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Toyota tops Kelley Blue Book's Resale Value Awards

Kelley Blue Book announced its annual Best Resale Value Award winners, and we weren't too surprised to see the list dominated by Japanese automakers - mainly Toyota and Honda. KBB hands out the awards based on the projected residual value of mostly all 2013 model year vehicles, and Toyota skated home with a number of awards including 10 of the 22 overall categories and having five of its products in the top 10 for models with best resale value. KBB's Best Resale Value Awards were announced in the same week as the ALG Residual Value Awards, and there were many similarities between both lists, especially when it came to Toyota.
To come up with its winners, KBB measures depreciation over the first five years of ownership, and looks for the cars it expects to hold its value the best after this time; on average, the report says the 2013 model year vehicles will lose 61.8 percent of its value in five years. Of the 22 categories, 15 slots were filled by Toyota, Honda and Nissan products, while the Camaro and Porsche (Cayenne and Panamera) each took home a pair of awards. If Toyota has anything to be upset about in this list of cars, it's that categories for Hybrid/Alternative Energy Car and Electric Vehicle went to the Ford Fusion and Chevrolet Volt, respectively.
The overall top 10 models for the best resale value in 2013 are, in alphabetical order:

Consumer Reports says Toyota, Ford, Honda and Chevy are big winners in brand perception survey

According to Consumer Reports, the automotive brands that stand out in the minds of car buyers are, in order: Toyota, Ford, Honda and Chevrolet. This news comes after the magazine polled its readers, asking them to take into account vehicle quality, safety, performance, value, fuel economy, design/style, and technology/innovation - which are the factors that car shoppers are most influenced by.
It's important to note that this award is only about perception. In other words, it's perceived quality, not actual quality. "Often, perception can be a trailing indicator, reflecting years of good or bad performance in a category, and it can also be influenced by headlines in the media," said Jeff Bartlett, Consumer Reports deputy automotive editor.
The brand that made the biggest jump in perception amongst Consumer Reports readers is Tesla, which posted an impressive 47-point gain to finish in fifth place. Subaru is also notable for finishing in the top 10, despite being one of the smaller manufacturers doing business in the US. Scroll down below for all the details from Consumer Reports, if you're so inclined.

2014 Toyota Tundra gets five grades priced from $25,920*

Toyota has announced pricing details for its refreshed 2014 Tundra, with the fullsize pickup offered in five grades. Naturally, that doesn't include the buyer's choice of three cab styles, the option of two- or four-wheel drive, and a choice of a 4.0-liter V6 base engine or 4.6-liter and 5.7-liter V8s.
The base SR starts at $25,920, while the volume SR5 model starts at $29,465. Toyota notes that all SR5s ordered with the big V8 hold the line on pricing from 2013 while including a further $650 in standard equipment. The first of three high-end trims, Limited, starts at $36,940, while the Platinum and 1794 Edition both start at $44,270, with all prices subject to a $995 destination charge. Also noteworthy on the cost-savings front, Limited CrewMax 4x4 models are priced $2,000 less than their 2013 equivalents, (4x2 buyers save $1,900).
As is typical for a model as as customizable as a pickup, Toyota's pricing structure is far from simple. Adding the 5.7-liter V8 at one trim level can cost several hundred dollars more or less than another trim level - the same goes for adding four-wheel drive. So, rather than break out the Enigma Machine to try and decipher what options cost what on which trim, we've just rolled the whole pricing chart in. Scroll down for a look, including Toyota's full press release, and then check out our recent First Drive feature of the truck.