Audi and Subaru have been named best Mainstream Brand and best Premium Brand respectively in ALG’s 2018 Canadian Residual Value Awards (RVA), an important benchmark used for forecasting future vehicle…

Audi and Subaru earn top honours in 2018 ALG Canadian Residual Value Awards

2018 Subaru Impreza
The Subaru Impreza achieved best residual value in its “Compact” class. (Photo: Subaru)

Audi and Subaru have been named best Mainstream Brand and best Premium Brand respectively in ALG’s 2018 Canadian Residual Value Awards (RVA), an important benchmark used for forecasting future vehicle values by auto industry professions.

Now in its 10th year, ALG’s RVA projects future values of new models from 26 separate market segments, ranging from “Alt-fuel” to “Fullsize Commercial Van” and everything in between. There are many ways to measure value, although within the car industry the difference between the initial price paid for a new vehicle and its resale value after three or four years is a key parameter. ALG uses the average ownership duration of four years to determine mainstream volume brand values and three years for premium brands, with the results showing both Subaru and Audi are tops in their respective sectors.

2018 Subaru Crosstrek
The Crosstrek earned best resale value in the “Subcompact Utility” category. (Photo: Subaru)

“Depreciation is the single biggest cost of vehicle ownership, and informed consumers understand the importance of resale value when making their purchase decision,” said Eric Lyman, vice president of ALG. “The ALG Residual Value Award is a meaningful achievement in the hyper-competitive automotive landscape. Residual values are a key indicator for the market success of a vehicle, factoring in quality, product execution and brand desirability as primary drivers of ALG’s forecast.”

This is Subaru’s fourth consecutive RVA mainstream brand win, showing an impressive consistency in quality, execution and desirability. This year the brand earned four segment awards, including the Impreza in the “Compact” class, the Crosstrek in the “Subcompact Utility” segment, the Outback in the “Midsize Utility 2nd Row Seating” segment, and the WRX in the “Sportscar” segment.

2018 Subaru Outback
Subaru’s Outback has the highest residual value in the “Midsize Utility 2nd Row Seating” segment. (Photo: Subaru)

Other notable mainstream brands include Toyota that dominated SUV and truck segments with five RVAs including the Tundra achieving its eighth consecutive year topping the “Fullsize Pickup” category, the Tacoma at five RVA “Midsize Pickup” class awards in a row, the Highlander winning the “Midsize Utility 3rd Row Seating” segment, the 4Runner in the “Off-Road Utility” class, and the Sequoia earning top marks in the “Fullsize Utility” category. Honda received three RVA segment awards including the Fit in the “Subcompact” class, Accord in the “Midsize” category, and Odyssey in the “Minivan” segment.

Nissan managed two winners including the Rogue in the “Compact Utility” class and Maxima in the “Fullsize” segment, while the only one-off deserving mention is Kia’s Niro in the “Alt-fuel” category.

2018 Audi A5 Coupe
Audi’s A5 has the best residual value amongst “Premium Midsize” models. (Photo: Audi)

Audi, which has experienced a dramatic upsurge in new vehicle sales in recent years, achieved four category wins including the A5 in the “Premium Midsize” class, A7 in the “Premium Fullsize” segment, Q5 in the “Premium Compact Utility” segment, and Q7 in the “Premium Midsize Utility 3rd Row Seating” category.

“Audi has emerged in recent years as a contender in the luxury space against top European rivals, finding success with new product entries in the utility space and emphasizing innovative technologies that have resonated well with luxury consumers,” stated an ALG press release.

2018 Audi Q5
The new Q5 is rated highest for resale value in the “Premium Compact Utility” segment. (Photo: Audi)

Mercedes also took home four awards, albeit with two in the commercial sector. The winners included the Metris in the “Midsize Commercial” segment and the Sprinter in the “Fullsize Commercial” category, while its CLA Class took home top marks amongst “Premium Compact” models, and the G-Class achieved the highest score in the “Premium Fullsize Utility” segment.

No other premium brand earned multiple RVAs, but notable mentioned include the Maserati Quattroporte in the “Premium Executive” class, the Porsche 718 Boxster in the “Premium Sportscar” segment, and the Land Rover Range Rover Velar in the “Premium Midsize Utility 2nd Row Seating” category.

