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Lexus LS Edges Cadillac DTS for Top Overall Vehicle

CAMPBELL, Calif., July 27 /PRNewswire/ -- PRIMEDIA's IntelliChoice.com, the online source for automotive ownership cost and value analysis, and AutoPacific, the industry source for owner satisfaction rankings, today announced the results of their second annual Motorist Choice Awards for model year 2007, with Toyota and GM coming in as the big winners. Toyota scored winners in eight segments, including the overall winner, Lexus LS, while GM followed in second with five segment winners, including the Cadillac DTS and GMC Yukon XL.

The Motorist Choice Awards were designed by AutoPacific and IntelliChoice.com to recognize the vehicles that delivered both the highest customer satisfaction and the lowest cost of ownership. The awards take AutoPacific's owner satisfaction data from new car and truck buyers and combine those data with IntelliChoice.com's rating methodology to create a new kind of award that speaks to both the hearts and wallets of car buyers.

"This year's roster of winners earned their place by challenging vehicles often recognized for their quality and value," said James Bell, publisher of IntelliChoice.com. "While Japanese manufacturers garnered a majority of the 25 vehicle segments, the 2007 Cadillac DTS checked in as the top overall large luxury car. GM also showed well by scoring top honors in both the large light-duty and heavy-duty truck segments with the Chevrolet Silverado."

"Those who monitor the industry closely are probably not surprised by the performance of the Cadillac DTS," said George Peterson, president of AutoPacific. "Across all segments, the DTS came in a close second to the overall winner Lexus LS, and it was the top ranked vehicle overall in AutoPacific's recently announced Vehicle Satisfaction Awards. It's a car that can definitely challenge the other elite brands."

Peterson added that any vehicle scoring 700 or higher in the Motorist Choice Awards can be considered in the top tier of highly desirable cars or trucks. "There were 25 outstanding vehicles scoring 700 or better," said Peterson. "Some vehicles scored high but didn't make the list because they lost out to other high-scoring vehicles in their segment. These include the Lexus GS, Lincoln Town Car, Chevrolet Tahoe, Chevrolet Suburban, Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Acura RL, BMW 5-Series, BMW 7-Series, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Mercedes-Benz GL450, Chevrolet Suburban, Lexus RX, Toyota 4Runner and Hyundai Azera."

WINNERS

Aspirational Luxury Car Lexus IS
Compact Car -- Mazda Mazda3 Sedan
Compact Crossover SUV -- Chevrolet HHR
Compact Pickup -- Toyota Tacoma
Compact Sport Utility/ORV -- Toyota FJ Cruiser
Economy Car -- Honda Fit
Image Compact Car -- Volkswagen GTI
Large Car -- Toyota Avalon
Large HD Pickup -- Chevrolet Silverado HD
Large LD Pickup -- Chevrolet Silverado 1500
Large Luxury Car -- Cadillac DTS
Large Sport Utility -- GMC Yukon XL
Luxury Crossover SUV -- Acura MDX
Luxury Mid-Size Car -- Nissan Maxima
Luxury Sport Utility -- Land Rover Range Rover Sport
Mid-Size Car -- Volkswagen Jetta
Mid-Size Crossover SUV -- Honda CR-V
Mid-Size Sport Utility -- Toyota 4Runner
Minivan -- Honda Odyssey
Premium Luxury Car -- Lexus LS
Premium Mid-Size Car -- Nissan Altima
Premium Mid-Size Crossover SUV -- Nissan Murano
Premium Sports Car -- Lexus SC
Sports Car -- Porsche Boxster
Sporty Car -- Scion tC

About IntelliChoice.com

Part of PRIMEDIA's Enthusiast Media, IntelliChoice is the market leader in automotive ownership cost and value analysis. Founded in 1986, IntelliChoice is committed to empowering consumers to make better purchase decisions by providing independent and essential automotive information and tools. Through the IntelliChoice web site (http://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.

About AutoPacific

AutoPacific is a future-oriented automotive marketing and product- consulting firm. Every year AutoPacific publishes a wide variety of syndicated studies on the automotive industry. The firm also conducts extensive proprietary research and consulting for auto manufacturers, distributors, marketers and suppliers worldwide. Company headquarters and its state-of-the-art automotive research facility are in Tustin, California, with an affiliate office in the Detroit area. Additional information can be found on AutoPacific's websites: http://www.autopacific.com/ and http://blog.vehiclevoice.com/.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: AutoPacific

CONTACT: James Bell of IntelliChoice +1-323-782-2729,
james_bell@intellichoice.com; or Daniel Hall of AutoPacific, +1-714-838-4234,
dhall@autopacific.com

Web site:

http://www.autopacific.com/
http://www.intellichoice.com/

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Profile: Media News