If you've already purchased a new car recently or are thinking about it, you may want to consider depreciation value. I asked Jody Victor  to give us some info.

Jody Victor: All vehicles depreciate over time - some more than others. Trends and other factors make this tricky. Consumer Reports came up with a report of 10 best models calculated based on the difference between the MSRP of a 2004 model when new and its current retail value. The average depreciation for all models is about 45 percent over the first three years - that will help you calculate your present vehicle depreciation. Here's the top ten.

1. Toyota Prius - Ongoing demand for this thrifty gas/electric hybrid and excellent reliability give the Prius the best depreciation rating among all currently sold models. Plus, many owners are holding onto them.

2. Mini Cooper - This trendy, fun-to-drive retro-hatch.convertible has generated a cult following reminiscent of Volkswagen's Beetle.

3. Scion xB - This boxy wagon has love-it-or-hate-it styling, but it provides a spacious interior, stingy fuel consumption, good reliability, and a low price.

4. BMW M3 - The limited-edition, tuner-developed M3 is the perennially popular high-performance model in BMW's 3-Series line.

5. Lexus RX - Among the top SUVs in Consumer Reports ratings, the RX is plush, quiet, and comfortable while providing better-than-average reliability and good crash-test results.

6. BMW 6-Series - Available as a coupe or convertible, the 6-Series is based on the 5-Series platform. Its more limited production helps keep its resale value high.

7. Lexus GX - A different SUV from the Lexus RX, the GX is a traditional truck-based, off-road-ready vehicle. It has above-average reliability, a well-appointed interior, and good frontal offset crash-test results. This could change due to increasing popularity of the crossovers.

8. Acura TSX - Providing a nice balance of sportiness and comfort, the well-rounded TSX provides above-average reliability, good crash-test results, and a long list of standard safety equipment.

9. Scion xA - The small xA hatchback looks much different from the larger xB but shares its low price, good reliability, and excellent 30-mpg fuel economy.

10. Honda Civic & Civic Hybrid - Longtime Consumer Reports recommended models, both Civics offer outstanding reliability, good fuel economy, and good crash-test results.

Thanks, Jody! Great info to check out!

Joe Victor

Experts are saying that the increasingly popular crossovers will outsell the rugged SUVs in America this year. I asked Jody Victor for his take on this trend.

Jody Victor: It's the biggest trend that auto companies are chasing right now - crossover sport-utility vehicles that mix the high ride height of SUVs with car-like ride and handling that traditional truck-based SUVs can't match. Analysts predict by the end of this decade, crossovers will be the second largest automotive segment in the United States behind only pickup trucks.

It's no wonder, then, that most auto companies are coming out with crossovers right and left. Ford, who's been a top seller of SUVs, is introducing a new crossover, the 2007 Ford Edge, even though the Edge may take sales away from traditional SUVs, such as the Ford Explorer and Escape.

Designed for on-road use, not off-road travel, crossovers aren't necessarily bargain-priced. But their ride is where it's at - on the same platform used by the Mazda CX-9 crossover SUV. The 5-door, 5-passenger Edge has the fresh look of a tall wagon riding on sizable wheels, and it's accentuated by a heavy-looking, chrome grille in front - a modern look - and about the same length and height as a Toyota Highlander. The Edge is well-proportioned - neither too small nor too big.

Thanks, Jody! We'll check it out.

Joe Victor

You're driving down the road on a long trip listening to a great tune when, suddenly, all you get is static - you've driven out of range of the station. I asked Jody Victor  to tell us about the solution for that.

Jody Victor: Satellite radio, from either Sirius or XM, is an option available from nearly all car manufacturers today. They offer hundreds of channels of music and talk defined down to the sub-sub-sub-genre. XM Radio, for example, offers three slightly different alternative music channels called "Fred," "Ethel" and "Lucy."(No, there is no Latin Alternative channel called "Desi.")

A subscription to either service costs about $13 a month. Some carmakers offer a free subscription period when you get satellite radio as an option in your car.

Satellite-enabled radios can also be bought as aftermarket items and installed in any car. Some even double as portable satellite radio receivers for use in your home. You don't need satellites and a subscription to get digital radio, though.

For now, only BMW offers a high-definition radio receiver as an option in its cars. But you can get an HD radio receiver installed in any car. It costs a little more than a regular car radio, but it's simpler to install than satellite radio. High-definition radio is broadcast over the same radio frequencies as regular radio and by the same stations. But the sound is transmitted as a digital signal that's read out by a computer chip.

The main benefit is markedly better sound clarity. Listening to a familiar tune in an HD Radio-equipped BMW 7-series, orchestral instruments that couldn't even be heard on a regular FM signal popped right out when the tuner was switched to the digital signal. Also, because the digital signal uses less of the available radio-wave spectrum, broadcasters can send out multiple "side channels." For example, listeners who liked the "oldies" format that New York's WCBS FM used to broadcast - it's now a rock station - can hear the old format again on HD radio.

Thanks, Jody!

Joe Victor

Computers and hard drives installed in car dashboards allow for "ripping" and storing MP3s right in the car. I asked Jody Victorto tell us about it.

Jody Victor: As entertainment technology improves, shrinks and becomes more portable, the expression "living rooms on wheels" is becoming more and more literal.

MP3n player connections are becoming common-place in new cars these days. In most cases, it's just an input jack near the stero. But in some new models, the car itself can be the MP3 player, allowing you to store your music on an in-car hard-drive.

Hard drives were originally added to cars to store complex data for in-car navigation systems. Still, even the most detailed navigation data leaves plenty of left over hard-drive space.

So, some carmakers are handing that space over to you. Several new vehicles from the Chrysler Group of DaimlerChrysler will offer a feature called MyGig (it's actually about 20 gigs) in some of its new cars. You can use that hard drive space to store music and even pictures.

The new Lexus LS from Toyota is also being offered with an on-board hard-drive for storing music. Copyright concerns somewhat limit its usefulness, though, because you can only copy songs from original CDs. You can't copy from a home-burned CD and you can't directly copy MP3 files.

General Motors' soon-to-be-discontinued minivans offer a removable hard-drive system with the unattractive name of PhatNoise. The PhatNoise drive can be removed so you can add music files -  even video and games - easily, using your home computer. And there are no restrictions. Unfortunately, PhatNoise isn't offered on any other GM products.

Thanks, Jody! We'll be sure to check it out!

Joe Victor