Jody Victor: Hey Joe, it certainly makes your activities a lot more fun when the vehicle you use gets you there and back with ease. Here’s the last five that could make your weekend fun, even more fun!

Kayaking | Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen

The Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen is watertight, thanks to a special hot-wax treatment that fills in the tiniest nooks and crannies, which means no rust, even if you routinely expose your car to saltwater and sea air while traveling to your favorite kayaking destinations. Heavy-duty floor mats and a trunk liner keep your wetsuit and other gear from wetting down the fabric or carpeting after a paddling session. Roof rails accommodate an aftermarket kayak rack, and the panoramic sunroof lets your passengers keep an eye on your boat while you drive.

ATV Riding | Ford F-250 Super Duty

Few pickup trucks have beds long enough to accommodate an all-terrain vehicle without the tailgate down. The F-250 Super Duty, with an 8-foot bed, is one such vehicle. This allows you to load your ATV with several inches of room to spare. The F-250′s V8 engine also makes it well-qualified for towing, if that’s your preference. Telescopic rearview mirrors let you keep an eye on your trailer. A 6-speed automatic transmission helps you navigate the diciest of terrain as you make your way to sand dunes or desert flats.

Rock Climbing | Subaru Forester

The Forester has just the right amount of room for ropes, carabiners, shoes and a cooler to store après-climb refreshments. The extra ground clearance is essential for when you tackle dry riverbeds or seemingly vertical mountain roads to get to the best climbing spots. The car’s symmetrical all-wheel drive (as opposed to a front-wheel-drive car with added rear-wheel capabilities, or vice versa) provides peace of mind along the way.

Sailing | GMC Yukon Denali XL

When you’re hauling boats, you need the extra horsepower of a vehicle such as the Yukon Denali XL. With a 6.2-liter V8 engine that provides 403 horsepower and 417 lb-ft of torque, you won’t have to worry about whether it can handle your diminutive Sunfish sailboat or a bigger yacht. With a cargo area that’s 81 inches long and that boasts 109 cubic feet of storage space, you’ll have plenty of room for your sailing gear and other accessories. An integrated trailer-brake controller helps you apply the appropriate amount of brake force when you have a boat in tow.

Fishing | Ram 1500

Fishing is dirty business. You need some serious cargo space for rods, tackle, buckets, bait and all the other gear for a day out on the water, and you want it to be ventilated — fish stink. And if you’re going fly-fishing in some remote locale, you’ll need something pretty rugged to find the most productive fishing holes and tackle the dirt roads leading to them. The Ram 1500 is perfect. It is one of the most versatile half-ton pickups on the market, with plenty of power from the all-new 305-horsepower Pentastar V6, which is 20 percent more efficient than previous engines, a smooth ride on or off road, and slick styling. Plus, Ram offers some cool truck-bed storage options.

Thanks, Jody! We’ll be sure to check them all out!

Joe Victor

Jody Victor: Sometimes you need all-wheel drive; other times, all you care about is whether your cooler will fit in the trunk. Here are the best cars for various outdoor sports, factoring in cargo capacity, hauling capability, horsepower, maneuverability and, of course, aesthetics, in 2 parts.

Surfing | Jeep Wrangler

The main benefit to the Wrangler is that your surfboard — long, short or anywhere in between — can fit in the vehicle when the top is off. If it hangs out a little bit, you’ll look all the more cool. When scoping out remote surf spots, the high ground clearance and 4-wheel drive come in handy. To keep valuables out of sight while you’re in the waves, the “add a trunk” feature creates a 3-cubic-foot mini trunk in the rear of the vehicle.

Mountain Biking | Honda Element

With enough space to fit three bikes and one rear-seat passenger, or two bikes and two friends in the back, the Element is ideal for mountain-bike outings. No need to hoist anything onto the roof of the car or to deal with a clunky rear-mounted bike rack. And you won’t have to remove your bikes’ front tires to fit them in, either. The vehicle’s all-wheel-drive capability helps get you to the trail. After your excursion, any dirt that collects on the Element’s urethane-coated floor is easy to sweep out.

