IntelliChoice.com's Best New Car Deals for March Driven by Manufacturer Incentives

CAMPBELL, Calif. (Business Wire EON) March 17, 2008 -- "IntelliChoice.com's Best Deals of the Month rank a vehicle's price according to its long-term cost of ownership, which is based on factors like fuel costs and resale value," said James Bell, publisher and editor of IntelliChoice.com. "Usually, car rebates and other incentives are not enough to alter a car's or truck's overall ranking. But that's the not case this month, as automakers are putting a lot of money 'on the hood' of many new cars to help them sell."

"Huge rebates played a role with virtually all the significant changes we see in our list of winners such as the Hyundai Sonata taking the top spot from the Toyota Avalon. Is this the heaviest season I have seen for consumer belt-tightening PLUS attractive rebates? Quite possibly," said Bell. "There are models that have never been on our list, like the Nissan Xterra and Nissan Titan, which replaces the Chevy Silverado 1500 with help from a $5,000 rebate. Chevy had been king of the full-size truck segment for many months."

Bell added that the Nissan Xterra beating out the Toyota 4Runner was a big surprise--but one that shows the power of rebates. "The Xterra's inventory/overstock situation, paired with a higher rebate, gave Nissan the upper hand. The Xterra offers a $2,500 rebate as opposed to the 4Runner's $1,500. The Xterra is a good, solid vehicle. But money on the hood of a good car can turn it into a Best Deal," Bell remarked.

IntelliChoice.com's "Best Deals of the Month" identify new cars, trucks, and SUV's with the best ownership cost value in 33 respective classes. Selections are based on current car pricing, 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 model-year trim line over a five-year basis.

The following "Best Deals" for March 2008 are ranked by vehicle type and size

Class                             Brand                          Model

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Subcompact Car                    Toyota                   Yaris Sedan

Compact Car over $16,000          Honda                   Civic Hybrid

Compact Car under $16,000         Honda                    Civic Sedan

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                       Infiniti                          M35

Large Car                        Hyundai                        Sonata

Base Sport Car                  Volkswagen                         R32

Sport Car                       Chevrolet         Corvette Convertible

Sport Sedan/Wagon over $38,000    Lexus                      GS Hybrid

Sport Sedan Wagon under $38,000  Pontiac                Grand Prix GXP

Compact Utility/Crossover        Mercury                Mariner Hybrid

Midsize Crossover                 Honda                          Pilot

Luxury Crossover                  Lexus                        RX 400h

Small Wagon                       Scion                             xB

Midsize/Large Wagon               Subaru                 Outback Wagon

Intermediate Utility              Nissan                        Xterra

Full-Size Utility               Chevrolet                        Tahoe

Luxury Utility                    Lexus                             GX

Compact Pickup Truck 2WD          Toyota        Tacoma Regular Cab 2WD

Compact Pickup 4WD                Toyota        Tacoma Regular Cab 4WD

Full-Size Pickup Truck 2WD 1/2    Toyota        Tundra Regular Cab 2WD

 Ton

Full-Size Pickup Truck 2WD 3/4  Chevrolet  Silverado 2500 HD Crew Cab

 Ton                                                               2WD

Full-Size Pickup Truck 2WD One  Chevrolet  Silverado 3500 HD Crew Cab

 Ton                                                               2WD

Full-Size Pickup Truck 4WD 1/2    Nissan     2008.5 Titan King Cab 4WD

 Ton

Full-Size Pickup Truck 4WD 3/4  Chevrolet  Silverado 2500 HD Crew Cab

 Ton                                                               4WD

Full-Size Pickup Truck 4WD One  Chevrolet  Silverado 3500 HD Crew Cab

 Ton                                                               4WD

Minivan                           Toyota                        Sienna

Full-Size Van                      Ford                           E150

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 car 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, games, books and related items.