KBB Resale Value Awards

I didn’t even know Kelley Blue Book, where most go to review the value of a used car, holds awards each year for the top value retention cars. This is something a lot of total cost of ownership (TCO) folks, of which I am a card-carrying member; take into account when valuing cars. I found this quote from the CNN/Money article interesting:

While the company would not reveal the exact projected resale values for any of the cars, those receiving awards are expected to retain about half their value over five years. That’s compared to an industry average depreciation of 65 percent over five years.

The fact that industry average is 65% over five years is interesting when you look at the other stat: the top ten only retain 50% after five years. In reality then, you don’t lose half a car’s value once you drive it off the lot (the widely held belief), you lose it after five years and that’s only if you own a top ten value-retention car: everyone else loses about 65% of its value.

Best Resale Value: Brand – BMW and MINI

Best Resale Value: Category
Sedan: Honda Accord Hybrid
Coupe: Infiniti G35 Coupe
Convertible: Chevrolet Corvette
Hatchback: Toyota Prius/MINI Cooper
Wagon: Subaru Outback Wagon
Pick-up: Toyota Tacoma PreRunner
SUV: Porsche Cayenne
Van-Minivan: Honda Odyssey
Luxury: Infiniti M45

Best Resale Value: Top 10
MINI Cooper
Toyota Prius
Honda Accord Hybrid
Volvo XC90
Porsche Cayenne
Infiniti G35
Chevrolet Corvette
BMW 5-Series
Lexus GX 470
Infiniti M45

Two hybrids are on the list, I wonder how much soaring gasoline prices have affected their resale values. I’ve heard that Toyota Priuses (Prii?) in the secondary market have increased in value because of the waiting time for a new one.