Cars Wheels

Cars Wheels

Calculating the future resale value on any car may be a very subjective determination, but using historical trending of real world car data you can at least make an educated guess.

What we will discuss here today will be the top five cars from model year 2010 which will potentially hold the highest resale value compared to other cars in the same class and category.

The best way to predict the future resale of a specific car is to look back at the historical selling prices for that particular model. There are a number of ways that you can "trend" that pricing data, one of which might be to check out the "Kelly Blue Book" for the residual values on a specific car across a range of years.

It is possible to have a car that is fairly new to the market so it has no predecessors, in this case you would want to pick similar models from the same car company and check to see what the resale values are on that. it has no predecessors, in this case you would want to pick similar models from the same car company and check to see what the resale values are on that.

there are leading automotive websites which track sales information across all available makes and models. There are sites which have a simple calculator that takes into account many of the things that a regular car buyer may never even consider when thinking about the possible resale value of a new car they are purchasing.

My method of estimating is more gut instinct and logic than all that, but my instinct has rarely been wrong when it comes to picking the winning vehicle. One major factor in a specific vehicle holding higher resale value seems to be what insiders consider the "Fun Factor" which tends to hold cars values up better than if the vehicle were simply reliably dependable. To that end here is my list of the top five 2010 cars that may hold higher than average resale value after three to five years.

1) Dodge Challenger.
This retro muscle car is top on this list because this car represents the early days of a new era in muscle cars. The Challenger in its simplest package is a phenomenal success since there have been people out here clamoring for more muscle cars like this since the manufacturers began going back to their muscle car roots. Make no mistake the lower cost versions are nice, but the only model that will hold most of it's resale value with certainty will be the SRT8 Challenger. This incredible street performer has a 6.1 Liter V8 Hemi engine that develops a stout 425 horsepower. This kind of power will definitely keep people coming back for more! The styling alone turns heads at every intersection, and it is inevitable that some people will want these for racing so their popularity will only increase over time. When you consider that they are offering limited production runs, then the value holding firm is almost a lock at this point in time. This beast can be had for around $40,000

2) Mazda RX8 Grand Touring.
Anything made by Mazda today will hold resale value for quite a few years to come. This model is the one that I would own if I were saving up for a Mazda. It is very stylish and has all the amenities I would expect from a car in this class. The important fact on this model is that it has the Rotary engine that makes any car enthusiast sit up and take notice. The 1.3 Liter rotary engine develops 232 horsepower and still gets 16 mpg in the city and 22 mpg on the highway. There is little to no chance that this model will lose much resale value over time. This car sells for around $31,000 in 2010.

3) Ford Mustang.
With a classic icon of a car in your garage like this, you can rest easy at night knowing that this car will hold firm in it's resale value for the foreseeable future. There is a very nostalgic bent towards these cars and the more people see of this model the more they will want it! Of course there is one model in particular which tends to hold higher value and that is the Convertible Mustang GT Premium Version. This model will cost about $35,000. Aside from the convertible this special mustang also touts some other impressive items including a very respectable 4.6 Liter engine that yields 315 horsepower and gets 16 mpg in the city and 24 mpg on the highway.

There are actually two Mustangs that offer higher performance than this, but those are limited edition custom machines. One is the GT500 created by Carroll Shelby with Fords performance team at SVT, and the other is an upgrade similar to the GT500 created by the Roush Racing people who will turn your mustang into a 427R

4) Mini Cooper Clubman.
There is a very loyal following of Cooper enthusiasts who simply adore these cars. The best model for 2010 has to be the high performance "JCW" model, which stands for John Cooper Works.
this has the same 1.6 Liter engine as the base and the S, but it has a turbocharger like the S model, only this one puts out 208 horsepower due to the "overboost" function that they built into the turbo. The mileage is not bad at 25 in the city, and 33 on the highway, which is due to the small size of the car and engine. This JCW comes with a six speed manual transmission, 17" wheels, extra large Brembo racing brakes and more! This Cooper model sells for about $28,500

5) Nissan 370Z Nismo Coupe.
This vehicle makes the hair on my arms stand up. It looks fast when sitting still, and there is no chance in the world that the resale value on these is going anywhere but up! This model offers a solid 3.7 Liter V6 engine that generates a potent 350 Horsepower yet still comes in at 18 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway. The body styling alone will make people want to pay more once they see themselves in this car! add to that the limited production runs that Nissan is planning for this model and you have the makings of an interesting situation in terms of holding resale value. You can expect to pay around $38,000.

There are always unforeseen variables which may alter the outcome of any educated guess, and this list is no exception to that general rule. Come on back in 3 years and we will see how well my predictions have held up!

Prices are found in local newspaper car ads, and specifications come from individual manufacturers websites.

www.dodge.com

www.mazdausa.com

www.ford.com

www.miniusa.com

www.nissanusa.com

Additional automobile information can be found at:

www.edmunds.com

Thank you for reading my articles here on AC-Yahoo!