MINI USA RECEIVES TWO 2015 ALG RESIDUAL VALUE AWARDS

Woodcliff Lake, NJ,  November 17, 2014. MINI USA today announced that the company has received two Residual Value Awards from ALG, the analytics division of TrueCar, Inc., and the industry benchmark for projecting future vehicle values and depreciation data.  The awards were given to the MINI Hardtop and the MINI Countryman models in the Premium Compact Car and Subcompact Utility Vehicle categories, respectively.
 
“The MINI Hardtop and MINI Countryman are both premium vehicles and the most popular models among the MINI product line,” said David Duncan, Vice President MINI of the Americas. “The new MINI Hardtop offers standard safety and technology features that were once limited to luxury vehicles, while the MINI Countryman continues to be one of the safest vehicles in its segment winning the IIHS Top Safety Pick for the fourth year in a row.”
 
The annual ALG Residual Value Awards honor the vehicles and brands that are predicted to retain the highest percentage of their original price after a conventional three-year period. ALG recognizes 26 vehicles with segment awards, along with two brands representing the Mainstream and Premium sectors of the industry. This year’s awards are based on 2015 model year vehicles.
 
"MINI models have won a number of Residual Value Awards over the years, largely due to the iconic styling and the brand's sales strategies," said Larry Dominique, President of ALG. "Buyers are willing to pay a price premium for MINI products because of their distinctive style and great driving experience, and the Countryman adds lots of utility to that equation."
 
Award winners are determined through careful study of the competition in each segment, historical vehicle performance and industry trends. Vehicle quality, production levels relative to demand, and pricing and marketing strategies represent key factors that impact ALG’s residual value forecasts.
 
About ALG
Founded in 1964 and headquartered in Santa Barbara, California, with an office in Toronto, Ontario, ALG is an authority on automotive residual value projections in North America. By analyzing nearly 2,500 vehicle trims each year to assess residual value – which is mainly driven by used car inventory, brand strength, macroeconomic conditions, incentive spending and pricing – ALG provides auto industry and financial services clients with resale insights, forecasts and consulting services about the future vehicle marketplace. ALG, owned by TrueCar, Inc., the negotiation-free car buying and selling platform, has been publishing residual values for all cars, trucks and SUVs in the U.S. for 50 years and in Canada since 1981. The 2015 Residual Value Awards, honoring new vehicles projected to best maintain their value, will be announced Nov. 17. For more information, visit www.alg.com.
 
About TrueCar
TrueCar, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRUE) is the negotiation-free car buying and selling platform. TrueCar enables a negotiation-free car buying experience by giving buyers transparent insight into what others actually paid (price confidence), upfront pricing information (price discovery), and access to a network of trusted TrueCar Certified Dealers who provide guaranteed savings certificates and seamlessly complete the car purchase. The reality is that buying a car is painful and buyers fear they are going to overpay or be surprised with hidden fees. TrueCar’s transparent upfront pricing information makes the car buying process simple so there are no surprises and buyers never overpay. TrueCar’s mission is to make car buying simple, fair and fun. Its national network of more than 9,000 TrueCar Certified Dealers, including both new car franchise dealers and non-franchise dealers, is committed to providing negotiation-free savings off MSRP and upfront pricing information for all car-buyers, including members of some of the country’s largest membership and service organizations such as AARP, American Express, AAA, and USAA. Note: Not all program features are available in all states. Go to www.truecar.com for program details. TrueCar is headquartered in Santa Monica, Calif., with offices in Santa Barbara, Calif., San Francisco, Calif., and Austin, Texas.
 
About MINI in the US
MINI is an independent brand of the BMW Group. In the United States, MINI USA operates as a business unit of BMW of North America, LLC, located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey and includes the marketing and sales organizations for the MINI brand. The MINI USA sales organization is represented in the U.S. through a network of 121 MINI passenger car dealers in 38 states. MINI USA began selling vehicles in the U.S. in 2002 with the introduction of the MINI Cooper and MINI Cooper S Hardtops. Since then, the MINI Brand in the U.S. has grown to encompass a model range of seven unique vehicles.
 
Journalist notes: Media information about MINI and its products is available to journalists on-line at www.miniusanews.com.
 
Consumer information about MINI products is available via the internet at: www.MINIUSA.com.