Kite Surfing | Volvo XC70

This wagon’s minivan-size storage capacity lets you easily pack the bulky gear that kite surfing requires — boards, kites, harnesses and the like. But it’s also agile enough that you can negotiate winding coastal roads with power and ease. The XC70 is the longest of the Volvo models, making it easier to carry your quiver of boards inside the car without anything hanging out a window. Extra ground clearance and all-wheel drive keep you from getting stuck in any sand traps en route to the wind-whipped water. The optional plastic trunk liner keeps your wet gear from stinking up the car.

Road Cycling | Audi A3

If you’re a road cyclist, chances are you spend a lot of time on pavement that’s as fun to drive as it is to pedal, so you’ll want a car that handles well on twisting, curvy roads. The Audi A3 is turbocharged whether you buy the gasoline version or the diesel, and it has speed-sensitive power steering — helpful in hairpin turns. Roof rails make for easy installation of a bike rack, but because the A3 is a wagon, you could store your ride inside. Flip one seat down for one bike, or both to store two.

Backpacking | Ford Flex

To accommodate the bulky backpacks, tents and sleeping pads required for a backpacking trip, the Ford Flex has 83 cubic feet of cargo space with the seats down. If you’re taking a day hike, sans gear, the Flex is perfect for ferrying a group of friends to the trailhead; its three rows of seats accommodate seven passengers. Four skylights on the roof let you take in the beauty of your wilderness surroundings before you even get out of the car. Opt for bucket seats in the second row and you can also get a refrigerated console to keep your water supply cold.

Thanks, Jody! More next time.

Joe Victor

Jody Victor: Hey, Joe, here they are, the rest of the vehicles best suited for cities around this great country of ours.

City: Phoenix | Vehicle: Dodge Challenger SRT8 392

The criterion for a vehicle in a desert city is pretty simple: heat-bouncing, lighter-hued interiors. There’s nowhere to tow your personal watercraft, no sane reason to go camping and no weather to sully the long stretches of blacktop carving through the dunes. So you can drive whatever boring thing you want, or you can channel your inner Mad Max with the Challenger SRT8. It’s pure, vintage muscle on 20-inch, 5-spoke aluminum wheels. Its only shortcoming is that the 6.4-liter 470-horsepower Hemi V8 engine doesn’t punch right through the racer-striped hood.

City: Jacksonville, Fla. | Vehicle: Jeep Wrangler

Miami might get the attention, but Jacksonville is the bigger city (with more than 800,000 residents, more than double Miami’s population), and it is surrounded by more diverse day or weekend destinations. So, for transitioning from open-air highway driving to powering through swampy conditions to rolling right onto the beach, the venerable Jeep Wrangler just makes sense. It’s the only 4×4 convertible, becomes the ultimate beachcomber with the doors fully removed, and it can ford up to 30 inches of water. But remember, this is gator country — don’t go fording with the doors and roof off.

City: Boston | Vehicle: Subaru Outback

The unpredictability of New England weather is so bad that it’s long been a point of pride for local residents. It’s also why Subaru, and the Outback, specifically, have always been so ubiquitous in the area. And so it goes for Boston, where the Outback and its symmetrical all-wheel drive is as adept at gripping rain-clogged streets as it is at forging through mud-spattered New Hampshire trails and snow-swept Maine roads. The 3.6R, with its 256-horsepower boxer engine, isn’t a necessary upgrade, but the rumors are true: Whether in rain, sleet or snow, Boston drivers go fast.

City: Seattle | Vehicle: Volkswagen Tiguan

For rainy Seattle, we could have just as easily picked the Subaru Outback again for its proven performance on wet roads, but the Volkswagen Tiguan is a capable all-weather traveler. VW’s power-juggling 4Motion all-wheel drive, and an off-road drive mode that’s exclusive to this model, provide more precise torque control, improved braking on loose surfaces and automatic speed adjustments during hill climbs and descents. The Tiguan has room to spare for outdoor gear, but it’s also a relatively luxe ride, with built-in iPod connectivity, leather two-toned interiors and a hipper overall look than its competition at Subaru.

