MINI Cooper Convertible Wins Intellichoice ‘Best Value Convertible’ Award

* Third consecutive year a MINI vehicle is named an IntelliChoice ‘Best Value of the Year’ winner
* Independent data shows MINI ownership costs are less than expected
* ‘Best Value Award’ follows closely behind IntelliChoice naming MINI NEXT as the top non-luxury certified pre-owned program

Chicago – February 10, 2010… For the third consecutive year, a MINI brand vehicle is being named as one of IntelliChoice’s ‘Best Overall Value of the Year’ (BOVY) winners.  Today, the MINI brand’s value was endorsed once again as the MINI Cooper Convertible was named ‘Best Value Convertible’ in the annual IntelliChoice BOVY awards, which were announced at the Chicago International Auto Show.

"The ‘Best Value Convertible’ award that the MINI Cooper Convertible received today is further confirmation that the MINI brand is a wise investment," said Jim McDowell, Vice President of MINI USA.  "This latest award demonstrates that MINI promises a fun motoring experience while offering low cost of ownership.  Its unique design appeals to our emotional side, and the compelling value story of free scheduled maintenance, great fuel efficiency and competitive price point appeals to our rational side."

The MINI Cooper Convertible’s victory in the 2010 BOVY Awards follows last year’s selection by IntelliChoice of the MINI Cooper Convertible as the best value in both the ‘Convertible’ and ‘Best Car Value Over $24,000’ categories. In 2008, the MINI Cooper Hardtop was selected as the best value in the ‘Compact Vehicle’ category.

The BOVY’s: Value over Price
IntelliChoice.com’s ‘BOVY’ awards recognize vehicles whose cost of ownership over a five-year timeframe is significantly lower than expected compared to competitive models in the same class. The awards provide a quick reference to finding vehicles that promise the best value.

“One of the biggest things IntelliChoice.com emphasizes is that choosing a car wisely is not just about the lowest sticker price or even the lowest ownership costs,” said Vogelheim. “The BOVYs recognize cars and trucks whose total cost of ownership is significantly lower than expected compared to its peers. Most of us would assume that a vehicle’s price would largely determine its cost of ownership. But that’s not the case, and it’s the reason the Best Overall Values of the Year awards are so important”

The company’s analysis contributes to the only data-driven awards focused solely on identifying vehicles that cost significantly less to own over time than other vehicles in their class.  This insightful data factors in the expenses associated with seven ownership cost areas including repairs, insurance, and depreciation. Understanding the accumulation of all these expenses can help consumers to identify the best value for their driving needs. For more information, the latest annual IntelliChoice information is accessible to all through the www.IntelliChoice.com website. 

MINI awards keep on coming…
In recent months MINI brand vehicles have received multiple awards, including IntelliChoice naming MINI NEXT as the top non-luxury Certified Pre-Owned Automotive (CPO) Program in 2010. IntelliChoice.com investigated and analyzed 32 manufacturer programs and Best Certified Pre-Owned Awards are presented in two major classes: Luxury and Non-Luxury. CPOs are cars, trucks and sport utility vehicles that have come off lease or have been resold to dealers, and have been thoroughly inspected prior to sale. IntelliChoice.com's

Acknowledging MINI vehicle’s more practical attributes, the brand also recently won numerous loyalty and resale value awards. During the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the 2009 MINI Cooper was named as the winner of the Polk Automotive Loyalty Award for highest loyalty in the compact car segment – achieving a loyalty rate of nearly 29 percent.

Earlier, at the LA Auto Show MINI brand vehicles accept multiple awards for resale and residual value during the LA Auto Show. MINI Cooper has received the 2010 Residual Value Award for BEST SPORTY CAR from ALG, while MINI brand vehicles won a total of three Best Resale Value Awards from Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com. The 2010 MINI Cooper Clubman was named Best Resale Value in its class for the compact car segment; while the 2010 MINI Cooper Clubman and 2010 MINI Cooper Hardtop are both named among the Top 10 cars with Best Resale Value according to Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com.