KENNESAW, Ga. — Yamaha Watercraft Group, a division of Yamaha Motor Corporation USA, announced that Yamaha WaveRunners have retained their value better than any other personal watercraft brand, according to a comparison of Kelley Blue Book values of the top 12 most popular models from each of the last five model years.

“The ability for a product to hold its value over time is a critical element for consumers in deciding which brand to choose,” said Forrest Sherman, publications manager at Kelley Blue Book. “In Kelley Blue Book’s analysis of the top 12 most popular models, Yamaha’s WaveRunners have held more of their value than the other personal watercraft brands.”

In addition, Yamaha had four out of the top five models with the highest percentage of retained value across all the models that were compared. These Yamaha models, all from 2008, include the VX Cruiser, VX Deluxe, FX SHO and FX Cruiser SHO. The other model in the top five was the 2008 Kawasaki STX-15F.

“The keys to retaining a product’s value are the longevity and relevancy of its features and attributes, along with reliability and dependability,” said Scott Watkins, product manager of Yamaha’s Watercraft Group. “We conduct customer research and surveying so we know exactly which elements are going to best resonate with customers. By doing so, we not only satisfy the needs of the customer when they initially purchase the product, but we increase the product’s ability to retain value over the years.”

The results were derived by examining each model’s MSRP during its model year, and comparing that price to the Kelley Blue Book suggested retail value as listed in March 2009. The comparison looked at model years 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008.