How Much Will Your Car Depreciate?
Calculate your vehicle value over time. See year-by-year depreciation and resale value estimates.
How Cars Depreciate
The average new car loses 20% of its value in the first year and approximately 60% over five years. A $35,000 car is worth roughly $14,000 at five years old. Depreciation is steepest in year one and gradually slows. Trucks and SUVs hold value better than sedans and luxury vehicles. Electric vehicles initially depreciated faster than gas cars but this gap is closing as EV demand grows.
Vehicles That Hold Value Best
Best depreciation resistance: Toyota Tacoma, Jeep Wrangler, Toyota 4Runner, Porsche 911, Honda Civic. These vehicles retain 55-70% of value at 5 years. Worst depreciation: Luxury sedans (BMW 7 Series, Mercedes S-Class), large SUVs (Lincoln Navigator), and early EVs (Nissan Leaf). These can lose 65-75% in 5 years.
Buying a 1-year-old certified pre-owned vehicle saves you the steepest year of depreciation (15-25%) while getting a nearly-new car with remaining factory warranty. This is the single highest-value financial move in car buying — you save $5,000-10,000 on a $35,000 vehicle by letting someone else absorb year-one depreciation.