City: Denver | Vehicle: Range Rover Evoque

The Evoque is a renaissance Range Rover, equally at home charging up and down the Rockies as it is cruising through downtown Denver’s LoDo neighborhood. This crossover won’t even ruffle the feathers of the famously environmentally active locals, with a fuel economy that is a rather commendable 19 mpg city/28 mpg highway. It’s not the rugged outdoors vehicle that other Range Rovers are, but it’s a snowy-weather road warrior, and the most stylish SUV on the market.

Thanks, Jody! We’ll be sure to check these great vehicles out!

Joe Victor

Jody Victor: The United States isn’t the rest of the world, and its city drivers tend to see their cars as more than daily transportation. Instead, they’re seen as ready-to-launch escape pods, with features as useful for extreme-weather commuting as for a day trip through the local wilderness. Here are the msn.com picks for the vehicles best suited to conquering America’s biggest urban jungles, and parts thereabouts, in two parts.

City: New York | Vehicle: MINI Cooper

Don’t worry, most of our choices aren’t as obvious as this classic city car. But for the most densely packed of U.S. cities, the MINI is the inevitable choice. It’s the appropriate size for parking and for squeezing past herds of double-parked offenders, but without being golf-cart small. What it lacks in cargo space (most New Yorkers aren’t hauling around lawn fertilizer and sheets of plywood), it makes up for in retro style. Since performance is wasted on the Big Apple’s cab-choked streets and cramped highways, stick to the base 1.6-liter 121-horsepower 4-cylinder trim, possibly in a hatchback for those biennial trips to IKEA or the beach out east.

City: Los Angeles | Vehicle: Nissan Leaf SL

There are a lot of places where the Leaf isn’t worth the cost, or the hassle of finding public car-charging stations, or the stigma of driving something that makes a Prius look sexy. In L.A., none of the above apply. In a city defined by standstill traffic, the all-electric Leaf qualifies for the prized HOV sticker (standard hybrids no longer do). Finding chargers within the Leaf’s 100-mile range is easy, and the SL trim can be fast-charged, cutting refuel time exponentially. In a city brimming with sports cars, this Poindexter of a compact is sort of sexy.

City: Chicago | Vehicle: Honda CR-V

The Windy City’s drivers don’t care about a stiff breeze. Rather, the nemesis of all car-owning Chicagoans is the cratered, moonscape condition of its potholed roads, among the worst in America. This compact SUV can handle snow and slick roads, and survive year-round abuse from below. Honda’s CR-V has the all-wheel drive to handle wintry commutes, enough elevation to clear the deeper chasms and, in one of the only comprehensive studies on pothole damage, Hondas came out on top. So what if the study was based in the U.K.? Any hope is better than none.

City: Houston | Vehicle: GMC Sierra 1500 Denali

There’s nothing particularly punishing about Houston’s weather or roads — a Camry would do. But Texas is truck country, where well-appointed 4-door pickups were born to roam. The Sierra doesn’t have the towing capacity of a Ford F-150, but it’s able to pull 9,600 pounds with its 6.2-liter V8 engine, more than enough to trailer a boat down to Trinity Bay. And it’s the classiest cargo-hauler in the business, with standard Bose speakers, heated and cooled leather seats, a remote starter and other features almost too fancy for any self-respecting truck.

City: Philadelphia | Vehicle: Ford Fiesta

Warmer and less cluttered than New York, but more quintessentially American in its history, Philly deserves a city car that’s more than a little patriotic. The Ford Fiesta is our pick, a car from the one Detroit automaker that didn’t ask for federal charity, and whose financial resurgence has a lot to do with its bold new designs, including the Fiesta. The critically acclaimed compact now gets up to 40 mpg on the highway with the more aerodynamic Super Fuel Economy package and, despite its entry-level sticker price, it comes standard with a voice-activated SYNC system.

Thanks, Jody! More next time!

Joe Victor

Jody Victor®: Thanks to our recent economic downturn and ever-rising gas prices, the number of relatively affordable convertibles is down. But a number of models are still available for less than $30,000. Here’s the second half of the article by James Tate of msn.com.

