Which Cars Have the Best Resale Value?
For three years now, the used-car market has been booming, after the pandemic disrupted new car supply chains, sending secondhand vehicle prices skyrocketing.
But which cars have the best resale value?
In the graphic below, Visual Capitalist’s Marcu Lu and Pallavi Rao show the top 10 vehicles with the lowest depreciation rates over five years, based on data from iSeeCars.
They analyzed over 1.1 million used cars from model year 2018, sold between November 2022 to October 2023. Models no longer in production as of the 2022 model year were excluded.
Porsche is Still (Almost) Perfect After Five Years
Heading the list, Porsche has two models with the best resale value after half a decade.
After five years, the 911 (Coupe) only loses 9% of its retail value in the used-car market on average. Porsche’s flagship costs anywhere between $90,000–$294,000 based on the horsepower (ranging from 200–700), along with other model specifications.
At second place, the Porsche 718 Cayman loses about one-fifth of its value. Two other Porsches – the Boxster, and the 911 convertible – also feature in ranks, at 12th and 15th respectively, both losing around 25% of their retail price tag.
Here’s a look at the full list of slowest depreciating cars in the United States:
| Rank | Model | Average 5-Yr Depreciation | Average Difference from MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Porsche 911 (Coupe) | 9% | $18,094 |
| 2 | Porsche 718 Cayman | 18% | $13,372 |
| 3 | Toyota Tacoma | 20% | $8,359 |
| 4 | Jeep Wrangler | 21% | $8,951 |
| 5 | Honda Civic | 22% | $5,817 |
| 6 | Subaru BRZ | 23% | $8,114 |
| 7 | Chevrolet Camaro | 24% | $10,161 |
| 8 | Toyota C-HR | 24% | $6,692 |
| 9 | Subaru Crosstrek | 25% | $7,214 |
| 10 | Toyota Corolla | 25% | $5,800 |
| 11 | Ford Mustang | 25% | $10,035 |
| 12 | Porsche 718 Boxster | 25% | $20,216 |
| 13 | Toyota Tundra | 25% | $12,588 |
| 14 | Kia Rio 5-Door | 26% | $5,006 |
| 15 | Porsche 911 (Convertible) | 26% | $42,227 |
| 16 | Honda HR-V | 26% | $7,318 |
| 17 | Subaru Impreza (Wagon) | 26% | $6,927 |
| 18 | Kia Rio | 26% | $4,959 |
| 19 | Chevrolet Spark | 27% | $4,784 |
| 20 | Toyota RAV4 | 27% | $8,858 |
| 21 | Hyundai Accent | 27% | $5,353 |
| 22 | Toyota 4Runner | 27% | $13,147 |
| 23 | Chevrolet Corvette | 28% | $22,712 |
| 24 | Nissan Kicks | 28% | $6,560 |
| 25 | Subaru Impreza (Sedan) | 28% | $7,158 |
Note: MSRP stands for Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price, the price recommended by a product’s producer to retailers. Furthermore, MSRPs from 2018 were inflation-adjusted to 2023 dollars.
The Toyota Tacoma, America’s fifth best-selling truck, comes in third, losing 20%.
The Jeep Wrangler (-21%) and the Honda Civic (-22%) round out the top five cars with the best resale value.
Two more sports cars (the Subaru BRZ and Chevrolet Camaro) feature in the top 10, indicating that these “fun” designer cars are valued for their status as well as functionality.
Aside from the sports category, Americans seem to rate Japanese automakers highly. Put together, Toyota, Subaru, Honda, and Nissan account for half of the cars with the best resale value.
