Residual Values of Small Cars to Plummet

The reason is because car manufacturers are under huge pressure to meet newer fuel economy rules that will force them to produce many more smaller, fuel-efficient cars.
Residual values are important because depreciation is usually the biggest cost of owning a new car. This is especially true if you intend to sell your car within the first five years.
With the huge influx of smaller cars to hit the market over the next several years, the residual values are expected to suffer. It's a simple law of supply and demand. When there is too much supply, prices will tend to head down.
Although residual values of smaller cars will probably head down, it's also likely dealers will be willing to negotiate better deals. If you're a smart car shopper, you can certainly use this to your advantage.
Our recommendation is to always keep a new car for more than 5 years. This will allow you to take advantage of lower depreciation costs later on, will ensure you get a good deal upfront, and limit your loss to low residual values.
3 Steps Every Car Buyer Needs to Take to Save Maximum Money
The key to getting the best deal is to gather price or lease bids from as many local dealers as possible. Then shop that best price around until no one can beat it. Here are the steps:Step 1 Get Prices From My Trusted Network
Select the vehicle you're interested in to see if there are local dealers in my network who will provide you with their best upfront price. You will get direct access to an internet sales manager who you can further negotiate with online (no need to visit dealership).Step 2 Get Prices From TrueCar / CarsDirect
TrueCar, and CarsDirect are my top 2 online price quote recommendations. These services show you pre-negotiated prices from dealers closest to you - and the deals are usually pretty decent. But remember, you can still negotiate further.Step 3 Complete my Checklist
Follow this up with my checklist to make sure you squeeze out every last bit of savings.- Gregg Fidan

Each week, I'll keep you up-to-date on the latest car deals and news that might affect your purchase. This includes...
- Best Rebates, Incentives, and Lease Deals
- Latest Car Buying Scams and Tricks
- The Best & Worst Time to Buy a Car
- Which Cars You Should Avoid
About The Author

Latest Weekly Car Buying Tips
March 2023
- Best 0% Finance Deals April 2023 Mar 30, 2023
- Best Car Deals by Category Mar 30, 2023
- Lease Deals with Loyalty & Conquest Rebates Mar 30, 2023
- Real Prices of Pickup Trucks Mar 30, 2023
- Worst Cars to Lease Right Now Mar 23, 2023
- Cars With the Largest Rebates Mar 23, 2023
- Real Prices of Compact Cars Mar 23, 2023
- Which Cars Better to Lease or Buy Mar 23, 2023
- Top 100 Cheapest Lease Deals Mar 16, 2023
- New Cars with the Most Available Inventory Mar 16, 2023
- Biggest Discounts on New Cars Mar 16, 2023
- Real Prices of Large SUVs Mar 16, 2023
- Best Bang for Your Buck Lease Deals Mar 09, 2023
- Best Electric, Hybrid Lease Deals Mar 09, 2023
- Price Comparison of Subcompact SUVs Mar 09, 2023
- Top 100 Cheapest New Cars Mar 02, 2023
- Best Car Deals Around the Country Mar 02, 2023
- Real Prices of New Compact SUVs Mar 02, 2023
- New Cars You Should Wait to Buy Mar 02, 2023
February 2023
- Real Prices of Midsize SUVs Feb 23, 2023
- Real Prices of Midsize Cars Feb 16, 2023
- Cheapest Luxury Lease Deals Feb 02, 2023