Cars With The Best (And Worst) Resale Value
30. Subaru Impreza
If you’re looking for a car with great gas mileage and an excellent design, the Subaru Impreza is where it’s at. The car also is great when it comes to its resale value, retaining 65.8% of its initial value after 3 years. The car was recently redesigned, offering a more spacious cabin and sleeker exterior. It’s definitely one to keep in mind.
29. BMW 7 Series
Considered to be one of the most desired flagship series on the market when it comes to sedans, the BMW 7 Series, unfortunately, doesn’t do too well when it comes to resale value. Due to how advanced the cars are technologically and that they are quite expensive to fix, most people aren’t interested in owning an older BMW without warranty protection. Also, BMWs aren’t known for their long-term reliability; therefore, you may want to rethink purchasing one if you hope to sell it one day.
28. Honda Fit
For four years in a row, the Honda Fit has won the best in resale value award from Kelley Blue Book. Known for its reputation on delivering reliable transportation, this Honda just can’t be beat. You’ll also find the secondary market is thriving for this vehicle, so it’s definitely one to keep in mind.
27. Fiat 500e
The fear of the unknown seems to linger over the Fiat due to its return to the U.S. Market coming after such a long hiatus. With a history of unreliability and the fact the electric car market is still fairly new, the Fiat 500e is not a wise investment when it comes to resale value.
26. Chevrolet Corvette
With a base price of $55,000 it’s a welcome truth that the Corvette retains 50 percent of its value after five years. Much of the Corvette’s appeal relies on its pricing, which is quite reasonable for a performance vehicle. Thanks to the demand on the primary market, it makes the secondary market for this model very appealing.
25. Jaguar XJ
While sales under Tata Motors have been amazing for the Jaguar, the public perception of the car is that it’s not very reliable. Despite the new engineering, the car can’t shake its past, which is impacting resale values on secondary markets.
24. Lexus RC 350
One of the first of its kind for Lexus, this entry level coupe retains 45.5% of its value after five years. Offering a V6 and sporty handling, this an excellent car on both the primary and secondary markets. It would be well worth the investment.
23. Jaguar XK
The XK model is another car that suffers from bad public opinion. This has resulted in the car’s resale value being severely impacted on the secondary market. It’s a shame too since the car’s redesigns have improved reliability, as well as durability.
22. Toyota Camry Hybrid
Considered to be one of the best cars in the country, the Camry Hybrid retains 46.7% of its resale value in five years time. It offers 43 miles per gallon, which gives it a nice edge among the competition. And on the secondary market it performs quite well.
21. Lincoln MKS
The Lincoln is known to be the senior citizen of cars on the consumer market, with many young drivers shunning the model for being too old-fashioned. As the market continues to skew to the youth, this car’s resale value continues to plummet. So, if you want a Lincoln you could find one at a really great used price.
20. Honda CR-V
This five passenger SUV is considered to be this generation’s station wagon and is one popular crossover. Even better, it retains over 50% of its resale value making it well worth the investment.
19. Mercedes-Benz CL-Class
The CL-Class Benz suffers from the same issues as their BMW brothers and sisters, while the expense of maintaining them really begins to grow the longer you own one. With most people purchasing the more glamorous SL models, the CL just doesn’t have what it takes to make an impression on the secondary market.
18. Ford F-150
The Fords 150 now offers a sleek aluminum body and new tech features making it a great investment. It’s resale value is also top notch, retaining over 52% of its worth after five years. After 40 years of leading the way in terms of pickup sales, we don’t see this truck slowing down anytime soon.
17. Nissan Leaf
Nissan itself is to blame for the Leaf’s low resale values. When they lowered the base price of the 2013 model, the other models all diminished automatically. Unfortunately, the demand for the Leaf is simply not there anymore despite the initial frenzy over its unique design.
16. Toyota 4Runner
While it may only get 20 miles per gallon, this vehicle makes up for it in cargo space. Offering a great design and decent miles per gallon, the secondary market for this vehicle is thriving since it retains 54% of its resale value. Can’t do much better than that.
