Kelley Blue Book's 'Best Resale Value' Awards Goes Carless for 2019

Until subscription services irreparably modify what constitutes “owning” a car, resale value will continue being an important consideration when shopping for a new vehicle. Every dollar you can squeeze out of your vehicle down the road is one you don’t have to hand over at the dealership.

Every year, Kelly Blue Book compiles a list of models occupying the top spots of the resale value charts, and, every year, we’ve watched as passenger cars are gradually replaced by pickups, crossovers, and SUVs. Last year, the Subaru WRX was the only sedan to break into the top 10. However, this year’s KBB list is entirely devoid of cars.

While the information is incredibly helpful for consumers, predicting the deprecation of a new model isn’t an exact science. Analysts have to account for current and future market conditions, supply and demand, brand perception, the changing state of the economy, equipment offerings on specific models, and how well older versions of the vehicle fared on the resale market. In the end, all you’re left with is a well-informed guess across trim lines.

According to KBB, your average auto will garner a 39 percent return on its original sticker price after 60 months. These vehicles should fare much better, with none expected to deliver any less than 50 percent of their initial value:

For 2019, the Porsche Macan comes in at number 10 by holding 65 percent of its value after 36 months and 50 percent at five years. That makes it the only German or premium nameplate to grace the list. It was bested by the Ford F-Series, which is expected to keep 57.5 percent of its value after three years and 50.6 percent of its sticker after 60 months.

Moving up the list, we have the 2019 Chevrolet Colorado, Honda Ridgeline, Toyota 4Runner, GMC Sierra, and Toyota Tundra — all of which are expected to maintain at least 51 percent of their original MSRP after five years.

However, the big standouts are the 2019 Jeep Wrangler and Toyota Tacoma pickup. FCA’s iconic off-roader took second place with 66.5 percent after 36 months and 58.3 percent after 60. Meanwhile, Toyota’s pickup is expected to keep a whopping 69.4 percent after three years and 62.2 percent at five.

Thankfully, KBB also breaks down its value assessment to include segment standouts.

With none averaging better than 41 percent after 60 months, subcompact crossovers ended up not being the best group for those looking for stellar resale prices. Standout models included the 2019 Honda HR-V, Toyota C-HR, and Mazda CX-3. But going bigger ultimately turned out to be better in terms of resale. Mid and full-size SUVs averaged higher resale values than their economy minded brethren.

Cars averaged worse overall, but didn’t suffer from the same size disparity as crossovers and SUVs. For example, the Honda Civic took top honors in the subcompact category by holding an estimated 41.2 percent of its initial value after 60 months. In comparison, the full-size winner, Dodge’s Charger, fared far worse at only 35 percent — lower than the industry average.

If you’re shopping for a replacement vehicle, you might want to check out KBB’s expanded list to see if anything you’re considering made the cut. Again, you won’t be able to set your watch to these findings. But, based on the accuracy of KBB’s pervious resale estimations, they should still give you a very good idea of what to expect.

[Images: Toyota; Porsche; Fiat Chrysler Automobiles]