Kelley Blue Book (KBB) is sharing its 23rd annual Best Resale Value Awards. The awards recognize the 2025 model-year brand, category and top 10 model winners with the highest projected resale value through five years of ownership.
KBB says understanding a car's resale value, and the extent of how much this amount can vary from one model to another, can make the difference of hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars over time. Depreciation is the biggest cost of car ownership, but there are many other contributing factors including supply and demand as well as current and projected future market conditions.
According to KBB, the average 2025 model-year vehicle will only retain about 45% of its original value after a five-year ownership period. So a $50,000 new car today will only be worth somewhere close to $22,500 after five years. In comparison, all vehicles in KBB's Top 10 for Best Resale Value in 2025 are projected to retain around 53% or more of their MSRP after the initial five-year ownership period. Vehicles that are projected to hold their value better than others are typically discounted the least and tend to generate high levels of consumer interest.
This year, Toyota and Lexus continue to be brand leaders in the mass market and luxury segments, respectively.
"Toyota continues to ride the tide of its winning streak by taking home top honors for Best Resale Value: Brand, along with its sister company Lexus winning Best Resale Value: Luxury Brand," said Rheia Szymczyk, senior manager, valuation and analysis operations for Kelley Blue Book. "While there are several repeat winners on this year's Best Resale Value list, notable standouts include a few new models winning the award for the first time, especially in the ever-expanding electric vehicle categories."
2025 BEST RESALE VALUE: BY VEHICLE CATEGORY
KBB also recognizes the 10 individual vehicles that are projected to retain the highest percentage of their original manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP). The 2025 Toyota Tacoma tops the top 10 list with a project 64.1 percent resale value after 5 years of ownership. It's one of five Toyotas on the list:
(Residual values used for award calculations are based on the 2025 model-year vehicles that appear in the January/February 2025 Kelley Blue Book Residual Value Guide. Top 10 models appear in alphabetical order).
2024 Toyota Tacoma. Photo: Freeman Toyota, Hurst, TX. CarPro.