Thursday, November 17, 2011

Toyota and Lexus Are Back on Top in Kelley Blue Book Resale Value Survey!

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Toyota and Lexus are the brands with the best resale value for 2012 models, according to Kelley Blue Book.

The distinction is based on how well new models are expected to retain their original list price after five years of ownership.

According to the used-car pricing service, the average vehicle, irrespective of brand, is expected to retain about 35.5 percent of its original value after five years, which means that a $50,000 new car today would be worth approximately $17,750 after five years. The average 2012 Toyota, however, would retain 41.5 percent of its original value, while a Lexus would retain 37.9 percent, according to the service.

Toyota and Lexus, which were winners in the report for the 2010 model year, were ousted last year by Subaru and BMW.

“Toyota has done well primarily with their trucks, which are holding value quite well,” said Eric Ibara, director of residual consulting at Kelley Blue Book, in a telephone interview.

 

Residual values in the survey reflect projected future auction values for vehicles in average condition with 75,000 miles at the end of a five-year lease or ownership period. Low-volume vehicles or vehicles with a list price of more than $60,000 are excluded from consideration for the awards, except in the luxury and high-performance categories.

Residual values improved across all surveyed brands, Mr. Ibara noted — on average they were 1.5 percentage points higher than last year.

The Jeep Wrangler is the vehicle with the highest resale value, at 55 percent. In dollars and cents, a base 2012 Sport model, with two-wheel drive and a list price of $22,845, would have a resale value of $12,564 after five years.

The top 10 cars from the 2012 model year expected to achieve the best resale value were the Audi Q7, Chevrolet Camaro, Honda CR-V, Hyundai Tucson, Infiniti FX, Jeep Wrangler, Lexus RX, Nissan Frontier, Toyota FJ Cruiser and Toyota Tacoma.

There are also winners in 19 categories, ranging from subcompact car to full-size pickup. They are, in alphabetical order: Audi A5 and Q7; Chevrolet Camaro V-6, Camaro SS, Traverse and Volt; Ford F-Series Super Duty; Honda Civic, Civic Hybrid, Fit and Odyssey; Jeep Wrangler; Lexus IS and RX 450h; Nissan Maxima; Subaru Outback; and Toyota Camry, FJ Cruiser and Tacoma.

A number of vehicles singled out Wednesday were winners in their categories or were among the top 10 last year as well. When a vehicle is included two years in a row, it is an indication that its value is not a fluke, Mr. Ibara said.

“A good example is the Mini Cooper,” he said. “It was the top vehicle in its segment for nine years in a row. That’s a very strong record.”

A new, catch-all category for electric cars, which does not discriminate between purely electric cars or plug-in hybrids, was added this year. The 2012 winner in this segment was the Chevrolet Volt, with a projected residual value of 27 percent. The only other vehicle in the running was the Nissan Leaf, with a residual value of 25.5 percent.

These residual values were lower than the 35.5 percent average, Mr. Ibara said, because a $7,500 federal tax credit would lower the $39,995 Volt’s transaction price. That, in turn, would push its residual value lower, he said.

 

From: TheNewYorkTimes

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