Edmunds.com Names Winners of its Best Retained Value Awards

Jeep and Acura took home the top prizes in Edmunds.com's third annual Best Retained Value Awards, which recognize the brands and new car models that have the highest projected residual values after five years based on their average True Market Value price when sold new.

Jeep won in the non-luxury division with a projected 50.6% residual value after five years, and Acura won the luxury crown with a projected five-year residual value of 45.1%.

"Jeep's small lineup is led by two popular models — Wrangler and Grand Cherokee — that deliver big residual value for their owners,” said Joe Spina, Edmunds.com’s director of auto remarketing. “The Wrangler is especially vital to the brand because its retained value sits at an elite level matched by few other vehicles in any segment. Meanwhile, this is the second year in a row that Acura has won, and the brand clearly has done a great job distinguishing its value in a hypercompetitive luxury market."

In addition to these brand-level awards, Edmunds.com issued model-level awards in 22 separate categories. Ford and Toyota tied for the most model winners with four apiece. A full list of all 22 model winners can be found at http://www.edmunds.com/car-reviews/best-retained-value-cars.html.

All vehicle makes with more than 100,000 unit sales in the U.S. in 2012 were eligible for this year's brand-level Best Retained Value Awards.

To be eligible for this year’s model-level Best Retained Value Awards, all model-year 2013 vehicles needed to be launched by the end of 2012 with unit sales that were at least 20 percent of the average unit sales for the models in its segment (in March 2013). Edmunds determined each model's competitive segment based on its body type and the sales-weighted average MSRP of all available styles (excluding destination charges) of that model's body type.