Depreciation: It's the biggest cost of owning an automobile. Some vehicles just hold their value better than others when you sell or trade them in. Those that don't just plain cost you more.
So, each year, analysts at Kelley Blue Book tally up the cars, trucks and SUVs that they expect to hold their value best over five years. Resale value, as it is called, is an important factor to consider when purchasing a new vehicle and there are a few distinct trends noticeable in KBB's latest rankings.
First of all, SUVs and trucks hold their value very well.
Of the 10 vehicles expected to have the best resale value after five years every one of them is an SUV or pickup. General Motors (GM) makes four of them: The Chevrolet Colorado and Silverado and the GMC Canyon and Sierra pick-ups. Toyota has three vehicles on the list: The Toyota (TM) Tacoma and Tundra pick-ups and the 4Runner SUV. Then there are the Ford (F) F-150 pick-up, Jeep Wrangler SUV and the Honda CR-V crossover SUV.
These vehicles hold their value well in large part because SUVs and trucks are hot right now. They're are selling well, in general, and that's not expected to change anytime soon, said Eric Ibara, director of residual value consulting at Kelley Blue Book, even if gas prices edge back up.
That's why KBB's experts expect that, among plug-in vehicles, the one that's expected to hold its value best over five years isn't the Chevrolet Volt or Nissan (NSANF) Leaf. It's the Porsche (POAHF) Cayenne S E-Hybrid. (Keep in mind, of course, that the Cayenne just plain costs more than either of those vehicles. Prices start at about $76,000 before tax incentives compared to about $34,000 for the Volt.)
Photos: 22 Best Resale Value Cars
A number of domestic vehicles topped their respective market segments, according to KBB. Among high-performance cars, General Motors' Chevrolet Corvette holds its value best and the Camaro V6 is best among Sports Cars.
Among full-sized cars, the Toyota Avalon has been the resale value leader in past years but, this year, the Dodge Charger pulled out ahead.
Overall, Asian automaker do very well in KBB's analysis, though, ranking at the top in 12 of 22 categories. Of those, seven are Toyota products including three from Toyota's Lexus luxury division. Subaru has three vehicles topping their respective market categories: The Impreza, WRX, and Legacy. The Honda Fit ranks as the best subcompact car in resale value.
