Vehicle Depreciation Top Ten Lists Published at Edmunds.com

SEE ALSO:TOTAL OWNERSHIP COSTS FROM VINCENTRIC

SANTA MONICA, Calif.--Aug. 8, 2006--New "top ten" lists from Edmunds.com, the premier online resource for automotive information, help consumers understand which vehicles hold their values well and which do not.

"Vehicles with higher expected residual values have lower monthly lease payments and higher resale values," explains Warren Clarke, Content Editor at Edmunds.com, who compiled the lists. "On the other hand, vehicles with lower projected residual values can often be purchased at bargain prices whether new or used."

The lists show the percentage of its original value that each vehicle is likely to retain after five years, assuming a total of 75,000 miles. Residual value percentages are based on the national Edmunds.com True Market Value(R) (TMV(R)) price for a vehicle equipped with typical options, plus destination charge. Each model's ranking represents an average of all trim levels in each model's lineup.

Among the cars with the highest projected residual values , and therefore to depreciate the least during the ownership period, are:

1. 2006 Honda S2000 - 51.7%
2. 2006 Mini Cooper - 51.5%
3. 2006 Acura TSX - 47.7%
4. 2006 BMW M3 - 47.6%
5. 2006 Mercedes-Benz SL Class - 47.0%
5. 2006 Mercedes-Benz SLK55 AMG - 47.0% (tie)

Among the trucks and SUVs with the , highest projected residual values, and therefore to depreciate the least during the ownership period, are:

1. 2006 Toyota 4Runner - 49.3%
2. 2006 Honda CRV - 49.0%
3. 2006 Toyota Sequoia - 48.9% (tie)
3. 2006 Lexus GX 470 - 48.9% (tie)
5. 2006 Toyota RAV4 - 48.8%

Among the cars with the lowest projected residual values , and therefore to depreciate the most during the ownership period, are:

1. 2006 Kia Rio - 20.7%
2. 2006 Hyundai Accent - 23.0%
3. 2006 Kia Spectra - 24.0%
4. 2006 Dodge Stratus - 26.0%
5. 2006 Hyundai Elantra - 26.3%

Among the trucks and SUVs with the lowest projected residual values and therefore to depreciate the most during the ownership period, are:

1. 2006 Isuzu Ascender - 30.8%
2. 2006 Mazda B-Series Truck - 31.8%
3. 2006 Buick Rendezvous - 31.9%
4. 2006 Suzuki XL-7 - 32.2%
5. 2006 Suzuki Grand Vitara - 33.8%

"Depreciation should be an important consideration for car-shoppers, especially those who plan to eventually sell or trade in their vehicles," advises Philip Reed, Senior Consumer Advice Editor at Edmunds.com and author of "Edmunds.com's Strategies for Smart Car Buyers." "Consumers should have a sense of the resale values of their vehicles when they buy them, and not find themselves surprised when they're ready to shop next time around."

Depreciation is one of the cost categories included in the free Edmunds.com True Cost to Own(SM) tool located at http://www.edmunds.com/apps/cto/CTOintroController. Other cost categories are: financing, insurance, fuel, repairs, maintenance, taxes and fees.

About Edmunds.com Inc.

Edmunds.com is the premier online resource for automotive information. Its popular consumer product, Edmunds.com True Market Value(R) pricing, is relied upon by millions of people seeking market-reflective valuations for new and used vehicles. The company also supplies content for the auto sections of NYTimes.com, AOL, CNN.com and About.com; provides weekly data to Automotive News; and delivers monthly data reports to Wall Street analysts. In addition, Edmunds.com publishes Inside Line (www.insideline.com), a free high-speed online magazine for auto enthusiasts, and CarSpace (www.carspace.com), an automotive lifestyle social networking Web site for anyone with an interest in automobiles. Edmunds.com was named "Best Car Research Site" by Forbes ASAP, has been selected by consumers as the "Most Useful Web Site" according to every J.D. Power and Associates New Autoshopper.com Study(SM), was ranked first in the Survey of Car-Shopping Web Sites by The Wall Street Journal and was rated No. 1 in Keynote's study of third-party automotive Web sites. The company is headquartered in Santa Monica, California, and maintains a satellite office in suburban Detroit.