Jeep Wrangler

Didn’t expect to see this one, did you? What can we say — it’s a convertible, after all, and at $22,045 it’s less than $30 grand. Besides, you can’t have a list of just seven cars. Despite having grown significantly in girth in its 2007 redesign, this old icon continues to be no less appealing. Its 3.6-liter 285-horsepower V6 engine is years ahead of the previous engine, and the interior can even be called livable now. Naturally, the Wrangler comes standard with 4-wheel drive, which can make your convertible adventures considerably more interesting. As you might expect, the gas mileage is horrible, at just 17 mpg city/21 mpg highway.

Chrysler 200 Convertible

This is the where our list starts to get a little questionable. When eight cars in total meet the criteria, the rundown is less a list of “best,” and more one of “in existence.” A disclaimer having duly been dropped, let’s meet the $26,775 Chrysler 200 Convertible. Its double-overhead-cam 2.4-liter inline 4-cylinder engine, which makes 173 horsepower and returns 20 mpg city/31 mpg highway, is a bit weak. There is a more powerful 6-cylinder option, but it costs five grand more. The premium, in our opinion, isn’t worth it.

Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder

The Eclipse Spyder seats four, looks like a flattened jelly bean and, at $27,999, sports a 2.4-liter inline-4 engine with 162 horsepower. (A V6 option is available, but it costs $32,828, so that’s out of the running.) The inline-4 comes with a 4-speed automatic transmission (those are apparently still made) and manages 20 mpg city/27 mpg highway. On the plus side, you get heated leather seats as standard and a 650-watt Rockford Fosgate stereo that’s pretty rockin’. Also a plus: The power top is down in just 19 seconds.

smart passion cabriolet

Sorry for this recommendation, but for $17,690, you get a very, very small car that has a top speed of 90 mph, goes from zero to 60 mph in 12.8 seconds, and has a 1.0-liter 70-horsepower engine and a 5-speed automated manual transmission that will make you wish you were walking. Now, once you’ve stopped worrying about being run over in traffic, there are a couple of pluses. Because it’s just 98.4 inches long, you can park it practically anywhere. You’ll also get 34 mpg city/38 mpg highway.

Thanks, Jody! We’ll be sure to check these vehicles out!!

Joe Victor

Jody Victor®: These cool vehicles are from an article by James Tate on msn.com. Here they are, Joe, in 2 parts.

Mazda MX-5 Miata

Even if the faithful Miata were an additional $5,000 over its starting price of $23,470, it’d still be the no-brainer of this list. A tight and playful chassis combines with a fuel-efficient inline-4 engine (167 horsepower, 22 mpg city/28 mpg highway), nearly 50/50 weight distribution for great handling, and rear-wheel drive to keep alive the classic British sports-car recipe cooked up so many years ago. It’s great whether your intention is to have the wind blowing through your hair on the way to the supermarket or to do some amateur racing. If you have some extra change, the power hardtop is an excellent option. Mazda managed to squeeze the whole operation in without a sacrifice in trunk space and a weight gain of less than 80 pounds.

Ford Mustang Convertible

If you haven’t looked at the Ford Mustang in awhile, you really should. For $27,310, you can have a 3.7-liter 305-horsepower V6 engine that returns 31 mpg highway, which is something of a miracle — never mind that the roof comes off. For that price, you even get selectable power-steering assist, too. Change the feel from sporty to comfortable at the touch of a button. Jam in three of your closest friends and there’s no better way to do some beach cruising.

MINI Cooper S Roadster

We chose the MINI Cooper Roadster over the MINI Cooper convertible to be a little different, but really there’s a notable sacrifice in both price and practicality. That said, the Cooper S Roadster is faster than its convertible counterpart. In the Roadster S, the 1.6-liter engine benefits from turbocharging to produce 181 horsepower. We’d opt for the quick-shifting 6-speed manual transmission. The combination makes for a car that is more than quick enough, hitting 60 mph in 6.7 seconds and muscling its little self on to a top speed of 141 mph. Oh, and you’ll see 35 mpg highway, too, with 27 mpg city. Prices start at an admittedly lofty $27,350.

