TORONTO--Canadian Black Book has released the winners of its coveted "Best Retained Value Awards" for 2011.
Awards go to 2007 model-year vehicles retaining the highest percentage of their original MSRP over the past four years across 17 categories.
The Canadian Black Book "Best Retained Value Awards" were introduced in 2006. Retained value is a strong indicator for how a vehicle may perform in the future. For consumers, selecting a vehicle with a high retained value (lower depreciation rate) will reduce their overall cost-of-ownership.
New this year is the naming of not only the #1 picks…but also includes the first two runners-up in each category. The 2011 Canadian Black Book "Best Retained Value Award" winners are:
| CARS | #1 | #2 | #3 |
| Sub-compact: | Volkswagen New Beetle | Honda Fit | Toyota Yaris |
| Compact: | Volkswagen City Golf | Volkswagen Rabbit | Toyota Matrix |
| Mid-size car: | Subaru Outback | KIA Rondo | Toyota Camry |
| Full-size car: | Toyota Avalon | Nissan Maxima | Buick Lucerne |
| Entry luxury car: | Volvo C30 | Lexus IS Series | Audi A3 |
| Luxury car: | Volvo S80 | Lexus GS Series | Mercedes-Benz E-Class |
| Premium luxury car: | Lexus LS Series | Audi A8/S8 | BMW 6 Series |
| Premium Sports car: | Jaguar XK | Porsche 911 | Porsche Cayman |
| Sports car: | Volkswagen GTI | Volkswagen Eos | Mazda MX-5 |
| TRUCKS & VANS | | | |
| Small pick-up: | Toyota Tacoma | Ford Explorer Sport Trac | Ford Ranger |
| Full-size pick-up: | Toyota Tundra | Ford F Series | Lincoln Mark LT |
| Minivan: | Honda Odyssey | Toyota Sienna | Hyundai Entourage |
| Full-size van: | Dodge Sprinter | GMC Savana | Chevrolet Express |
| SUVs | | | |
| Compact SUV: | Jeep Wrangler | Honda CR-V | Toyota RAV4 |
| Mid-size SUV: | Toyota FJ Cruiser | Mazda CX-9 | Toyota 4Runner |
| Full-size SUV: | Toyota Sequoia | Chevrolet Suburban | Ford Expedition |
| Luxury SUV: | Mercedes-Benz G-Class | Acura MDX | Mercedes-Benz M-Class |
As they did in 2010, Toyota and Lexus combined scored the most winners, earning six number one spots. Volkswagen increased its number of first-place finishes to three. New to the winner's circle are Volvo with two awards, along with Jaguar and Jeep winning one each.
"Depreciation is the largest expense associated with vehicle ownership and for six years these awards have helped buyers identify which vehicles depreciate the least," says Kathy Ward, CEO of Canadian Black Book. "Consumers want as much information as they can get when buying or selling a vehicle. These awards along with the vehicle future value tool on CanadianBlackBook.com, help consumers make smart vehicle purchase decisions."
"This year's awards are particularly exciting given the new winners in several categories," says Larry Shred, president of Canadian Black Book. "Some of the old-faithfuls have returned, reinforcing the strength of their brands through thick-and-thin, while other new winners motivate everyone to keep up their game. This raises the bar for our entire industry and ultimately, it is the consumers who win."
For over 50 years Canadian Black Book has continued to be the car value guide of choice for automotive dealers, insurance companies and banks. In 2010 the company broadened its outreach to include consumers, becoming an unbiased, trusted ally and information source critical to the vehicle buying and selling process. The consumer web site at
canadianblackbook.com has received more than two million visitors since its launch last spring. CanadianBlackBook.com provides simple tools allowing consumers to evaluate their trade-in, look up the future value of a vehicle, read expert advice, and explore new and used vehicle offerings, all for free.
