13 Best New Cars With the Highest Resale Value, 2014

(Image credit: Thinkstock)

published 29 January 2014

These new vehicles have the highest projected three-year resale values in their respective categories. A vehicle’s resale value -- what it is expected to be worth three and five years down the road -- is an important measure of its overall value and appeal. These figures are the estimated price a dealer would pay if you traded in the vehicle, expressed as a percentage of the original sticker price.

Resale values come from a complex set of calculations based in part on historical data and economic predictions, as well as competition in each automotive segment, how appealing a car's brand is, and supply (including fleet sales and leases) versus demand.

To win the Best Resale award, the model must first be selected as one of our top 25 vehicles in its category. A vehicle is not eligible for the award if another trim level of the same model has won Best Resale in a lower price category.

Disclaimer

Because of the increase in crossover models, this year we split the large and midsize crossovers into separate categories. SOURCES: Kelley Blue Book (new vehicle data & ownership costs); Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (Top Safety Pick)

Cars Under $20,000: Subaru Impreza 2.0i hatchback

Resale value: 3-year: 63%; 5-year: 48%

Sticker price: $19,190 (manual)
Invoice price: $18,364
KBB Fair Purchase Price: $18,230
MPG: City: 25; Hwy: 33

The Impreza, the only all-wheel-drive option in the compact class, packs a lot of bang for the buck. Serious cargo room, sporty driving dynamics and a Top Safety Pick award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, combined with top resale values, also earn it our Best in Class award in the lowest price category.

Sponsored Content

Cars $20,000-$25,000: Honda Accord LX

Resale value: 3-year: 59%; 5-year: 45%

Sticker price: $23,545
Invoice price: $21,620
KBB Fair Purchase Price: $21,470
MPG: City: 27; Hwy: 36

Last year’s winner of an award for Best New Model garners both Best Resale and Best in Class commendations for 2014. Upscale features such as Honda’s LaneWatch, which gives drivers a camera view of their right-side blind spot for ease of changing lanes and exiting a highway, complement a Top Safety Pick + designation from the IIHS.

Sponsored Content

Cars $25,000-$30,000: Subaru Impreza WRX hatchback

Resale value: 3-year: 66%; 5-year: 49%

Sticker price: $26,790 (manual)
Invoice price: $25,338
KBB Fair Purchase Price: $26,189
MPG: City: 19; Hwy: 25

Though more and more performance cars are embracing all-wheel drive, the Impreza WRX lays claim to the lowest price of entry. Add a turbocharged engine, which puts out 265 horsepower, 17-inch wheels and a sport-tuned suspension, and Subie’s track-ready hatch keeps its value for years.

Sponsored Content

Cars $30,000-$40,000: Lexus ES 350

Resale value: 3-year: 65%; 5-year: 47%

Sticker price: $37,380
Invoice price: $35,072
KBB Fair Purchase Price: $35,361
MPG: City: 21; Hwy: 31

Last year’s redesign gave the ES 350 a bold new look and improved its handling and fuel economy. The gas-engine model -- with a 286-horsepower V6 -- now achieves 24 miles per gallon in combined highway and city driving. For 2014, the base model gets LED fog lights and Siri Eyes Free Mode, which allows you to play music, connect to contacts and more with an iPhone.

Sponsored Content

Cars $40,000-$50,000: Lexus IS 350 Sport

Resale value: 3-year: 65%; 5-year: 46%

Sticker price: $40,375 (rear-wheel drive)
Invoice price: $37,613
KBB Fair Purchase Price: $38,025
MPG: City: 19; Hwy: 28

Redesigned for the 2014 model year, the IS lineup adds value across the board. A longer wheelbase increases legroom and cargo space, improved suspension (both front and rear) gives the vehicle better handling, and ten airbags come standard. Available tech includes forward-collision warning, automatic high beams, lane-departure warning and blind-spot warning with rear cross-traffic alert.

Sponsored Content

Cars $50,000 and Over: Lexus LS 460

Resale value: 3-year: 59%; 5-year: 45%

Sticker price: $73,050 (rear-wheel drive)
Invoice price: $67,278
KBB Fair Purchase Price: $71,757
MPG: City: 16; Hwy: 24

Lexus’s flagship sedan has passed Kiplinger’s value test year after year. In addition to the raw power of the 386-horsepower V8, the LS has three modes to tailor driving style to your mood for performance or economy. Sitting in the lap of luxury has never been so cozy -- heated and ventilated front seats adjust 16 ways for the driver and a dozen ways for the passenger, and four-zone climate control ensures each occupant’s comfort.

Sponsored Content

Sports Cars: Chevrolet Corvette Stingray w/1LT

Resale value: 3-year: 66%; 5-year: 53%

Sticker price: $51,995 (manual)
Invoice price: $47,405
KBB Fair Purchase Price: $51,995
MPG: City: 17; Hwy: 29

Whether you’re driving the Corvette to work or on the track, the deep rumble of the 455-horsepower V8 will put a smile on your face. Winner of Best New Sports Car, the Stingray -- inspired by the ’63 classic -- has an aluminum frame, carbon fiber throughout, direct injection, and active fuel management that helps it post respectable fuel economy and superior long-term value.