Fiat 500C

While we’re on the topic of small cars, we should note that Fiats once again are available in the United States, and the company has been kind enough to bring its successful 500 to our shores. For just $19,500, you can drive one with a retractable top. The car, which can only be described as cute, sports a 1.4-liter engine that churns out just over 100 horsepower and offers a choice of either a 5-speed manual transmission or a 6-speed automatic. The story here isn’t in the power, of course, but rather the fuel economy. When equipped with a manual transmission, the little Fiat returns 30 mpg city/38 mpg highway. That makes for a lot of shopping before a refuel.

Thanks, Jody! More next time!

Joe Victor

Jody Victor®: Hey Joe, if you need to watch your pennies these cars could actually make a difference on your bottom line. Here’s the last five.

Kia Rio LX 4dr

5-Year fuel cost: $8,143
5-Year insurance cost: $5,445
Total 5-Year ownership cost: $29,345

Redesigned for 2012, Kia’s Rio gets a new 1.6-liter direct-injection engine that puts out a class-leading 138 horsepower, while managing 30 miles per gallon in the city and 40 on the highway. USB and satellite radio come standard (service is free for three months). An automatic transmission costs $1,100.

Scion iQ 2dr hatch

5-Year fuel cost: $7,553
5-Year insurance cost: $5,461
Total 5-Year ownership cost: $29,594

Measuring ten feet from bumper to bumper, the iQ is only about a foot longer than the Smart fortwo two-seater. But Scion packs its microcompact with not only a backseat but also 11 airbags (including the world’s first rear-window airbag), standard Bluetooth and HD radio technology. The 1.3-liter engine puts out 94 horsepower and gets 36 miles per gallon in the city and 37 on the highway. An automatic transmission comes standard.

Honda Insight 4dr hatch

5-Year fuel cost: $6,508
5-Year insurance cost: $5,487
Total 5-Year ownership cost: $29,786

Proving that hybrids don’t have to break the bank, Honda’s Insight boasts estimated service costs (maintenance plus repairs) of just $3,326 for five years — in the middle of this pack. Low fuel costs are a given, with 41 miles per gallon in the city and 44 on the highway. The car comes with an automatic transmission standard. It’s an IIHS Top Safety Pick, too.

Mazda2 Sport 4dr hatch

5-Year fuel cost: $8,759
5-Year insurance cost: $5,633
Total 5-Year ownership cost: $30,173

Although it’s built on the same platform as the Ford Fiesta, the Mazda2 has a style all its own, down to the characteristic Mazda “smile” in the front grille. An auxiliary input for music comes standard, and the 1.5-liter, four-cylinder engine gets 29 miles per gallon in the city and 35 on the highway. An automatic transmission costs $840 extra.

Honda Fit 4dr hatch

5-Year fuel cost: $9,361
5-Year insurance cost: $4,997
Total 5-Year ownership cost: $30,411

Named Kiplinger’s Best New Car when it was redesigned for 2009, the Fit remains a stellar value. It has 21 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second row, ten cup holders and standard cruise control. A Maintenance Minder system reminds you when to change your oil and perform other scheduled service. The Fit gets 27 miles per gallon in the city and 33 on the highway. Plus, IIHS named it a Top Safety Pick. An automatic transmission costs $800.

Thanks, Jody! We’ll check them out!

Joe Victor

Jody Victor®: All the vehicles on the list are small — either compacts or subcompacts — because they tend to have the lowest market price, the best fuel economy and reasonable insurance rates (premiums tend to rise with horsepower). Sticker price isn’t the only cost associated with owning a car. Here are the least expensive rides over a five year period in a two parts.

Nissan Versa S 4dr

5-Year fuel cost: $9,048
5-Year insurance cost: $5,134
Total 5-Year ownership cost: $27,135

The Nissan Versa gets a redesign for 2012, and the added amenities bump the bargain-basement feel out of the base model — without a big boost in price. An AM/FM/CD stereo with auxiliary input is now standard (only audio wiring was included in 2011), as is air conditioning. The Versa gets better mileage, too (27 miles per gallon city, 36 highway). An automatic transmission costs $2,130 extra. It’s also been chosen as a Top Saftey Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for 2012.

