Japanese nameplates dominate ALG's Residual Value Awards
Japanese brands dominate ALG’s 12th Annual Residual Value Awards with Subaru and Infiniti taking top spots for mainstream and luxury brands respectively.
ALG's U.S.-based Residual Value Awards honour the vehicles in each segment that are predicted to retain the highest percentage of their MSRP after a conventional three-year period.
“High residual values are a key indicator of a brand's health and contribute to driving increased profitability,” said Raj Sundaram, senior vice-president, Solutions Group and ALG.
“The movements within our 2011 rankings suggest that more OEMs are committed to improving residuals, and that the awards in the future will be even more competitive based on the strides the Korean and domestic manufacturers are making.”
This year's awards are based on 2011 model year vehicles, and winners were chosen after a careful evaluation of vehicle criteria – including segment competition, historical vehicle performance and industry trends.
Subaru of America won the Mainstream Brand Residual Value Award, edging out runner-up Honda for the second consecutive year. Three Subaru models also received individual segment awards: the Legacy (in the Midsize Car category), the Forester (Compact Utility Vehicle) and the Outback (Midsize Utility Vehicle).
“The sustained high quality of Subaru's products, as well as its consistent message about the benefits of all-wheel drive, continue to inspire a remarkable loyalty among its customer base,” said Sundaram.
Infiniti moved up three spots for 2011 to take top honors among luxury brands overall. The Infiniti QX56 SUV also won the Luxury Fullsize Utility category.
“Building upon the foundation of its entry-level G sedan, Infiniti has introduced exciting new designs for the M and QX and added technology that is proving very popular with consumers,” Sundaram said.
Honda's Acura division was the runner-up among luxury brands, and its TL took home the honors in the Near Luxury Car category. Honda also was the segment winner in two mainstream categories, for the Fit (Entry Compact Car) and the Odyssey (MPV).
Toyota and its Lexus luxury division received one segment award each, for the Toyota Tacoma (Midsize Pickup) and the Lexus LS 460 (Luxury Car). Toyota, which ranked second for four consecutive years from 2005 to 2008 among mainstream brands, continued its downward trend and came in at number six this year.
Hyundai earned its first-ever Residual Value Award for the Elantra, which won the Compact Car segment, with the company also registering its best-ever showing in the RVAs with a seventh place finish among mainstream brands.
Nissan won more than one award for the first time, for the Maxima (Fullsize Car) and the GT-R (Luxury Sports Car).
The alternate powertrain categories were swept by diesel cars this year, with the Volkswagen Golf TDI winning the Hybrid/Alternate Powertrain segment and the Mercedes-Benz E350 BlueTEC taking top honors in the Luxury Hybrid/Alternative Powertrain segment.
The Ford F-Series Super Duty (Fullsize Pickup) was the only winner among domestic manufacturers for the second year in a row.
The remaining segment winners were the MINI Cooper Countryman (Sporty Car), the BMW X3 (Luxury Compact Utility), the Mazda CX-9 (Fullsize Utility) and the Land Rover Range Rover Sport (Luxury Midsize Utility).
