NEW YORK - General Motors Corp., the biggest US automaker, gained ground on Toyota Motor Corp. in an annual survey of ownership costs including measures such as sticker price and resale value.
GM led in three vehicle categories, up from one last year, while Toyota again won four of the eight total awards, research firm IntelliChoice.com said at the Chicago auto show yesterday. Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler LLC were shut out.
The results lend credence to GM's goal of improving quality and boosting resale values by curbing incentive spending and sales to rental-car companies. Such so-called fleet customers typically resell vehicles quickly, depressing prices.
"They've made a real push on residual value, but we're also seeing it in desirability," IntelliChoice.com editor James Bell said yesterday. "Word is starting to get out that if you buy a Chevy, you're not destined for troubles the way you were 10 years ago."
GM's Chevrolet Corvette convertible won IntelliChoice's award for the best car value over $24,000, while Chevrolet's four-wheel-drive Silverado 1500 Extended Cab and Express Van were honored as the top truck and van, respectively, among higher-priced peers.
Honda Motor Co.'s Pilot sport-utility was ranked as best crossover or SUV under $28,000, and Toyota's winners were the Prius hybrid sedan, Lexus RX 350 wagon, two-wheel-drive Tacoma regular-cab truck, and Sienna minivan.
Buyers "can expect a lower cost in ownership" for best-in-category vehicles compared with similar models, according to IntelliChoice, a unit of Bonita Springs, Fla.-based Source Interlink Cos. IntelliChoice studied insurance and maintenance costs among other ownership expenses.
"We always expect to see Toyotas and Lexuses do well in this study because they absolutely do hold their value well," Bell said. "Of all the ownership factors, we think value is one of the most important."
