Four Brands Honored as Tops in U.S. Residual Value

Honda, Lexus, Mercedes and Toyota have been honored by two estimators of used-car values as brands with the best residual value in the American market.

California-based ALG (Automotive Leasing Guide) Inc. forecasts that Honda and Mercedes-Benz will retain more trade-in value after three years than all others in the mainstream and premium categories, respectively. The Mercedes award ended a seven-year streak of wins in ALG's premium sector by Japanese brands.

Kelley Blue Book says Toyota and its Lexus unit are America's best brand and best luxury brand, respectively, for resale value after five years. Both brands won their categories for the third consecutive year.