You don’t buy a car as an investment. Cars depreciate so rapidly that the average five-year-old car is worth only 28.5% of its original value. Non-standard features raise a car’s resale value, though, and some raise it significantly enough that it may be worth adding them just to get a better deal when you finally sell your car. Lucky for you, Cars.com has compiled a list of features that will benefit you the most.
Car Options: Which Ones Are Worth the Investment? (Cars.com)
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I will not buy a car without HID Xenon headlamps, electronic stability control, MP3 compatible CD changer or iPod connection, or bluetooth.
I wonder what the resale of adaptive cruise control like Infiniti's intelligent cruise or Mercedes Distronic. The value of keyless ignition, I believe BMW charges $500 more for it.
In contract to TT's comment, I resent having to pay for most of the "features" that are now standard on most cars, such as power windows. As a result and for me, the inclusion of most of the options reviewed in this article would lower the car's value.
I'm with Bob. All the features mentioned add cost, and complexity, to the car.
It amazes me at the sheer laziness exemplified by some of these. How tough is it to put a key into a lock and turn it? How tough is it to crank down the window? In cars that offer the option, like Focus and Corolla, you pay about $1000 more for those two things.
The only one I'd have to go with is A/C. The reason for that is that modern cars make driving with the window open, above about 30 mph, torture with all the wind noise. The cars are simply not designed for open window driving. Many years ago, cars had little wing vent windows that deflected air, reducing that wind noise. They disappeared in the 70s, along with vents that allowed air flow at the foot-leg level.
Bob,
There's still a handful of cars on the market that come standard with manual windows, locks, mirrors...have fun.
I find it interesting that navi systems are that much of a liability in terms of resale. Then again, this could be explained by their high cost, since nearly every automaker prices theirs in the $1k+ range.
The analysis is faulty that there is no downside to ordering an option if the relative depreciation is less that that of the car. If you don't want the option that costs, say $600, and it depreciates only 50% compared to the car's 70%, you've still spent $300 for an option you didn't want in the first place. The only reason to buy an option you don't want is if the car will be very hard to sell without it, like a/c in a warm climate area. If you are on the fence about paying for an option you want but don't want to spend the price for, then you might consider that you will get back a portion of the cost later to make the price easier to swallow.
I love manual cars and the only options for me would be cruise control and AC... but it is rare to find them in the USA. This is the reason I love the Ford Escape even if its twin brother the Tribute doesn't have manual+cruise..
I don't care for the rest of the things, I still can read a map...
Re: vents ... how I miss the crotch level air vents of the late 80's Caravans & Voyagers
a great alternative to AC on those warm (but not sweltering) days while you were moving down the highway