Everyone knows that to get a good deal on a new car, you have to negotiate a good price and secure a good financing rate. Fewer buyers consider predicted resale value in the quest to get the most for their money, but a $25,000 new car with strong resale value can actually cost less over a short three-year ownership cycle than a $20,000 car with poor resale value. The car you choose can be more important than the terms you negotiate.The annual Kelley Blue Book Best Resale Value Awards recognize automakers' outstanding achievements in producing new vehicles that best maintain their appeal after five years of ownership. Check out the overall champions here, then find out which cars took top resale honors in the segments you're shopping.
For many, Subaru is synonymous with all-wheel drive . A smaller group instantly equates the automaker with rally racing and performance. And for a surprising number of people we talk with, any mention of Subaru still conjures the iconic BRAT introduced in the late seventies. Very few, though, associate the automaker with excellent resale value. But this year Subaru tops Honda, Toyota and other usual suspects as our 2011 Best Resale Value Award recipient for best brand. How so? A styling renaissance is putting the vehicles on more shoppers' radars, and what they're discovering are cars and crossovers that are just plain nicer and better-built than they've long thought. Subaru and its symmetrical all-wheel drive are still extra popular in the white and wet parts of the country, but the secret is slipping out and more people are taking notice of a gem they may have overlooked since the BRAT went bye-bye in 1987.
 | 2011 Subaru Outback Best Resale Value: Wagon The 2011 Subaru Outback is more than a wagon, it's a lifestyle statement. Boasting a sporty but rugged stance, real off-road capability and a strong fan base of weekend warriors, the Outback can comfortably shepherd you through a week at the office to a weekend of fun and camaraderie. |
 | 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX Best Resale Value: Sports Car The Subaru Impreza WRX is one of the great bang-for-the-buck performers of all time. A turbocharged boxer-4 engine produces 265 horsepower and 244 pound-feet of torque, and a proven all-wheel drive system makes it easier to turn all that muscle into speed. |
