With a public that is obviously scrutinizing a new vehicle purchase like never before, the underlying idea of resale value is becoming an increasingly important factor in buying a new vehicle.
Edmunds.com, an on-line resource for all things to do with used cars, has just released lists of the five-year-old cars with the highest and lowest resale value.
In developing the list, Edmunds looked a several factors. Supply is one of them. Mass volume vehicles tend to command lower prices than those that are more difficult to find. Original selling price plays a factor, too. Fleet sales can erode vehicle value very quickly; nobody wants to drive around in a vehicle that blatantly looks like a rental car.
The final factor is image -- this is something that is obviously quite subjective. Import brands tend to have a better image since many people perceive Honda or Toyota as a more reliable vehicle than a Ford or Chevy. This may have been true in the past, but American carmakers are making better and more competitive vehicles that are unfortunately haunted by their less-reliable ancestors.

Highest resale value list for a 2004 model:

Toyota Tacoma Crew Cab
Toyota Prius Hatchback
MINI Cooper Hatchback
Toyota Tacoma Extended Cab
Porsche Carrera GT Convertible
Toyota Tacoma Regular Cab
Honda CR-V SUV
Honda Insight Hatchback
Scion XA Hatchback
Acura TSX Sedan

Lowest resale value for a 2004 model;

Chrysler Sebring Coupe
Chevrolet Venture Van
Buick Park Avenue Sedan
Oldsmobile Alero Coupe
Ford Freestar Van
Dodge Intrepid Sedan
Oldsmobile Alero Sedan
Mercury Monterey Van
Oldsmobile Silhouette Van
Cadillac Seville Sedan

It should be noted that each vehicle on the lowest value list is no longer in production. Many have been replaced with newer models that are holding their value better than those listed above.