It’s not news to us that MINI’s have great resale value. In this recent article from Forbes, they mention the MINI specifically as a car that retains its worth far better than average.

Sports cars, crossovers and SUVs typically retain roughly 40% of their original purchase price after five years of ownership. One example renowned for holding resale value: the Mini Cooper, which retains 52% of its value after five years.

At the other end of the spectrum, they point to some specific offerings from Smart. How bad does it get? Let’s just say that a few bags of Trader Joe’s in the trunk might all but double the resale value. Okay, it’s not that bad, but it’s pretty bad.

…you should be wary of highly customizable vehicles like Smart’s tiny Fortwo Cabriolet: Sure, it’s an inexpensive purchase, costing just $21,635 for a Brabus cabriolet base model. But the car quickly loses 63% of its value in 24 months, and retains just 17% of its initial worth after five years. The Hello Kitty wrap offered as a customized option will do nothing to help bolster resale value.

Let’s do that math all the way. According to Forbes, a 2006 model of the Smart they mention would be worth a mere $3,678 today. An ’06 MINI spec’d at the same price would still be worth $11,250. Compare that further to MINI models like the limited edition ’06 GP, which according to Kelly Blue Book, are retaining as much as 80% of their value five years on. Both the Smart and the GP are extreme examples, but no matter how you slice it, the MINI can be a great value in the long run.