(Repost of <https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38570370>)
(Repost of <https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38570370>)
They have a higher resale value because they have a reputation of lasting a long time, and people are thus perhaps more willing to pay a higher initial purchase price because they know their "investment" will last longer.
And while they may not be planing to sell their car after only a few years, knowing that they'll get back more of their "investment" is also probably sitting in the back of their mind ('just in case').
Its also worth considering that, for better or worse, very few people actually own their cars today. When you have a loan on it the resale value becomes really important. If the manufacturer wants the kind of customer that buys a new car every few years they'll need resale value that at least keeps up with the principle on the loan over that time.