Edmunds.com Names Audi TT, Ford F-150 Heritage and Infiniti FX35 Among Vehicles With Lowest Ownership Costs; Honda and Toyota Brands Dominate

SANTA MONICA, Calif., April 26 -- Edmunds.com, the Internet's premiere resource for consumer automotive information, today announced which 2004 model year vehicles have the lowest relative ownership costs in their market segments. Japanese automakers dominate the list, besting the competition in 15 of the 27 segments.

   Coupe Under $15,000:            Toyota ECHO
   Sedan Under $15,000:            Scion xA
   Wagon Under $15,000:            Scion xB
   Coupe Under $25,000:            Honda Civic
   Convertible Under $25,000:      Volkswagen New Beetle
   Sedan Under $25,000:            Honda Civic
   Wagon Under $25,000:            Toyota Matrix
   SUV Under $25,000:              Honda CR-V
   Coupe Under $35,000:            Mazda RX-8
   Convertible Under $35,000:      Toyota MR2 Spyder
   Sedan Under $35,000:            Acura TSX
   Wagon Under $35,000:            Volvo V40
   SUV Under $35,000:              Toyota Highlander
   Coupe Under $45,000:            Audi TT
   Convertible Under $45,000:      Nissan 350Z
   Sedan Under $45,000:            BMW 3 Series
   Wagon Under $45,000:            Volvo XC70
   SUV Under $45,000:              Infiniti FX35
   Coupe Over $45,000:             Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class
   Convertible Over $45,000:       Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class
   Sedan Over $45,000:             Audi S4
   Wagon Over $45,000:             Audi S4
   SUV Over $45,000:               Volkswagen Touareg
   Compact Truck:                  Toyota Tacoma
   Large Truck:                    Ford F-150 Heritage
   Minivan:                        Honda Odyssey
   Van:                            Ford Econoline Cargo

Edmund.com's proprietary True Cost to Own(SM) tool CLICK HERE allows consumers to easily estimate the five-year costs of new and used vehicles dating back to the 1999 model year. Ownership costs include depreciation, insurance, financing, taxes, fees, fuel, repairs and maintenance. Users of the tool are able to enter ZIP codes to receive regionalized information, which makes a big difference in areas such as insurance and labor rates for repairs and maintenance services.

"It's always good to know how deep the pool is before jumping in the water; some consumers can afford to buy a car but not to pay the expenses associated with owning it," according to Bob Kurilko, Vice President of Industry Communications for Edmunds.com. "Smart buyers consider the ownership cost profile when making their final vehicle selections, not just the initial purchase price. That way, there are no surprises when the new car smell wears off."