A significant percentage of the people who buy or lease cars keep them for three years, so how much their new car is worth after three years can be an important factor in deciding which new car to buy or lease. According to the experts who keep track of such things, two of the models offered by Mini USA are at the top of their respective classes when it comes to residual value.
Mini USA just received two Residual Value Awards from ALG, the analytics division of TrueCar, Inc., and the industry benchmark for projecting future vehicle values and depreciation data. The Mini Hardtop and the Mini Countryman won the awards in the Premium Compact Car and Subcompact Utility Vehicle categories, respectively.
“The Mini Hardtop and Mini Countryman are both premium vehicles and the most popular models among the Mini product line,” said David Duncan, Vice President Mini of the Americas. “The new Mini Hardtop offers standard safety and technology features that were once limited to luxury vehicles, while the Mini Countryman continues to be one of the safest vehicles in its segment winning the IIHS Top Safety Pick for the fourth year in a row.”
The annual ALG Residual Value Awards recognize the vehicles and brands sold in North America that are predicted to retain the highest percentage of their original price after a three-year period. This year’s awards were for 2015 model year vehicles.
"Mini models have won a number of Residual Value Awards over the years, largely due to the iconic styling and the brand's sales strategies," said Larry Dominique, President of ALG. "Buyers are willing to pay a price premium for Mini products because of their distinctive style and great driving experience, and the Countryman adds lots of utility to that equation."
ALG has published residual values for all cars, trucks, and SUVs in the U.S. for 50 years and in Canada since 1981. ALG carefully studies the competition in each category, along with historical vehicle performance and industry trends. Vehicle quality, production levels relative to demand, and pricing and marketing strategies are key factors that impact ALG’s residual value forecasts and the resulting awards. ALG is owned by TrueCar, Inc., the negotiation-free car buying and selling platform.—Scott Blazey
