Does Quality Have Anything To Do With Resale? Edmund's 2015 Best Retained Value Brings Into Question Recalls And Defects Vs Value

Edmunds.com Best Retained Value® Awards are part of our continuing efforts to highlight vehicle value for consumers. The awards recognize the brands and models that have the highest projected private party residual value five years after their launch, expressed as a percentage of their average True Market Value® (TMV®). We assume 15,000 miles driven per year.

For 2015, Toyota won in the non-luxury division with a projected 52.4 percent residual value after five years, and Acura won the luxury crown with a projected five-year residual value of 46.9 percent. In addition to these brand-level awards, Edmunds.com issued model-level awards in 24 separate segments.

A reliable assessment of a vehicle's resale value can be a critical piece of information for car buyers. Smart car shoppers will choose vehicles with high retained value so they can maximize their worth at trade-in or sale. And for consumers who lease, selecting cars with strong resale value is just as important: Resale value is a key factor in determining the monthly lease payment. Click here to read more about the methodology for selecting the 2015 Best Retained Value® Award winners.

By Brand:

Luxury: Acura

Honorable Mention: Lexus, Porsche

Non-Luxury: Toyota

Honorable Mention: Subaru, GMC, Honda

By Category:

Subcompact Car: Honda Fit

Honorable Mention: Scion xB, Toyota Yaris

Compact Car: Subaru WRX

Honorable Mention: Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic

Midsize Car: Subaru Legacy

Honorable Mention: Honda Accord, Toyota Camry

Large Car: Toyota Avalon

Honorable Mention: Chevrolet Impala, Buick Lacrosse

Entry Luxury Car: Acura ILX

Honorable Mention: Lexus IS 250, Lexus ES 350

Midrange Luxury Car: Lexus GS 350

Honorable Mention: Audi S4, BMW M3

Premium Luxury Car: Porsche Panamera

Honorable Mention: Lexus LS 460, BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe

Entry Sport Car: Dodge Challenger

Honorable Mention: Scion FR-S, Ford Mustang

Midrange Sport Car: Chevrolet Corvette

Honorable Mention: Porsche Cayman, BMW M4

Premium Sport Car: Nissan GT-R

Honorable Mention: Porsche 911, Audi R8

SUVs

Compact Crossover SUV: Honda CR-V

Honorable Mention: Subaru Forester, Toyota RAV4

Midsize Crossover SUV: Toyota Highlander

Honorable Mention: Subaru Outback, GMC Terrain

Large Crossover SUV: GMC Acadia

Honorable Mention: Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse

Entry Luxury SUV: Acura RDX

Honorable Mention: Audi Q5, Lexus RX 350

Midrange Luxury SUV: Lexus GX 460

Honorable Mention: Acura MDX, Lexus RX 450h

Premium Luxury SUV: Mercedes-Benz G-Class

Honorable Mention: Lexus LX 570, Cadillac Escalade

Midsize Traditional SUV: Jeep Wrangler

Honorable Mention: Toyota 4Runner

Large Traditional SUV: GMC Yukon

Honorable Mention: Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon XL

Trucks

Midsize Truck: Toyota Tacoma

Honorable Mention: GMC Canyon, Chevrolet Colorado

Large Truck: Toyota Tundra

Honorable Mention: Ford F-150, GMC Sierra 1500

Heavy Duty Truck: Ford F-350 Super Duty

Honorable Mention: Ram 2500, GMC Sierra 2500HD

Vans

Minivan: Honda Odyssey

Honorable Mention: Toyota Sienna, Kia Sedona

Small Commercial Van: Ford Transit Connect

Honorable Mention: Nissan NV200, Ram CV Tradesman

Large Commercial Van: Ram Promaster Cargo Van

Honorable Mention: Ford Transit Van, Ford Tansit Wagon

TheSteve - 6/18/2015 11:23:30 AM

0 Boost

I take all this stuff with a HUGE grain of salt. Well, actually, I dismiss most of it without being concerned one bit, and I get the vehicle I want. So far, I'm good with that process.

MDarringer - 6/18/2015 11:34:29 AM

0 Boost

Resale value only really has any impact on leases. If you're buying a car with the idea of trading it off in 5 years, you're paying too much and a lease would have been better for you.

quizz - 6/18/2015 1:32:29 PM

0 Boost

"retained value" = ANY 911 aircooled model

The air cooled 911 as a model line are the most accessible values available today. It's obvious that small makers like Ferrari or Lambo will be worth mucho, but Porsches were always considered more "mass produced" than exclusive. In other words, buy an OK condition 911, spend $15,000 on a basic drive-train rebuild (engine, valves, etc.) so it will last another 25,000 miles, then sell it for more than what you paid for including the rebuild cost (as long as you get it done by a reputable 911 specialist) if you co-sign the car to the Porsche specialist to field the sale on your behalf.

Buyers want a trouble free aircooled car that's already had the basics checked out, and if the seller is the specialist that also did the work (even if sold "as is"), it's an easy sale. For example check out this 80's Targa with 117,000 miles selling for $45,000 by this RUF specialist in Texas: http://www.racperformance.com/1987-Porsche-911-Carrera-Targa-TX-75006/5427127

Car4Life - 6/18/2015 1:34:50 PM

+1 Boost

The G Class just keeps soldiering on after nearly half a century...I love it

MrEE - 6/18/2015 6:55:03 PM

0 Boost

If by quality you mean reliability, there is a high correlation to retained value. Shows how overpriced brands do find their true value. Of course, there will always be a crowd that buy on fuzzy logic.