USA - Subaru takes their segments for the 2nd year running in the KBB Resale value lists.

• Subaru earns Best Resale Value for Impreza, Legacy and WRX
• All three models win their segments for second consecutive year 

Kelley Blue Book, the leading provider of new and used vehicle valuation and information, announced today that Subaru won 2017 Best Resale Value for Impreza, Legacy and WRX in their respective categories for the second year in a row.  WRX also placed in the Best Resale Value Top 10 for the second consecutive year.

2017 Subaru Impreza

Best Resale Value: Compact Car

2017 Subaru Legacy

Best Resale Value: Mid-Size Car

2017 Subaru WRX

Best Resale Value: Sporty Compact Car

Best Resale Value: Top 10

The Best Resale Value Awards recognize 2017 model-year vehicles for their projected retained value through the initial five-year ownership period. 

Since depreciation (or loss of value) is typically a car-buyer’s primary expense during ownership, these awards, like all of the KBB.com new- and used-vehicle information, are designed to help consumers make more informed car-buying decisions.

“We are pleased to receive the 2017 Best Resale Value Award for Legacy, WRX, and the all-new Impreza from Kelley Blue Book” said Thomas J. Doll, president and chief operating officer, Subaru of America, Inc. 

“These awards underscore our commitment to providing customers with vehicles made to the highest standards of safety, reliability and dependability.”

Kelley Blue Book’s Best Resale Value Awards are in their 15^th year and are based on projections from the Kelley Blue Book Official Residual Value Guide. Kelley Blue Book Residual Values are established by experienced automotive analysts that review statistical models built upon millions of transactions. 

Vehicles that earn the highest five-year residual values, expressed as a percentage of their original Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP), are selected for these prestigious awards. Low-volume vehicles and vehicles with an MSRP of more than $60,000 are excluded from award consideration, except in the electric, luxury, sports car, and high-performance categories.

The 10th Generation Honda Civic gets a higher than average residual value as they release its pricing.

• All-new Civic given highly competitive residual value forecast by experts
• RVs 9% higher than previous generation model
• Figures come weeks after HR-V and Jazz exceeded RV predictions
• All-new Honda Civic on sale from late March, priced from £18,235

Honda UK has today announced both residual values and a full pricing list for the 10^th generation Civic, which is set to hit dealer forecourts in late March.

Starting from £18,235 on the road for the entry level S grade 129PS VTEC TURBO in manual, the range tops out at £27,480 on the road for the 182PS VTEC TURBO Prestige with a CVT transmission.  Metallic paint is an option and adds £525 to the price.

With the arrival of the new 10^th generation Civic and in line with the current trend towards smaller, more efficient powertrains, Honda has launched two new petrol engines; a 1.0 litre three cylinder which produces 129PS and a more powerful 1.5 litre four cylinder which delivers 182PS.  

And as well as pricing, Honda has also released residual values for the new Civic ahead of its UK launch.  The hotly anticipated Civic has received a further boost with residual values predicted to be among the best in its class.

Industry experts and residual value setters CAP forecast the British-built 10^th generation Civic will hold up to 37% of its value after 36 months and 60,000 miles.

That’s an impressive increase of 9% on the previous generation Civic and puts the newcomer well ahead of many of its key competitors.

The news comes just weeks after CAP predicted two of Honda’s newest and most popular models – the stylish Jazz city car and acclaimed HR-V crossover – would outperform all forecasts and achieve market-leading residual value levels.

And it underlines the confidence the automotive industry has in the reliability, value for money and desirability of Honda’s model line-up.

Phil Webb, Head of Cars at Honda UK, said: “As a brand we are making big strides in improving residual values across our range. This will make our cars even more affordable and lower the total cost of ownership for private and business buyers.

“The launch of the advanced and sporty new Civic is a major milestone for Honda in the UK and so we are delighted that CAP agree with our own assessment of this fantastic new car.”

