CARY, N.C. -

If you need an extra push to move compact SUVs, here’s one selling point that may help: they hold their value tremendously well.

That was one of several reasons mentioned in a new series from senior analyst Jessica Caldwell and the team at Edmunds.com explaining why this segment’s growth has been so rapid — and perhaps far from over.

In the first entry to the “Key Insights” series, the Edmunds’ analysts point out that the resale values for the five best-sellers in the compact SUV segment are “well above the industry median.”

In fact, the Honda CR-V has a five-year resale value of 50.7 percent, which Edmunds says is one of the best in the business.

High resale values, of course, aren’t the only drivers to compact SUV’s strong sales. Industry-leading conquest rates, their popularity among women and drivers over 55, as well as their balance of key attributes (space, cost, gas mileage and ride height) also play a big role.

Commercial Vans & Their Strong Values

In a similar analysis, ALG moved over to the residual value side of the equation  — and examined a segment that’s often overlooked.

The ALG Industry Report for September goes in-depth on the latest iteration of full-size commercial vans, sharing 36-month residual value projections for the 2015 editions of the Ford Transit, Mercedes-Benz Sprinter and the Ram ProMaster.

The Sprinter is projected to command a residual value of 52 percent, with the ProMaster at 49 percent and the Transit at 47 percent.

Additionally, ALG notes that all three of these vehicles beat the average residuals for their respective brands (Mercedes-Benz at 48 percent, Ram at 45 percent and Ford at 46 percent).

“Escalating fuel prices have placed greater importance on fuel economy for commercial fleet owners,” said Larry Dominique, president of ALG and executive vice president of TrueCar. “These three European-style vans feature lighter-weight construction and better fuel-efficiency than their predecessors.

“By improving fuel efficiency from an average of 14 mpg from a few years back to nearly 20 mpg today, U.S. Business owners will save hundreds of millions of dollars each year,” he added. “The market for full-size vans has pent-up demand for vehicles with lower running costs. Businesses are thinking about the entire cost-of-ownership picture now more than ever, and, finally, automakers are responding.”

Speaking of fleet ownership costs, Auto Remarketing shares more detail on this topic with our story recapping the “Lifestyle Cost Management: 36-Month Versus 60-Month Sedan Lifecycle Cost Analysis” report from fleet management company Donlen.