category in which owners expect the best features for premium prices.

BMW's top mark in the "Warranty" category is directly related to their Ultimate Service plan, a suite of services that includes the BMW Maintenance Program (formerly called Full Maintenance), Roadside Assistance, the New Vehicle Limited Warranty and BMW Assist with Teleservice. In particular, The BMW Maintenance Program is the only no-cost maintenance program in the industry that covers wear and tear on items like brake pads and rotors for 4 years or 50,000 miles.

Strategic Vision, the San Diego-based research firm, surveyed more than 64,000 buyers who bought 2006 models from October 2005 through November 2006. Buyers were asked an extensive array of questions about their complete ownership experience including buying, owning and driving their new vehicles. They were asked about factors related to their economic experiences and expectations (e.g. price paid, fuel economy, reliability and resale value, etc.). In all instances, the importance of the variables from the owner/driver's perspective is taken into account.

Source: MWerks

Those are some great news for BMW and it's fans! Thanks, siko!

Yeah, but the Lexus IS350 is faster in a straight-line, therefore it's the better sports sedan.

It's such a shame that riding in a BMW is no more comfortable than a FIAT!