Hyundai Accent GLS 4dr

5-Year fuel cost: $8,143
5-Year insurance cost: $5,145
Total 5-Year ownership cost: $27,895

Riding a strong wave of redesigns, Hyundai has given the all-new Accent styling cues from the Sonata and Elantra. The Accent exhibits the brand’s commitment to quality, even at the lower end of the price spectrum. A six-speed manual transmission and direct-injection technology help it get 30 mpg in the city and 40 on the highway. One caveat: The base model doesn’t come equipped with a radio or air conditioning, and adding those costs $1,750 more. An automatic transmission costs $2,750 extra.

Ford Fiesta S 4dr

5-Year fuel cost: $8,568
5-Year insurance cost: $5,623
Total 5-Year ownership cost: $28,524

Introduced last year, Ford’s Fiesta adds a dollop of style to the sensible subcompact class. Dramatically raked headlamps and sharp creasing along the side give the Fiesta an aggressive look. Inside, the cockpit is sporty yet functional. On its menu of safety features is a driver’s knee airbag, and it’s been named an IIHS Top Safety Pick. It gets 28 mpg in the city and 38 on the highway. An automatic transmission is $1,095 extra.

Toyota Yaris L 2dr hatch

5-Year fuel cost: $8,306
5-Year insurance cost: $5,451
Total 5-Year ownership cost: $29,153

The Yaris sports a whopping nine airbags, including a driver’s knee airbag and dual front seat-cushion airbags, which inflate under your knees and thighs to hold you in your seat during an accident. A USB input with iPod connectivity comes standard, so you can control music choices through the screen in the dashboard. It’s fuel-efficient, too — 30 mpg city, 38 highway. An automatic transmission costs $725.

Kia Soul 4dr hatch

5-Year fuel cost: $9,146
5-Year insurance cost: $4,402
Total 5-Year ownership cost: $29,190

The Kia Soul makes boxy cool again. Along with its funky looks, it has 19 cubic feet of cargo space, a USB input and Sirius satellite radio standard (a subscription costs extra after three months of free service). It gets 27 miles per gallon in the city and 35 on the highway, and it’s an IIHS Top Safety Pick. An automatic transmission is $1,800 extra.

Thanks, Jody! More next time.

Joe Victor

Jody Victor®: Hey, Joe, resale value may not seem like the most important thing when buying a new car. But if you only intend on keeping it for a few years it could be worth your while in the long run. Here’s the last five vehicles from msn.com.

SPORTS CARS: FORD MUSTANG

Sticker price: $23,105 (base coupe)
Invoice price: $22,040
TrueCar national average price: $20,974
3-year resale value: 63%, 5-year: 46%
City mpg: 19, Hwy: 29

Ford’s classic pony car won Best New Car last year with a redesign that added more power (305 horsepower from the 3.7-liter V6 engine) but kept fuel economy a priority. One of its shining achievements is a stellar resale value: It’ll be worth 63% of the sticker price after three years.

SMALL CROSSOVERS: SUBARU FORESTER 2.5 XT TOURING

Sticker price: $30,670
Invoice price: $28,767
TrueCar national average price: $29,259
3-year resale value: 60%, 5-year: 46%
City mpg: 19, Hwy: 24

Kiplinger’s Best in Class small crossover for the second year running, the Subaru Forester has sure-footed handling with the brand’s standard all-wheel drive, loads of interior space and a speedy yet thrifty turbocharged engine.

MIDSIZE AND LARGE CROSSOVERS: BMW X5 35I

Sticker price: $48,375
Invoice price: $44,575
TrueCar national average price: $45,706
3-year resale value: 62%, 5-year: 45%
City mpg: 16, Hwy: 23

With seating for up to seven passengers, German-engineered driving dynamics and high resale values, BMW’s X5 has always been appealing. For 2012, more standard features are added: roof rails and a cargo cover for added utility and an iPod/USB connection and Hi-Fi sound system for added enjoyment while driving.

