10 Cars That Do Not Depreciate as Much as the Average Vehicle

The old adage that a car loses half of its value the minute it drives off the lot is somewhat — thought not entirely — true. According to research by iSeeCars, vehicles are holding their value better now than five years ago, before the pandemic hit.

Cars depreciate at different rates for a variety of reasons, and while you can’t avoid depreciation altogether, there are trusted types, brands and models that retain more of their original values than others. If you’re looking to buy, then value retention is an important factor, especially if you’re wavering between two particular models.

Analyzing five-year depreciation rates of over 1.1 million vehicles sold from November 2022 to October 2023, iSeeCars found trucks (34.8% five-year depreciation) and hybrids (37.4%), plus some sports cars and economy cars, were the best at retaining value. At the opposite end of the spectrum, SUVs (41.2%) and electric vehicles (49.1%) have the worse depreciation across all vehicle types.  

“The disparity between electric vehicles and hybrids is worth noting, with EVs the worst group at holding their value and hybrids among the best,” said iSeeCars executive analyst Karl Brauer. “Some manufacturers have reduced or even abandoned the hybrid market in favor of EVs, but these figures suggest consumers still appreciate a hybrid’s combination of higher fuel efficiency and zero range anxiety.”

Here are 10 cars that hold their value the best.

Vintage 911s are an obsession for some collectors, but newer models are still very much dream cars. A Porsche 911 will give you performance, power, a classic design that never goes out of style … and value. In fact, the 911 coupe topped iSeeCars’ rankings, with only a 9.3% loss of value after five years.

Toyota believes in quality control and construction, making its vehicles notoriously reliable and popular with buyers. The Tacoma, a midsize pickup, competes admirably with its rivals like the Ford Ragner and Chevy Colorado not only in price and performance, but in value. The Tacoma has the second best resale value for 2024 (62.6%), according to Kelley Blue Book.

The BRZ shares a platform with the Toyota GR86 and both 2×2 performance coupes have attractive features and prices under $30,000. The BRZ trumps the GR86 in depreciation value, with an average five-year percentage of 23.4, per iSeeCars.

According to Car and Driver, the Civic is the 16th most popular vehicle in the U.S. and due to an increase in inventory in 2023, it enjoyed a 50% increase in sales compared to 2022. Honda Civics are known for their reliability and hold their value extremely well, especially compared to their sedan and hatchback rivals.

Redesigned for 2024, the seventh generation Mustang is as reliable and value-laden as its predecessors. With a 24.5% average five-year depreciation value, Ford’s pony car is always in demand as a fun sports car option and its always among the industry leaders in depreciation value.

The Jeep Wrangler is an iconic off-road monster. What it lacks in on-road comfort it more than makes up for fun, all-terrain driving. It retains value too. Per iSeeCars, the Wrangler (and Wrangler Unlimited) has an average five-year depreciation value of 20.8%, which is fourth best among all vehicles.

Many affordable sports cars tend to retain their value extremely well. Luxury ones, not so much. The Camaro might fall behind rivals like Ford’s Mustang and Dodge’s Challenger in popularity, but it beats both in retaining value.

The 718 also has the second slowest depreciation (behind its brand-mate, the 911) and great resale value. Per Kelley Blue Book, it ranks ninth overall, with a five-year value of 54.2%. According to CarGurus, the average used Porsche Cayman sells for $44,499 in the current market, which is 61.86% higher than the average used car.

Americans love big vehicles, favoring trucks and SUVs to compact cars. But the Corolla is still a popular choice among drivers who enjoy reliability and saving money. Corolla owners have another thing to boast about: depreciation value. The Toyota Corolla beat out most small cars in retaining value and remains one of the best economical choices on the market.

There are vehicles that have better deprecation rates, but the difference between them and the Rio 5 are negligible. A KIA Rio 5 will depreciate 25.8% after five years, an average difference of $5,006 from MSRP, per iSeeCars, and has a five-year resale value of $14,345, according to CarEdge.