A new study provides some interesting data when it comes to which cars hold their value the most and least. It's info that could come in handy when choosing your next vehicle, especially if you're worried about resale value down the road.
The study, by Zutobi, looked at depreciation over a three year period to identify the cars that hold their value - and the cars that depreciate the quickest. The Toyota Tacoma takes the top spot as the vehicle that holds its value the most, with a 21.93% depreciation rate over three years. It's followed by the Ford F-Series and Ford Ranger. The study found the Kia Sorento held its value the least, followed by the Chevrolet Trax and Mercedes-Benz GLE Class. Overall, Toyota is the brand that that held its value the most, with three vehicles in the top ten.
You can view the full research here.
Cars that hold their value the most
Rank |
Car Model |
List Price |
Average Value After 3 Years |
Average Value Lost |
Average 3 Year Depreciation Rate |
1 |
$28,545 |
$22,286 |
$6,259 |
21.93% |
|
2 |
$39,395 |
$29,753 |
$9,642 |
24.48% |
|
3 |
$29,195 |
$22,049 |
$7,146 |
24.48% |
|
4 |
Tesla Model 3 |
$46,190 |
$34,740 |
$11,450 |
24.79% |
5 |
$30,865 |
$23,103 |
$7,762 |
25.15% |
|
6 |
$28,295 |
$21,083 |
$7,212 |
25.49% |
|
7 |
$27,740 |
$20,537 |
$7,203 |
25.97% |
|
8 |
$23,765 |
$17,513 |
$6,252 |
26.31% |
|
9 |
$39,695 |
$29,030 |
$10,665 |
26.87% |
|
10 |
$44,695 |
$32,618 |
$12,077 |
27.02% |
In the study, the Toyota Tacoma held its value the most across three years. The average value loss amounted to $6,259, a $21,462 difference to the car which had the worst average value loss, the Mercedes-Benz-Benz GLE-Class, at $27,721.
The Tesla Model 3 is one of the most expensive vehicle in the study. It had a high average value of $34,740 after three years, therefore ranking in fourth place, with a 24.79% depreciation rate.
Cars that hold their value the least
Rank |
Car |
List Price |
Average Value After 3 Years |
Average Value Lost |
Average 3 Year Depreciation Rate |
1 |
$30,845 |
$13,831 |
$17,014 |
55.16% |
|
2 |
Chevrolet Trax |
$22,595 |
$11,228 |
$11,367 |
50.31% |
3 |
$56,750 |
$29,029 |
$27,721 |
48.85% |
|
4 |
Buick Encore GX |
$25,395 |
$13,280 |
$12,115 |
47.71% |
5 |
Chevrolet Express |
$38,495 |
$20,864 |
$17,631 |
45.80% |
6 |
$26,995 |
$14,871 |
$12,124 |
44.91% |
|
7 |
$41,075 |
$22,917 |
$18,158 |
44.21% |
|
8 |
Nissan Sentra |
$20,635 |
$11,637 |
$8,998 |
43.61% |
9 |
Buick Envision |
$32,995 |
$18,631 |
$14,364 |
43.53% |
10 |
$25,775 |
$14,637 |
$11,138 |
43.21% |
The study also found that the Kia Sorento held its value the least - with a 55.16% depreciation rate. It's list price was $30,845, with an average of $17,014 value loss over a three year period.
The Mercedes-Benz-Benz GLE-Class also had one of the worst depreciation rates, with a 48.85% depreciation over a three year period. This model also had an average value loss of $27,721 across three years, the highest in the study.
Other Study Takeaways
- According to the study, Toyota is the brand that holds its value the most, with three different models featuring in the top ten. After the Toyota Tacoma, the Toyota RAV4 ranked in seventh place with a depreciation rate of 25.97%. The Toyota Tundra followed in ninth place with a depreciation rate of 26.87%.
- The study found that Chevrolet cars hold their value the least, with three of their models featuring in the bottom ten. The Chevrolet Trax ranked second place with a 50.31% depreciation rate, followed by the Chevrolet Express in fifth place with a 45.8% depreciation rate. The Chevrolet Equinox also ranked in sixth position with a depreciation rate of 44.91%.
- The Tesla Model Y had the biggest average value after three years, valuing at $37,968 in comparison to the listing price of $60,190. This model also had a depreciation rate of 36.92%.