Kelley Blue Book (KBB) has released their 2012 "Best Resale Value Awards." As always, these provide plenty of fodder for debate and complaint, but also for just plain geeking out. Because come on - seriously, you can control the Volt's battery recharging pace from your phone? How cool is that?!

Kelley divides its awards into three groups: best overall brand, best in category, and wild-card winners.

Based on some intricate set of calculations, a formula KBB keeps more secret than KFC's eleven herbs and spices, Kelley determines the percentage of base price that each vehicle is likely to command when resold at 36 and 60 months. This year's overall awards, presented at a special ceremony on the eve of the Los Angeles Auto Show, went to Toyota (best resale brand) and Lexus (best resale luxury brand).

Kelley doesn't say much about these, though, other than "they're the best, take our word for it."

Flumoxed? No worries, it's more interesting to check out the category winners, anyway, especially those that tend to be the best showcases for new technology: best hybrid, best electric, hybrid SUV, and subcompact.


Best Electric Car: Chevy Volt

• 1.4-liter in-line 4-cylinder with AC synchronous electric motor/generator
• 16kWh lithium-ion battery pack?
• 111kW/149 horsepower @ 4,800 rpm?
• 273 lb-ft of torque @ 0-4,800 rpm?
• Per-charge range: 35 miles (all-electric), 344 miles (gasoline range-extender only)?
• EPA city/highway fuel economy: 93 MPGe (when in all-electric mode, miles per gallon equivalent), 37 mpg (when range-extender motor/generator is running)

Obviously, there was not an enormous amount of competition in this category. Still, it's hard to see what Kelley's projected 27 percent 60-month resale value is based on, as the Volt isn't even half that age. Still, Kelley makes a good case for getting excited about the Volt, new or used.

What's to like: The Voltec propulsion system provides good power and performance that you can adjust by three operating modes: Normal (most efficient), Sport (more immediate accelerator response) and Mountain (for the increased energy demands of steep grades). Its aerodynamic exterior design is quite sleek while the interior is comfortable. Passengers in the back get to share the seat with the lithium-ion battery pack, ensconced in its cozy center console. Also, you hardly ever have to buy gas.

What's to geek out about: After installing the OnStar MyLink app on your smart phone, you can control the Volt's charging rate, check the battery level and tire pressure, lock and unlock the doors and even turn on the A/C so you'll have a nice, cool ride ready before you even get in. Moreover, it will send you a text when the battery's fully charged and will talk to your electric company to figure out when the lowest rates are and then automatically recharge itself at the cheapest times possible. Even the optional Bose sound system is energy efficient.

What's not to like: Rear visibility is not great, and the low-slung front air dam is vulnerable to getting scraped during, for instance, parallel parking. For this, however, Chevy helpfully provides the optional Rear Camera and Park Assist package. Also, it's expensive, starting around $40,000, though tax credits and federal grants may help somewhat.




Best Hybrid: Honda Civic

• 1.5-liter in-line four cylinder + electric motor
• 110 horsepower @ 5,500 rpm?
• 127 lb.-ft. of torque @ 1,000-3,500 rpm?
• EPA city/highway fuel economy: 44/44 (Continuously Variable Transmission)
• Lithium-ion battery pack
• Idle-stop technology
• ECO Assist technology

Honda beat out Lexus and Lincoln for this award, and KBB provides plenty of reasons why.

What's to like: The 2012 version of the Civic Hybrid shows a few changes from the previous version that didn't win: its nickel-metal hydride battery is gone, replaced by a lithium-ion pack; the engine is larger (1.5 liters, up from last year's 1.3), giving increased horsepower and torque; the electric motor works alone during highway cruising and its gas engine doesn't idle when you come to a stop, the engine simply shuts right the heck off. All of these features work together to produce a pretty darn good mpg (or l/100km, if metric is your thing).

What's to geek out about:ECO Assist technology is pretty cool: an information system that helps the driver learn a more fuel-efficient driving style that has reportedly helped improve overall fuel economy a further 10 percent since being introduced in Japan. The Bluetooth Audio system is fast-connecting and it displays music info on a five-inch LCD monitor, which can also show mileage and navigational data. Okay, not quite as geek-tastic as the Volt, but sweet tech just the same.

What's not to like: Interior and exterior design are both fairly boring. There's been so much buzz about the beauty of the Civic's nearest competitor, the Hyundai Elantra, that pundits expected Honda's designers to step up to the challenge. Instead, it's not even a Honda Betty to the Hyundai Veronica; it's Betty's mom.


Best Hybrid SUV: Lexus RX450h

• 3.5-liter V6, 123 kW electric motor?
• 295 horsepower @ 6,000 rpm (electric motor and gasoline engine combined)?
• 234 lb-ft of torque @ 4,800 rpm
• Continuously variable transmission
• EPA city/highway fuel economy: 32/28 (front-wheel drive), 30/28 (all-wheel drive)
• 15-speaker Mark Levinson sound system

It may have a name that sounds like an experimental drug, but KBB showers a lot of love on Lexus' hybrid SUV.

What's to like: It's comfortable, it's luxurious, it's quiet, it tells the world "I have lots of money, more than you anyway." Also, 10-way adjustable front bucket seats.

What's to geek out about: Well, it's not really that kind of car. It does have an awesome sound system that's exclusive to Lexus, and comes standard with Bluetooth and XM radio. Also, the remote "Haptic" Touch dashboard system, with which the driver can interface with the display in a simlar touchy-draggy iPad sort of way it pretty cool ...perhaps too cool. It might be best if the passenger used this while the driver concentrated on, you know, driving.

What's not to like: One of the options seems to be interior wood paneling. Yup, your grandfather's Lexus.


Best Subcompact: Honda Fit

• 1.5-liter in-line 4
• 117 horsepower @ 6,600 rpm?
• 106 lb-ft of torque @ 4,800 rpm
• EPA city/highway fuel economy: 27/33 (manual, Sport automatic), 28/35 (automatic)
• 3-mode system: normal, Sport, and Manual
• i-VTEC exhaust system

It's perpetually cute, yes, but Kelley says there's more to it - that simply being a Honda gives it a resale boost, like that smart kid in school that phones in an essay but still gets an A+.

What's to like: Despite its small size, the Fit seems fun to drive, especially the Sport version, which has larger wheels, a thick rear stabilizer bar and paddle shifters on the steering wheel. Also, Honda's engineers have really outdone themselves in finding ways to get maximum use out of the small interior: headroom and legroom are ample and, with a little manipulation, the car offers 57.3 cubic feet of cargo space.

What's to geek out about: Voice-recognition navigational system, USB connectivity, and just being so darn snazzy.

What's not to like: Acceleration does suffer when you fill the car with adults, apparently, and that cargo space is only available if no one's in the back seat. People or produce, not both. Sorry kids, watch some TV, I'll be right back. Also, it does make some compromises on fuel economy in order to get that fun and playful feel.


All told, Kelley Blue Book provides a useful service in helping car buyers think about trade-in value as part of the overall value package of a car. Its calculations are a bit mysterious, however, so until the service is more transparent, it's maybe best to take KBB's advice with a grain of salty skepticism.
 
 

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