If I SAY “CAR EXPENSES,” what comes to mind? Monthly car-loan payments? Credit-card bills from Mobile or Shell? Car-insurance premiums? Or, if you own a heap that needs frequent attention, perhaps it’s the bills from the folks down at the auto-repair shop.

Financing, gasoline, insurance and repair charges are all costs of owning and driving a car, to be sure. But they’re rarely the most significant ones—at least not during the first five years of a car’s life. Depreciation, or the loss of a car’s value, is by far the greatest expense for most drivers. The typical vehicle retains only about 35 percent of its original value after five years, according to Kelley Blue Book data. For a $30,000 car, that’s a loss of nearly $20,000. Not even a gas guzzler or a lemon is likely to come close to needing 20 grand worth of fuel or repairs over a five-year period.

Unlike the other expenses, you won’t regularly write out checks to pay for your car’s loss of value. But if you consider a car’s resale value before you buy it, you might keep money in your pocket down the road when you sell or trade in the car, says Jack Nerad, executive editorial director of Kelley Blue Book’s Website, kbb.com. If you buy a $30,000 car that retains 45 percent of its value instead of 35 percent, you could save about $3,000.

Amid all the recent economic turmoil, predicting automotive resale values has become trickier. The financial distress of automakers and the abrupt changes in gasoline prices have made car-resale values more volatile. In the summer of 2008, when gas prices jumped above $4 a gallon, the value of thirsty SUVs and pickups plunged. As gas prices took a dive, SUVs and pickups regained much of their value, Nerad says.

Still, the majority of models from certain automotive brands consistently have high resale values. Why is that? A solid reliability/dependability record helps, Nerad says. Even more important, he says, is a certain stylishness, uniqueness or perceived desirability that makes used-car buyers willing to pay a little extra for them.

That could explain why brands with spotty reliability records such as Mini and Volkswagen hold their values well. Vehicles from both automakers are perceived as stylish and fun to drive; they should retain about half their original sticker price after five years. Other brands with etter-than-average resale values include Acura, Audi, BMW, Honda, Infiniti, Lexus, Scion, Subaru and Toyota.

And though a brand generally might not be known for exceptionally good resale values, there may be a specific model within the brand that’s a stand-out. For instance, Cadillac’s CTS sedan, Jeep’s Wrangler sport utility and Nissan’s GT-R sports car will hold their values well in coming years.

One caveat: If you’re one of those uncommon individuals who is content to drive a car until its wheels fall off, you can forget about resale value and depreciation. No matter the brand, a 20-year-old jalopy with 300,000 miles on it won’t be worth more than its scrap value, anyway.