Are you a smart car shopper? Smart car shoppers know that one of the most important considerations when buying a new vehicle is not its styling, or its engine specs, or even its onboard technology, but how well it holds its value over time. The amount of money that a car is worth at trade-in time is known as resale value, and with its implications of overall reliability and desirability, strong resale value means you get more cash for your car when you’re done with it than other people do for theirs. Following is a list of the vehicles that are predicted by Kelley Blue Book and ALG to retain the most value in their respective classes.
Here’s another smart buyer tip: Right now automakers are adding 2011 models to their lineups, so car dealers are eager to move 2010 models from the lots to make room. Combine high resale value with big discounts, and use this list to narrow down choices and make a decision with confidence.
Compact cars
How can anyone resist this little charmer? You can get the Cooper (view photos), with its petite dimensions, when you’re young and single, and graduate to the Clubman (view photos), with more room in the rear seat and cargo area, when you settle down and start a family. Swing-out double cargo doors instead of a hatch are a unique twist, and a side-access panel for the rear seat makes life easier when you’ve got wee ones to tote around. In either configuration, with its wide-eyed visage and fiercely athletic demeanor (in Cooper S or John Cooper Works trim), the 2010 Mini Cooper will appeal to the cockles of your heart. And when it comes time to sell, its high resale value will appeal to your brain. But who can bear to part with this adorable little car?
2010 Mini Cooper
- MSRP: $22,300
- Kelley Blue Book Value: $20,516
2010 Mini Cooper Clubman
- MSRP: $24,050
- Kelley Blue Book Value: $20,516
2010 Mini Cooper
2010 Mini Cooper Clubman