Kelley Blue Book Says U.S. Cars Don't Resell Well
By: Import User
Updated: December 3, 2008
American cars can't get up to speed by one important consumer gauge. Their resale values lag far behind foreign competitors.
The appraisers at Kelley Blue Book are announcing their annual rankings today for car resale values.
The "Wall Street Journal" says there won't be a single domestic brand in the Top Ten.
The Kelley rankings list autos that retain the biggest chunk of their sticker price after five years.
Kelley picked Honda as number one and projects the Japanese carmaker's top models will typically retain 44-and-a-half percent of their value.
In contrast, the average Chrysler keeps slightly less than a quarter of its value.
The other brands rounding out the Top Ten in order are Toyota, Volkswagen, Subaru, Lexus, BMW, Infiniti, Acura, Audi and Nissan.
The "Journal" says Detroit didn't make the grade because it overbuilds vehicles to gain market share.
When sales slump, the Big Three dump cars into rental fleets, which further depresses their resale value.
In contrast, Honda got high marks from Kelley because consumers rely on its reputation for quality and fuel-efficiency.
Honda nudged Volkswagen from the top berth this year.
The German carmaker vows a comeback with a revamped Jetta that burns a cleaner diesel.
(Copyright 2008 by Newsroom Solutions)
