Honda and BMW lead the way for vehicles with the best residual value at lease end.

[JV]

From Automotive Lease Guide:

Honda is the top automotive brand overall in maintaining the highest percentage of a vehicle's original price after three years, while BMW heads the list of luxury auto brands, Automotive Lease Guide reports.
The Santa Barbara, Calif.-based company, which has been forecasting vehicle residual values for more than 35 years, makes not only brand awards but also individual segment awards for vehicles that the company predicts will retain the highest percentage of their original price.

Honda's leadership for 2005 marks the second straight year the brand has topped all others in ALG's Residual Value Awards. Both the Honda Odyssey minivan and the CR-V compact sport-utility vehicle won their respective vehicle segments for the fourth year in a row.

BMW topped other luxury makes for the second year in a row in 2005, ALG said. The lease analysis and information company noted that the MINI Cooper, which is sold by BMW, won out in maintaining value over competitors in the compact car segment.

Typically, the best value retention percentage for a passenger vehicle over the first three years is between 60 percent and 70 percent of the original price.

Toyota also did well in the 2005 awards, winning two SUV categories—for the 4Runner and Sequoia—and two truck segments—for the Tacoma and Tundra. And luxury maker Mercedes-Benz garnered the lead in two luxury segments.

No domestic-based carmaker brand, however, was at the top of any segment in residual value. Jeep was the best domestic brand overall, in fourth spot behind Honda.

[Thunder22]

My thoughts on the BMW side of this is that BMW residuals are high because unlike the 3 major US manufacturers, BMW NA won't "deal" on the buyout at the end of a lease on a BMW. The buyout price is the residual and that's that, which, and i'm not financial analyst, is keeping the residuals high.

By comparison, Chevy/Ford/Chrysler practically give you the car at the end of a lease.

[motordavid]

Originally Posted by JVZ104

From Automotive Lease Guide:

Honda is the top automotive brand overall in maintaining the highest percentage of a vehicle's original price after three years, ...

...the CR-V compact sport-utility vehicle won their respective vehicle segments for the fourth year in a row.

The freaking CR-V, aka DaFridge...I keep trying to persuade theCEO to toss hers/ours for something else/anything else, but she "likes it". The attraction to and the resale of, that car, is simply amazing to me.