TRUCK-BASED SUVS: JEEP WRANGLER SPORT

Sticker price: $22,845
Invoice price: $22,261
TrueCar national average price: $22,295
3-year resale value: 61%, 5-year: 46%
City mpg: 17, Hwy: 21

Jeep’s classic go-anywhere off-roader stays ahead of the pack on value. It offers the best mileage in its class (outside of hybrid models), with 17 mpg in the city, and tops the resale charts.

MINIVANS: TOYOTA SIENNA 7-PASSENGER V6

Sticker price: $27,110
Invoice price: $25,138
TrueCar national average price: $25,599
3-year resale value: 56%, 5-year: 42%
City mpg: 18, Hwy: 25

Redesigned last year, the Toyota Sienna is the only minivan to offer models with a four-cylinder engine and all-wheel drive. It seats up to eight passengers and features seven airbags, and its 3.5-liter V6 puts out 265 horses. It narrowly edges out the Honda Odyssey for Best Resale, and it receives a Worth a Look nod.

 Thanks, Jody! We’ll be sure to consider these vehicles when we go car shopping!

Joe Victor

Jody Victor: To win best-resale plaudits, the model must first be selected as one of the top 25 vehicles in its category. Then they pick the vehicle with the highest three-year resale value. No model is eligible for the award if another trim level of the same model has won Best Resale in a lower-price category. Here’s the first five vehicles from msn.com

CARS UNDER $20,000: FORD FOCUS SE HATCHBACK

Sticker price: $19,095
Invoice price: $17,903
TrueCar national average price: $18,375
3-year resale value: 63%, 5-year: 45%
City mpg: 26, Hwy: 36

Part of what clinched the Best New Car award in its class for the Focus was its stellar resale values. Good looks, plenty of standard equipment and tons of cargo space in the hatchback don’t hurt either.

CARS $20,000-$25,000: MINI COOPER COUNTRYMAN

Sticker price: $22,450
Invoice price: $20,275
TrueCar national average price: $22,332
3-year resale value: 69%, 5-year: 53%
City mpg: 27, Hwy: 35

With a short-SUV-style body reminiscent of a Scion xB or Kia Soul, but with the Mini’s characteristically rounded features, the Countryman’s introduction last year has helped reinvigorate the brand. The biggest Mini also has the highest resale value of any vehicle in our rankings this year — worth a stunning 69% of the original price after three years.

CARS $25,000-$30,000: MINI COOPER COUPE S

Sticker price: $25,300
Invoice price: $22,840
TrueCar national average price: $25,217
3-year resale value: 68%, 5-year: 53%
City mpg: 27, Hwy: 35

New for 2012, the Mini Coupe (not to be confused with the long-standing Hardtop model) boasts a turbocharged 1.6-liter engine that gets 35 miles per gallon on the highway and among the highest resale values of any vehicle (sliding in just below its sibling, the Mini Countryman).

CARS $30,000-$40,000: BMW 128I COUPE

Sticker price: $31,925
Invoice price: $29,440
TrueCar national average price: $30,782
3-year resale value: 63%, 5-year: 43%
City mpg: 18, Hwy: 28

Although it’s one of the littlest Bimmers, the 1-series is no slouch — in value or on the road. Its 3.0-liter inline 6-cylinder engine produces 230 horsepower and manages nearly 30 mpg on the highway.

CARS $50,000 AND OVER: AUDI A7 QUATTRO 3.0 PREMIUM PLUS

Sticker price: $63,745
Invoice price: $59,344
TrueCar national average price: $61,806
3-year resale value: 60%, 5-year: 44%
City mpg: 18, Hwy: 28

New for 2012, Audi’s A7 shares basic architecture, powertrain and interior styling with the A6, but the A7′s hatchback styling has more cargo space — 25 cubic feet — and higher resale values. It rates a Worth a Look nod from Kiplinger’s.

Thanks, Jody! More next time!

Joe Victor