(January 18, 2018) IRVINE, Calif. — While most car buyers consider the sales price one of the most significant figures when choosing a new vehicle, the experts at Kelley Blue Book recommend shoppers consider a number they won't find on any window sticker: the resale value.

Making it easy to shop smart, Kelley Blue Book this week announced the 2018 model-year brand and category winners of the annual Best Resale Value Awards, recognizing vehicles for their projected retained value through the initial five-year ownership period.

"Once again, Toyota and Porsche earn tops honors in the brand and luxury brand categories, respectively, with the highest average projected resale value among their full model lineups. You can be confident a vehicle will retain its value well if you pick from Kelley Blue Book's list of Best Resale Value Award winners," said Eric Ibara, director of residual values for Kelley Blue Book.

"The Top 10 vehicle winners are predominantly trucks, which reflects the high demand that exists for these models. Despite the higher incentives available on trucks today, used-car buyers are willing to pay more for trucks, relative to the initial MSRP, than they are for sedans. Without the prospect of higher gas prices, this trend doesn't appear to be slowing."

It is the third Best Resale Value: Brand win for Toyota, which previously won in 2014 and 2017. This year marks Porsche's second consecutive Best Resale Value: Luxury Brand win.

Depreciation often is the greatest expense incurred by drivers during the first five years of vehicle ownership. An average 2018 model-year vehicle will retain only about 35.1 percent of its original value after a five-year ownership period, meaning that a $35,000 new car today will only be worth somewhere close to $12,285 after five years.

By comparison, all vehicles in Kelley Blue Book's Top 10 for Best Resale Value are projected to retain more than 46 percent of their MSRP with the top model, the Toyota Tacoma, expected to bring 61 percent of its MSRP after five years. Vehicles with average or below-average resale values are generally plentiful in the marketplace and easy to find.

However, certain vehicles are projected to hold their value better than others. While much of a vehicle's resale value is based on supply and demand, as well as current and projected future market conditions, vehicles that retain their value best are typically discounted the least and tend to generate high levels of consumer interest.



Kelley Blue Book's Best Resale Value Awards are in their 16th year and are based on projections from the Kelley Blue Book Official Residual Value Guide. Kelley Blue Book Residual Values are established by experienced automotive analysts that review the output from statistical models built upon millions of transactions. Vehicles that earn the highest five-year residual values, expressed as a percentage of their original Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP), are selected for these prestigious awards.

Low-volume vehicles are excluded from award consideration, except in the electric, luxury, sports car and high-performance categories.

Residual values 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. Kelley Blue Book's residual values are used by manufacturers, banks, financial institutions and the automotive leasing industry.