The most overpriced automobiles in America

Price dissatisfaction is also represented in other metrics, namely satisfaction. No one wants to pay for a product he or she isn't happy with. J.D. Power, which measures how gratifying a vehicle is to own and drive in the first 90 days of ownership with its annual APEAL survey, says that a higher score corresponds to lower model incentives.

Consumer Reports also has an Annual Car Owners Satisfaction Survey in which it asks, considering a wide range of factors including price, whether respondents would buy their vehicle again.

One final metric that warrants mention: length of ownership. Robert Smith, manager of car information products at Consumer Reports, says that even if the automaker's piling on the incentives and the residuals are embarrassingly low, it's actually not overpriced if you plan to keep the vehicle for a long time.

"Are you planning to keep the vehicle for six, seven, eight years?" he asks. "Then you aren¹t so concerned with resale."

MORE FROM FORBES

Forbes Section Front

NYC tops the list of America’s costliest cities Work fashion tips from Sarah Palin’s stylist The states where women earn the most Rich getting richer? Particularly in Connecticut World's most expensive homes Will Ferrell is Hollywood's most overpaid star Dirtiest vehicles on America’s highways The worlds most powerful people The key to dealing with lousy boss: negotiation IRS rules for medical deductions are sickening Forbes Section Front