A news story that may have passed under the radar this year saw Mercedes-Benz once again winning Vincentric Best Fleet Value in Canada awards for its lineup of Metris and Sprinter commercial vans. You’ve…

Four Mercedes-Benz Vans earn Vincentric Best Fleet Value in Canada awards

2017 Mercedes-Benz Metris and Sprinter Cargo Vans
Both the mid-size Metris and full-size Sprinter won their classes in Vincentric’s Best Fleet Value in Canada awards. (Photo: Mercedes-Benz Vans)

A news story that may have passed under the radar this year saw Mercedes-Benz once again winning Vincentric Best Fleet Value in Canada awards for its lineup of Metris and Sprinter commercial vans. You’ve seen them everywhere, although one could be forgiven for not paying attention to yet another big white delivery van or silver airport shuttle with blacked out windows.

The Vincentric award tallies up a commercial vehicle’s overall lifecycle cost in order to determine its value, and the Sprinter has earned top marks in the full-Size three-quarter-ton Cargo and Passenger Van categories for six consecutive years, while the Mercedes-Benz Metris Cargo and Passenger Vans have won their respective classes for two years running.

2017 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Passenger Van
The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Passenger Van makes an ideal sightseeing vehicle. (Photo: Mercedes-Benz Vans)

Specifically, the list of Mercedes-Benz winners include the Metris Cargo Van in Vincentric’s “Mid-Size Commercial Cargo Van” category, the Metris Passenger Van in the third-party analytical firm’s “Mid-Size Commercial Passenger Van” category, the Sprinter Cargo Van 2500 V6 Standard Roof 144-inch WB in the “Full-Size ¾-Ton Cargo Van” category, and the Sprinter Passenger Van 2500 V6 Standard Roof 144-inch WB in the “Full-Size ¾-Ton Passenger Van” category.

2017 Mercedes-Benz Metris Passenger Van
The Metris Passenger Van also won its category. (Photo: Mercedes-Benz Vans)

“We focus on providing the best possible fleet solutions for the Canadian commercial market, and we know that low total cost of ownership is a key differentiator for our vehicles,” said Nicolette Lambrechts, Vice President, Mercedes-Benz Vans. “That the Metris has achieved this level of recognition in both of its first two years on the market demonstrates that we are achieving our goal and fulfilling our promise to customers.”

2017 Mercedes-Benz Metris Cargo Van
The Metris is low enough to fit into regular parking garages, making it extremely versatile. (Photo: Mercedes-Benz Vans)

The Metris fills a unique niche in the commercial market by providing a lot of capacity from a mid-size model, yet making it small enough to fit under the low roofs of many parking garages. Its relatively lightweight design and turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engine make it fuel-efficient too, while its rear-wheel drive layout makes for lower repair costs and allows it to haul more weight than front-wheel drive competitors.

2017 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Van
You don’t just have to get white, as Mercedes-Benz Vans offer a large palette of optional colours. (Photo: Mercedes-Benz Vans)

“With consecutive wins for the past six years, the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter has built on a long-established reputation for delivering exceptional value,” added Lambrechts. “These most recent awards further underscore its worth and utility for Canadian fleets from coast to coast.”

Based on typical use patterns, Vincentric analyzes cost of ownership of more than 2,000 commercial vehicle configurations monthly. The studies are comprehensive too, factoring in “all major ownership and operating costs for each vehicle, including depreciation, fees and taxes, financing, fuel, insurance, maintenance, repairs, and even opportunity cost, or the loss of potential interest income as a result of owning and operating a vehicle,” said Mercedes-Benz Vans in a press release. What’s more, evaluations are done in all 10 Canadian provinces by using 24 different lifecycle cost scenarios. Vincentric bases each winner on lowest fleet lifecycle costs in the most scenarios.

2017 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Cargo Van 4x4
Mercedes is the only van maker to offer 4WD in a van as large as the Sprinter. (Photo: Mercedes-Benz Vans)

“Mercedes-Benz Vans have consistently displayed great value to Canadian fleet buyers in the Mid-Size and ¾-Ton van segments,” says Vincentric President, David Wurster. “All four of the award-winning Mercedes-Benz vehicles combined low depreciation costs with strong fuel economy to earn their awards.”

The Metris is a one-size-fits-all affair, but the Sprinter can be had in many lengths and roof heights, plus it’s one of the only full-size vans available with a four-wheel drivetrain. This variety, along with its renowned quality, plus its turbo-diesel fuel-efficiency and overall dependability make it very popular amongst fleet buyers and independent business owners alike.