The Car Confections Team has been in the car review business for over a decade, and during that time, we’ve received thousands of comments asking about resale value. Nobody includes it in their reviews, as it’s a metric that’s particularly difficult to discern. However, we are not afraid of the challenge, and that’s why we decided to make a Car Confections Predicted Resale Value tool for our viewers to reference. This article will show the manufacturer overview, the Best Resale Value Cars, as well as share our methods and resources. For a full explanation, please watch the video linked at the bottom of this article!
Why Does Resale Value Matter?
As an economics double major, Mason knows the true cost of owning a vehicle is not simply the MSRP (manufacturer’s suggested retail price) printed on the window sticker, but rather the price you pay minus what you can sell it for after you’re ready to move on.
For Example:
While Car A is less expensive to buy initially, it actually becomes more expensive to own over the course of five years when resale value is factored in. Buying Car A will cost you $15,000 more due to its poor resale value.
As you can see, Resale Value becomes a very important factor over the lifetime of vehicle ownership, especially as you prepare to buy future cars.
Factors that Shape Resale Value
Resale values vary largely on several factors:
- Most important: Vehicle brand, especially luxury vs. mainstream (Ex. Lexus vs. Toyota)
- Vehicle model and bodystyle (Camry vs. 4Runner and Sedan vs. SUV)
- Original vehicle MSRP
- Economic climate at time of purchasing and selling
- Rare/special product availability (Limited Edition BMW M4 CSL vs. a standard BMW 4-Series)
While nobody can be 100% certain of what a vehicle may be worth 5 or 10 years after purchasing it, we’ve done our best to put together a tool that uses real data from the trusted Kelley Blue Book automotive source. If you’d like to learn about how Kelley Blue Book collects its data, you can learn more by visiting their website, linked below.
The Best Resale Value Cars (and Worst)
Pictured below are the results of the Car Confections Predicted Resale Value as a percentage of the original MSRP after 5- and 10-years.
Stay tuned to our website, as we plan to publish additional brand and segment-specific content in the near future!
| MAKE | Avg Value After 5 Years (60,000 miles) | Avg Value After 10 Years (120,000 miles) |
|---|---|---|
| Honda | 64.79% | 34.34% |
| Toyota | 64.50% | 41.40% |
| Subaru | 63.03% | 23.73% |
| Mazda | 59.44% | 25.28% |
| RAM | 57.15% | 43.42% |
| MINI | 56.27% | 21.72% |
| GMC | 55.81% | 21.63% |
| Hyundai | 55.35% | 19.61% |
| Dodge | 55.17% | 25.19% |
| Chevrolet | 54.71% | 20.40% |
| Lexus | 53.83% | 28.16% |
| Jeep | 53.65% | 25.45% |
| Volkswagen | 51.81% | 14.70% |
| Porsche | 51.80% | 25.78% |
| Nissan | 50.56% | 16.43% |
| Acura | 49.95% | 21.04% |
| Chrysler | 49.60% | 18.85% |
| Kia | 49.02% | 21.13% |
| Ford | 48.80% | 20.96% |
| Mitsubishi | 46.85% | 16.60% |
| Buick | 46.14% | 17.18% |
| Volvo | 42.52% | 12.52% |
| Genesis | 42.08% | 12.47% |
| Tesla | 41.44% | 12.72% |
| Infiniti | 41.20% | 17.16% |
| Mercedes-Benz | 41.19% | 17.03% |
| BMW | 41.19% | 15.34% |
| Cadillac | 40.73% | 14.65% |
| Audi | 40.51% | 14.42% |
| Jaguar | 40.43% | 11.60% |
| Alfa Romeo | 39.70% | — |
| Land Rover | 38.75% | 11.23% |
| Lincoln | 38.07% | 15.60% |
| Maserati | 27.45% | 11.16% |
Our Resale Methods and Sources
Since the most important factor in vehicle resale value is the vehicle brand, the Car Confections Predicted Resale Value tool seeks to get a vehicle brand’s average resale value after a period of 5 years/60,000 miles and 10 years/120,000 miles. To get a brand average, we will be assessing their 5 most popular models by annual sales. We will then look at each model’s 5 and 10 year estimated trade-in values, and compare that to the vehicle’s original MSRP that model year. Note that some models may be excluded from a brand’s average, even if they are in the top 5 most popular by sales, due to having no data in 5- or 10-year metrics. An example of this is the Buick Envista, which just came to market in the 2024 model year, but is in Buick’s top 5 best-selling models in 2023.
Finally, we will be getting a percentage of the original MSRP for those 5 most popular models and averaging them together to get a vehicle brand’s total estimated resale value at both 5- and 10-year intervals. We believe these figures will be a great reference point on what vehicle brands will have the highest potential resale value, therefore costing you less money overall.
Why does it matter you may ask? Well, a simple 10% estimated difference in resale value on a $35,000 car amounts to $3,500 more in your pocket when you go to sell. That’s a lot of cheddar for your next ride.
The links to our sources are as listed below:
Kelley Blue Book: https://www.kbb.com
Frequently Asked Questions and Common Concerns for Resale
- How does past data indicate resale on a new vehicle that’s only been out for a year or two?
That’s a good question, but as mentioned previously, vehicle brand and general perception among people are the biggest factor in what a car will be worth later. Toyota, for example, has a high estimated resale value because of perceived high-quality products that will last well past even 10 years or 120,000 miles of usage. Therefore, unless something drastically changes, a Toyota Grand Highlander, which just came out for 2024 model year, will most likely retain a similar resale value percentage to every other Toyota such as the smaller Highlander.
- What if the economy changes and all car values go up or down?
That is a very good point, and as a matter of fact, will likely happen before you sell a vehicle if you keep it around 10 years. The tool’s main benefit is not getting an exact monetary value of a car in 10 years, but rather providing a percentage of original MSRP in relation to other vehicle brands. Let’s look at an example. If right now Toyota retains 65% of value after 5 years and BMW retains 42% after 5 years we can expect a 23% difference in resale value percent in relation to one another. If the economy falls, causing a decrease in car values across the board, we would still expect the Toyota to be around 23% higher than the BMW in overall resale value percent.
If there are any other questions or concerns, we encourage you to ask in the comment section provided below, and we will do our best to answer them!
Thank you for checking out the Car Confections Predicted Resale Tool, and we hope this will assist in your car buying decision!
The information contained on this page is ESTIMATED and NOT EXACT. It should not be used solely to make purchasing decisions. By using this page, you agree to use this information for REFERENCE ONLY and hold Car Confections indemnifiable (and its affiliates and their officers, directors, employees, contractors, and agents) harmless, from any claim or demand made by you or any third party.
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