1993 Subaru Legacy on 2040-cars

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These are the cars with the best and worst depreciation after 5 years

The average new vehicle sold in America loses nearly half of its initial value after five years of ownership. No surprise there; we all expect that shiny new car to start depreciating as soon as we drive it off the lot. But some vehicles lose value a lot faster than others. According to data provided by iSeeCars.com, trucks and truck-based sport utility vehicles generally hold their value better than other vehicle types, with the Jeep Wrangler — in both four-door Unlimited and standard two-door styles — and Toyota Tacoma sitting at the head of the pack. The Jeep Wrangler Unlimited's average five-year depreciation of 30.9% equals a loss in value of $12,168. That makes Jeep's four-door off-roader the best overall pick for buyers looking to minimize depreciation. The Toyota Tacoma's 32.4% loss in initial value means it loses just $10,496. The smaller dollar amount — the least amount of money lost after five years — indicates that Tacoma buyers pay less than Wrangler Unlimited buyers, on average, when they initially buy the vehicle. The standard two-door Jeep Wrangler is third on the list, depreciating 32.8% after five years and losing $10,824. Click here for a full list of the top 10 vehicles with the least depreciation over five years. On the other side of the depreciation coin, luxury sedans tend to plummet in value at a much faster rate than other vehicle types. The BMW 7 Series leads the losers with a 72.6% drop in value after five years, which equals an alarming $73,686. BMW's slightly smaller 5 Series is next, depreciating 70.1%, or $47,038, over the same period. Number three on the biggest losers list is the Nissan Leaf, the only electric vehicle to appear in the bottom 10. The electric hatchback matches the 5 Series with a 70.1% drop in value, but since it's a much cheaper vehicle, that percentage equals a much smaller $23,470 loss. Click here for a full list of the top 10 vehicles with the most depreciation over five years.

2013 Subaru WRX Special Edition

Two months ago, I was carving pumpkins in a canyon - last week, I was carving canyons in a pumpkin. I genuinely prefer the latter.
It's hard to miss the 2013 Subaru WRX Special Edition. The twins (the automaker is offering the package on both the WRX and its higher-performing STI sibling - just 300 copies in total) arrive in Tangerine Orange paint with Jet Black wheels, black exterior mirrors and black front fender badges. The purely cosmetic upgrades are carried inside the cabin with black cloth upholstery contrasted with orange stitching on the seats, doors, shift boot and piping on the floor mats.
After a day, I completely forgot about the controversial orange paint (you either love or hate its burnt pumpkin color) and focused on the simple joy of driving the rally-inspired Subaru WRX.

Subaru limited-edition WRX STI Type RA and BRZ tS pricing revealed

Back in June, Subaru announced that it was going to produce a limited edition of 500 higher-performance WRX STIs and BRZs. Now we know what they'll cost. Let's take the WRX STI Type RA first. That's going to set you back $49,855, including destination and delivery. (As a frame of reference, a plain old STI lists for $36,995.) The BRZ tS, on the other hand, will cost $34,355. (A base BRZ sells for $26,315.) So the premiums for the limited-edition cars are $12,860 and $8,040, respectively. What you get for the WRX STI Type RA's higher price, aside from more letters, is a roster of handling and enhancements and weight reduction measures (how much less, Subaru didn't say): Carbon fiber wing. Carbon fiber roof panel. Spare tire delete. Lightweight 19-inch alloy wheels. Revised third-gear ratio and shorter throw on the six-speed manual. Upgraded suspension with special Bilstein dampers. Modified vehicle dynamics control (VDC). All WRX STIs for 2018 get upgraded brakes, and the Type RA shares in that, getting stronger Brembo monoblock six-piston calipers in front. Two-piston calipers are in the rear, and it gets larger, cross-drilled rotors at all four corners. Brake pads have more surface area. The one difference in the Type RA: The calipers are painted an "exclusive" silver finish. All STIs also get a new all-electronically controlled limited-slip center differential AWD system. Horsepower gets a nudge to 310, from the regular STI's 305. Doesn't look like much on paper, but Subaru says the car will get a new cold-air intake, high-flow exhaust, retuned ECU and stronger pistons. Inside, it gets special Recaro seats, an Ultrasuede steering wheel, and each car will be individually numbered, with a plaque in the cabin. Finally, the Type RA gets "Cherry Blossom Red" accenting, RA badging, a front underspoiler and paint choices of blue, black and white. In case you're wondering about the naming/numbering, the "RA" in WRX STI Type RA stands for "record attempt." In July, a WRX STI Type RA NBR Special — a specially built 600-horsepower racecar that is a far cry from the car going on sale — finished a lap of the Nurburgring in a blazing 6:57.5. That's just half a second behind the Porsche 918 Spyder hypercar. The BRZ tS, meanwhile, gets: STI-tuned front and rear Sachs dampers and coil springs, and other steps to stiffen the suspension. Lightweight 18-inch wheels with Michelin Pilot Sports. Four-piston Brembos up front, twofers in the back.