SORC Source Interlink Companies (MM)

-Over 200 models evaluated based on U.S. News rankings, IntelliChoice.com cost analysis- WASHINGTON, Dec. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. News Media Group, one of the nation's leading sources of service journalism and news analysis, today released its first annual Best Cars for the Money awards, available online at http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/cars-trucks/best-cars-for-the-money/ and featured in the December 29 issue of the magazine, on newsstands December 22, 2008. The U.S. News Best Cars for the Money awards recognize 14 vehicles that earn the highest marks for overall value and appeal within their respective categories. In determining the award winners, U.S. News has taken its newly released 2009 Car Rankings and combined them with total cost of ownership data provided by IntelliChoice.com. "The auto industry has clearly been among the hardest hit by the economic downturn, but let's not forget that car buyers are also struggling to make sense of a tumultuous market," said Chad Smolinski, Vice President of Rankings & Reviews for U.S. News. "The Best Cars for the Money list recognizes vehicles that can be the most rewarding for car shoppers - namely those that win the most praise and offer the most compelling overall value." The U.S. News car rankings provide an unbiased comparison of each vehicle to its competitors, helping shoppers identify the best cars in each category. Rankings are based primarily on the balanced, diverse opinions of hundreds of professional auto critics. With a 22-year history of providing consumers with reliable information about vehicle costs, IntelliChoice.com measures both the target price that consumers can expect to pay for a vehicle as well as its 5-year total cost of ownership. Combining this data with U.S. News car rankings allows different models to be compared on a very useful metric -- overall appeal for the money. "Knowing the latest incentives, rebates, fuel costs, and projected resale values is as valuable and necessary as knowing a fair purchase price," said James Bell, Editor of IntelliChoice.com. "Combining this information with editorial rankings provides a strong guidepost for those looking to purchase in today's rapidly changing auto market." For a complete list of this year's best overall values and the awards methodology, visit http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/cars-trucks/best-cars-for-the-money/. For more information about the Total Cost of Ownership and detailed data for cars, visit http://www.intellichoice.com/. The 14 winners of the US News 2009 Best Cars for the Money awards are listed below: Subcompact Cars Honda Fit Compact Cars Hyundai Elantra Midsize Cars Toyota Camry (includes Camry Hybrid) Full Size Cars Toyota Avalon Upscale Cars Lexus ES Luxury Cars Lexus GS (includes GS Hybrid) Sports Cars Mazda Miata Compact Crossovers/SUVs Mazda Mazda5 Midsize Crossovers/SUVs Toyota Highlander (includes Highlander Hybrid) Luxury Crossovers/SUVs Lexus RX (includes RX Hybrid) Full Size SUVs Chevrolet Tahoe (includes Tahoe Hybrid) Minivans Toyota Sienna Compact Pickups Toyota Tacoma Full Size Pickups Chevrolet Silverado About U.S. News Media Group The U.S. News Media Group is a multiplatform digital publisher of news and analysis, which includes U.S.News & World Report magazine, http://www.usnews.com/, and http://www.rankingsandreviews.com/. Focusing on Health, Money & Business, Education, Public Service/Opinion, and Automotive, the U.S. News Media Group has earned a reputation as the leading provider of service news and information that improves the quality of life of its readers. The U.S. News Media Group's signature franchises include its News You Can Use(R) brand of journalism and its series of consumer guides that include rankings of cars, colleges, graduate schools, hospitals, health plans, and more. About IntelliChoice.com, Source Interlink Media, and Source Interlink Companies, Inc. IntelliChoice.com, part of Source Interlink Media, LLC, is the market leader in automotive ownership cost and value analysis. Founded in 1986, IntelliChoice.com is committed to empowering consumers to make better purchase decisions by providing independent and essential automotive information and tools. Through the IntelliChoice.com web site, consumers get the help they need to research, compare, configure and price vehicles. The site also connects buyers to the buying alternatives of their choice, including vehicle manufacturers and an online car buying guide. Source Interlink Companies, Inc. (NASDAQ:SORC), a $2.2 Billion media and marketing services company operating in 25 states, is a leading U.S. distributor of home entertainment products and services and one of the largest publishers of magazines and online content for enthusiast audiences. Source Interlink Media, LLC publishes over 75 magazines and 90 related web sites. Source Interlink Distribution services tens of thousands of retail store locations throughout North America distributing DVDs, music CDs, magazines, video games, books, and related items. In addition to distributing over 6,000 distinct magazine titles annually, the Company maintains the largest in-stock catalog of CDs and DVDs in the U.S. -- a combined total of more than 260,000 titles. Supply chain relationships include consumer goods advertisers, subscribers, movie studios, record labels, magazine and newspaper publishers, confectionary companies and manufacturers of general merchandise. DATASOURCE: U.S. News Media Group CONTACT: Liz Putze of U.S. News & World Report, ; Gabrielle Zucker of Kwittken & Company for U.S. News Media Group, +1-646-747-7143, ; or Jessica Pessah of Gravitas Communications for IntelliChoice.com, +1-212-924-9500, Web Site: http://http//www.usnews.com/

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