Pricing for the all-new 10^th generation Civic is as follows:

Engine	Grade	Transmission	CO2 g/km	VED band	VED first year rate	OTR pricing
129PS VTEC Turbo	S (Homologation)	Man	110	B	£0	£18,235
129PS VTEC Turbo	SE	Man	110	B	£0	£18,335
129PS VTEC Turbo	SR	Man	117	C	£0	£20,180
129PS VTEC Turbo	EX	Man	117	C	£0	£23,040
129PS VTEC Turbo	EX w/ Tech pack	Man	117	C	£0	£23,640
129PS VTEC Turbo	S (Homologation)	CVT	106	B	£0	£19,635
129PS VTEC Turbo	SE	CVT	106	B	£0	£19,735
129PS VTEC Turbo	SR	CVT	114	C	£0	£21,580
129PS VTEC Turbo	EX	CVT	114	C	£0	£24,440
129PS VTEC Turbo	EX w/ Tech pack	CVT	114	C	£0	£25,040
182PS VTEC Turbo	Sport	Man	133	E	£130	£22,470
182PS VTEC Turbo	Sport Plus	Man	133	E	£130	£25,335
182PS VTEC Turbo	Prestige	Man	133	E	£130	£26,085
182PS VTEC Turbo	Sport	CVT	139	E	£130	£23,870
182PS VTEC Turbo	Sport Plus	CVT	139	E	£130	£26,730
182PS VTEC Turbo	Prestige	CVT	139	E	£130	£27,480

Keen on getting a cheap VW Group car after the diesel scandal, well, hard luck, residuals have remained roughly the same.

• Bargain hunters disappointed as Volkswagen Group sales remain firm
• VW Group cars retain above average value despite scandal last year
• VW Golf and Polo models among top 10 sellers in 2016
• Three in five motorists as likely to buy from VW brands as they were before scandal

Motorists hoping to bag a bargain following the Volkswagen Group emissions scandal will be disappointed, because residual values of models from VW, Audi, Skoda and Seat have barely moved, according to research by Whatcar.com.

One year ago, on 16 September 2015, the VW dieselgate scandal broke, which led to the firm admitting to using a defeat device to alter the results of emissions tests for several years.

Canny drivers might have hoped that sales of VW Group cars would drop and second-hand models would plummet in price but neither appears to have happened, with the Volkswagen Golf and Polo still among the top 10 cars sold so far this year.

Meanwhile, Whatcar.com’s depreciation database, which helps motorists calculate how much money their car will lose based on age and mileage, shows VW, Audi and Skoda models retain above average value after three years and/or 36,000 miles.

The lack of depreciation is borne out by the UK public’s view of the mainstream VW Group brands (VW, Audi, Skoda and Seat). A survey* conducted by Whatcar.com shows that three in five motorists (59%) are just as likely to buy from VW brands as they were before the scandal.

What Car? Editor, Steve Huntingford, said: “I’m sure there are motorists out there who were rubbing their hands in glee at the thought of used VW prices falling off a cliff because of the emissions debacle.

“That simply hasn’t come to pass, however, and while the VW story continues to rumble on a year after the story first came to light, the Golf and Polo are still among the most popular new cars in the UK and are holding above average value.

“What this reflects is the fact that, although VW has cheated and undoubtedly still has a job to do to retain the trust of its customers going forwards, it still makes cars that consumers want to buy.”

Overall, VW models retain 42.21%** of their original value now, down 2.7% compared with just before the scandal broke. Audi models have depreciated a similar amount in the same timescale, dropping from retaining 47.58% of their original value in July 2015 to 44.72% in June this year, a fall of 2.9%.

Seat and Skoda models have also depreciated post-scandal, but only by negligible amounts, with drops of 0.46% and 0.43% respectively.

However, across the automotive industry as a whole, there has been a dip in residual values of slightly more than 2% for all manufacturers, meaning that the VW Group brands are reflecting the market standard.

Overall, across all car makers, the average residual value for a three-year-old car and/or 36,000 miles is 41.69%

*The survey used responses from the Haymarket Motoring Panel which consists of 4000 respondents drawn from readers of What Car?, Autocar and Pistonheads

**All data taken from July 2015 and June 2016