GreenBkk Auto | Cars: Top 10 best resale value

Cars: Top 10 best resale value

Credit: CNN (www.cnn.com)

This batch of cars, SUVs, and trucks hold their value better than most, which could save owners a lot of money.

1. Honda CR-V

Sticker price: $21,695 - $27,895

Projected 5-year retained value: 46.8%

Car value experts at Kelley Blue Book expect the Honda CR-V to hold its value better than any other car now or on the market -- minus a few rare, high-priced exotics.

When looking at automakers' full line-up of vehicles, Subaru is expected to have the best resale value -- on average -- of all of them. And BMW is expected to have the best overall resale value, on average, of any luxury brand.

Starting with the CR-V, here are the top 10 models for predicted resale value, according to Kelley Blue Book. In making their predictions, car value experts took into account a long list of factors. Among them: the past history of a given model or brand, how good the car is compared to its competitors, and how many competitors there are.

by Peter Valdes-Dapena, senior writer

2. Jeep Wrangler

Sticker price: $22,045 - $29,245

Projected 5-year retained value: 45.2%

Kelley Blue Book credits the Jeep Wrangler with having "one of the most iconic, uniquely American shapes in the automotive world." That look, which has changed subtly over decades, will help the Wrangler maintain its value.

3. Toyota Tacoma

Sticker price: $16,365 - $27,525

Projected 5-year retained value: 44.5%

This is Toyota Tacoma's ninth Best Resale Value Award in a row. Kelley Blue Book credits the truck's award-winning history to its "reliability and ruggedness."

4. BMW X5

Sticker price: $46,300 - $58,900

Projected 5-year retained value: 44.4%

The X5 combines traditional SUV utility with BMW's famous driving dynamics, Kelley Blue Book says, which is why this particular vehicle's value tends to remain strong in the used-car market.

5. Lexus RX

Sticker price: $37,975 - $39,375

Projected 5-year retained value: 43.0%

Lexus' RX was redesigned for the 2010 model year, further upgrading the car's already attractive design and technology. The addition of these upgrades are factors that Kelley Blue Book thinks will boost the car's resale value.

6. Audi A5

Sticker price: $36,500 - $44,190

Projected 5-year retained value: 42.7%

The Audi A5's attractive interior and exterior design should help make it easy to sell in the used-vehicle market, Kelley Blue Book says.

7. BMW X6

Sticker price: $57,000 - $67,700

Projected 5-year retained value: 42.3%

While traditional SUVs take on some of the minivan's "mommy-mobile" stigma, Kelley Blue Book says the BMW X6's swooping design should help it stand out.

8. Toyota FJ Cruiser

Sticker price: $24,180 - $25,770

Projected 5-year retained value: 42.0%

Toyota's FJ Cruiser is expected to retain its value through a combination of eye-catching design, off-road performance and around-town livability, according to Kelley Blue Book.

9. Lexus GX

Sticker price: $52,345 - $57,140

Projected 5-year retained value: 41.5%

The Lexus GX is one of the few SUVs on the market that still combines top-drawer luxury, with genuine off-road capability. Kelley Blue Book says that should help the SUV maintain its value in the marketplace.

10. Subaru Outback

Sticker price: $23,195 - $31,495

Projected 5-year retained value: 41.3%

The Subaru Outback is another Best Resale Value car that wins through a unique combination of attributes. It has the low roofline of a traditional wagon, but the ground clearance of an SUV.

For those who want meaningful off-road capability -- without the height of an SUV -- the Outback is what people will be looking for, according to Kelley Blue Book.

Credit: CNN (www.cnn.com)