(February 7, 2011) SAN FRANCISCO — IntelliChoice has announced the winners of the 2011 Best Overall Value of the Year (BOVY) awards at the 2011 National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) convention in San Francisco.

Toyota and its luxury arm, Lexus, won 11 of the 21 categories. Of the American Big Three, only General Motors won, capturing best performance car (Corvette) and best full-sized SUV (Yukon).

Amidst a recovering economy and a buying public wary of big-ticket spending, the annual BOVY Awards help to identify best-in-class vehicles that deliver outstanding value and lower than expected costs over time; offering consumers a quick reference to determine which vehicles give them the most bang for their buck.

Unlike previous years when there have been as many as 46 winners, this year’s BOVYs were distilled to highlight a collection of 21 class winners, honing in on specific buyer market segments. The vehicles in each category represent best values and illustrate the results of a careful and practical analysis of ownership costs, including: depreciation, maintenance, repairs, fuel, fees, financing and insurance.

“As the economy slowly builds back up, consumers are getting ready to re-enter the buyer’s market, but they are concerned of what’s going to give them the most value for the longest period of time.  That’s where we come in with a mission that has remained the same for the last 25 years; we empower consumers to make better purchase decisions, by providing independent and essential automotive information and tools,” said IntelliChoice Executive Editor Charlie Vogelheim.

“The BOVYs are another tool that help consumers recognize cars and trucks whose total cost of ownership is significantly lower than expected compared to their peers. In essence, the awards provide a quick reference to highlight vehicles that promise the best value over duration of ownership.”

While this year’s awards reflected a diverse group of winners across a range of price points and manufacturers, it was Asian manufacturers that continued to show the strongest best overall value, with Toyota accumulating seven wins of the 21 total categories, once again making it the highest award winner. Lexus accounted for another four category wins, including Premium Passenger Car, Premium Full-Size SUV, Premium Convertible and Premium Crossover/Wagon.

Certain cars and trucks made repeat appearances on IntelliChoice’s Best Overall Values ranking. Not surprisingly, were wins from Chevrolet Corvette and MINI Cooper Convertible; both were awarded honors for their class leading value retention and lower cost to insure.

“The most important thing about choosing a car wisely is knowing that it’s not just about the lowest sticker price,” Vogelheim said. “In fact, the purchase price is just the first cost; there are many other factors to consider when gauging overall cost.”