15. Smart ForTwo Electric Drive
Look, this car has a low demand to begin with, and when the manufacturer lowered the base price to stir up interest in the car it automatically wiped out any possibility of reselling it on the secondary market for profit. Electric cars still pose quite a few problems from limited range to reliability long-term. Therefore, you may want to avoid this one.
14. Chevrolet Silverado
The Silverado is one awesome vehicle we have to admit. Retaining 55% of its resale value after five years, there’s a reason it’s the second best-selling car in the country. The new model offers a V6 engine and other updates that truly puts it ahead of its class. And the secondary market is doing very well if you are hoping to sell one day.
13. Volvo S80
Trying to compete with other flagship luxury cars has proven to be difficult for Volvo because it is simply outclassed by its competitors. Pair that with the fact that Volvo has done little to update the car over the years and you’ve got a recipe for disaster in terms of resale value.
12. GMC Sierra
GM has worked hard to offer the same perks as the Silverado but with a different body styling and slightly higher price. Thankfully, its resale value is top notch due to the demand in the primary market. It’s a sound investment if you think you might want to upgrade to another vehicle after a few years.
11. Volkswagen CC
The CC has struggled to find an audience just like its predecessor, the Phaeton. While the car itself is incredible in design and build, the luxury price has made it difficult to pin down an audience. Since it struggled to find an audience on the new market, the resale value of the car is pretty much a wash.
10. GMC Canyon
The Canyon is basically an Isuzu in General Motors clothing, but it still stands apart thanks to its nice tech, design, and reliability. Thanks to the demand on the primary market, it continues to perform well in resale thanks to it retaining over 57% of its value. A sound investment, indeed.
9. Ford Focus
The Ford Focus offers 35 miles per gallon and some great perks thanks to the Microsoft SYNC system, but the resale value on the car is just abysmal. In only three years, the Focus depreciates by 45%, which means secondary market profits are pretty slim.
8. Chevrolet Colorado
The Chevrolet Colorado may be a smaller truck, but it boasts amazing durability, a compact yet spacious design and amazing demand on the secondary market. This is mainly due to the fact it retains a whopping 58.3% of its resale value after five years. Take that Toyota!
7. Volkswagen Jetta
Let’s be real here, the Jetta is no longer the cool car you once knew. Its popularity has majorly dwindled over the past few years and its resale value is certainly taking a hit. The car may have had the “it factor” when Beverly Hills 90201 was airing, but now it is yesterday’s news.
6. Toyota Tundra
Despite Toyota only making up 10% of the truck market in the country, it still fares very well among the consumers. The company has created a niche market for pickups like the Tundra and Tacoma and continues to see its sales grow 15% year-to-year. Known for reliability and practicality, the secondary market demand is strong with this model.
5. Infiniti Q50
The Q50 is a sexy car, you can’t deny that, but the depreciation should give you pause. While the car is great for putting pedal to the metal, the nearly 50% depreciation will make you think twice about this purchase. Just say NO.
4. Jeep Wrangler
While the interior may sound like a tent in the middle of a hurricane and the gas mileage is pathetic, the Jeep Wrangler continues to thrive due to its off-road excellence. Resale value continues to remain high, even after five years, making the demand for this vehicle strong despite its shortcomings.
3. Nissan Maxima
With the Maxima, Nissan continues to overestimate the market when it comes to want or need for a large luxury car. While the design is excellent and mileage on point, it simply has no legs in the secondary market.
2. Toyota Tacoma
With an incredible resale value of 60.4% the Toyota Tacoma really can’t be beat in terms of value. Thanks to its durability and the consumer demand, the secondary market for this vehicle continues to thrive.
1. Cadillac ATS
While the ATS offers up some great technology and perks, the depreciation is just not worth the initial purchase. Over 50% depreciation is a real hit to the secondary market, which means this is one car you want to skip.