Used Hybrids Lack Resale Cachet

Looking for best gas mileage? Go for a hybrid. Looking for best resale value? Avoid the hybrid. That’s what Kelley Blue Book’s latest survey of projected resale values said today, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Although fuel-sipping hybrids top environmentalist wish lists, the Kelley Blue Book says hybrids take the back seat to conventional cars this year. In fact, not a single hybrid is among the top 10 models of highest resale value. Volkswagen, which doesn't even make a hybrid model, dominates the ranking.

Blue Book analysts believe the rapid proliferation of hybrids has taken away some of the "scarcity premium" the cars once enjoyed on the used-car market. To boot, expensive battery replacements are a big deterrent.

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