Sponsored Content

Wagons: Subaru Outback 2.5i Premium

Resale value: 3-year: 62%; 5-year: 44%

Sticker price: $27,620
Invoice price: $26,033
KBB Fair Purchase Price: $25,625
MPG: City: 24; Hwy: 30

For 2014, Outback ups its game with enhanced features. The all-weather package of heated seats and mirrors and windshield-wiper de-icer is now standard equipment. EyeSight, which incorporates adaptive cruise control, pre-collision braking and lane-departure warning, is now available on all but base models. When equipped with EyeSight, Outback gets a Top Safety Pick + rating from the IIHS.

Sponsored Content

Minivans: Toyota Sienna L

Resale value: 3-year: 59%; 5-year: 43%

Sticker price: $27,780
Invoice price: $25,760
KBB Fair Purchase Price: $25,849
MPG: City: 18; Hwy: 25

Versatility is the Sienna’s strong suit. It’s available as a front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive model and in a seven- or eight-passenger configuration, and it has the ability to tow up to 3,500 pounds (for 2014, the towing-prep package comes standard). Whether you’re hauling kids or a trailer, the Sienna’s got you covered with 266 horses and an EPA average 25 miles per gallon on the highway.

Sponsored Content

Small Crossovers: Audi Q5 TDI Premium Plus

Resale value: 3-year: 62%; 5-year: 42%

Sticker price: $47,395
Invoice price: $44,142
KBB Fair Purchase Price: $45,409
MPG: City: 24; Hwy: 31

New for 2014, the diesel variant of the Q5 adds more fuel economy to the model’s lineup -- even more than the hybrid model in both highway and combined highway and city driving. German-engineered handling is enhanced by all-wheel drive, which comes standard. Options include a heated or cooled cup holder and a 14-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system.

Sponsored Content

Midsize Crossovers: Mercedes-Benz ML350 BlueTEC

Resale value: 3-year: 65%; 5-year: 44%

Sticker price: $52,715
Invoice price: $49,090
KBB Fair Purchase Price: $55,500
MPG: City: 20; Hwy: 28

Offering 20% better fuel economy than the gas-engine ML350, the 3.0-liter diesel engine that powers the ML350 BlueTEC puts out 240 horses and a powerful 455 pound-feet of torque. Standard Attention Assist, which alerts drivers when drowsiness is detected, and Collision Prevention Assist, which warns you when you’re approaching the vehicle in front too quickly, keep you and your family safe. The ML350 also earns a Top Safety Pick + from the IIHS.

Sponsored Content

Large Crossovers: Mercedes-Benz GL350 BlueTEC

Resale value: 3-year: 69%; 5-year: 49%

Sticker price: $63,925
Invoice price: $59,515
KBB Fair Purchase Price: $60,978
MPG: City: 19; Hwy: 26

A redesign for 2013 loaded the full-size GL crossover with even more luxury options. Active Parking Assist helps locate parking spaces that are big enough and steers the vehicle into place for you, making parallel parking a cinch. Active Lane Keeping Assist uses the stability-control system to brake automatically, correcting your course, if you don’t heed the initial warnings that you’re straying from your lane.

Sponsored Content

Truck-based SUVs: Toyota FJ Cruiser 4WD

Resale value: 3-year: 81%; 5-year: 69%

Sticker price: $29,580
Invoice price: $27,569
KBB Fair Purchase Price: $28,751
MPG: City: 17; Hwy: 20

Since its introduction for the 2007 model year, the FJ Cruiser has maintained a loyal following for its quirky, rugged looks and off-road capabilities. Powered by a 4.0-liter V6 that puts out 260 horses, the FJ comes as an automatic-transmission 4x2 or as an automatic or manual 4x4. When equipped with the optional towing package, FJ Cruiser can haul up to 4,700 pounds.

Sponsored Content

More From Kiplinger

SLIDE SHOW: 14 Most Fuel-Efficient New Cars, 2014

SLIDE SHOW: 13 Best in Class Car Values, 2014

SLIDE SHOW: 10 Best Values in New Car Models, 2014

TOOL: Compare Cost, Fuel-Efficiency & More

SPECIAL REPORT: Car Rankings, 2014

Sponsored Content

Anderson has been with Kiplinger since January 2004, when she joined the staff as a reporter. Since then, she's covered the gamut of personal finance issues—from mortgages and credit to spending wisely—and she heads up Kiplinger's annual automotive rankings. She holds a BA in journalism and mass communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She was the 2012 president of the Washington Automotive Press Association and serves on its board of directors. In 2014, she was selected for the North American Car and Truck Of the Year jury. The awards, presented at the Detroit Auto Show, have come to be regarded as the most prestigious of their kind in the U.S. because they involve no commercial tie-ins. The jury is composed of nationally recognized journalists from across the U.S. and Canada, who are selected on the basis of audience reach, experience, expertise, product knowledge, and reputation in the automotive community.