Just a couple of years ago, it was conventional wisdom that cars began to lose value the moment they were purchased and driven off the lot. However, supply chain shocks related to the pandemic, as well as changes in customer preferences, have led to unprecedented times – as new cars became in increasingly-short supply, the price of many used vehicles rose. (These are the best and worst-built cars in America.)
Not only did many cars manage to retain their value very well compared to periods before the pandemic, but the price of some cars surged so much that they actually increased in value over the past three years.
To find the cars that hold their value better than any other in America, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed car research and sales site iSeeCars’ recently-published report, Top 10 Cars That Hold Their Value the Best. iSeeCars considered 3 million used cars and trucks from model years 2017 through 2019 that sold in 2022 and measured the change in value from base price three years ago to current used price. The 15 models listed here are ranked by the three-year percent change in value. iSeeCars adjusted MSRPs from 2017 and 2019 to 2022 dollars.
On average, used cars only decreased in value by 17% in three years, the smallest drop on record, according to iSeeCars. Fuel-efficient vehicles, like hybrids and smaller cars and SUVs, held their value the best, likely due to the increase in gas prices in 2021 and 2022. Certain larger luxury cars depreciated the most.
The price of sports cars like the Porsche 911, Ford Mustang, and Chevy Camaro increased during pandemic lockdowns, likely because they were a means of fun and escapism, according to iSeeCars. Prices remained high after lockdowns were lifted. Two sports cars are in the top five cars that best retain their value and four are in the top 15. (This is the fastest car in the world.)
Compact SUVs also retained value particularly well, and four of them are in the top 15. The rest of the vehicles range in type but are generally on the smaller side. Toyota has the most vehicles in the top 15 with four, followed by Porsche with three. (These are the least appealing car brands to Americans)
Click here to see the 15 cars that hold value the longest.
15. Tesla Model 3
> Three year change in value: -4.1% (-$2,012)
> Current value: $51,085
> 2017-2019 est. base value, adjusted for inflation: $49,073
> Type: Luxury electric sedan
[in-text-ad]
14. Chevrolet Camaro
> Three year change in value: -3.5% (-$1,401)
> Current value: $41,430
> 2017-2019 est. base value, adjusted for inflation: $40,029
> Type: Sports car
13. Kia Rio
> Three year change in value: -3.5% (-$631)
> Current value: $18,660
> 2017-2019 est. base value, adjusted for inflation: $18,029
> Type: Subcompact sedan
12. Toyota Corolla Hatchback
> Three year change in value: -3.4% (-$846)
> Current value: $25,728
> 2017-2019 est. base value, adjusted for inflation: $24,882
> Type: Compact sedan
[in-text-ad-2]
11. Toyota RAV4
> Three year change in value: -2.6% (-$843)
> Current value: $33,266
> 2017-2019 est. base value, adjusted for inflation: $32,423
> Type: Compact SUV
10. Porsche 718 Boxster
> Three year change in value: -2.5% (-$1,907)
> Current value: $78,187
> 2017-2019 est. base value, adjusted for inflation: $76,280
> Type: Luxury sports car
[in-text-ad]
9. Toyota C-HR
> Three year change in value: -2.5% (-$639)
> Current value: $26,199
> 2017-2019 est. base value, adjusted for inflation: $25,560
> Type: Compact SUV
24/7 Wall St.
8. Subaru Crosstrek
> Three year change in value: -1.9% (-$545)
> Current value: $29,229
> 2017-2019 est. base value, adjusted for inflation: $28,684
> Type: Compact SUV
7. Honda Civic
> Three year change in value: -1.4% (-$352)
> Current value: $25,495
> 2017-2019 est. base value, adjusted for inflation: $25,143
> Type: Compact sedan
[in-text-ad-2]
6. Mercedes-Benz G-Class
> Three year change in value: -0.6% (-$980)
> Current value: $164,313
> 2017-2019 est. base value, adjusted for inflation: $163,333
> Type: Luxury large SUV
5. Jeep Wrangler
> Three year change in value: +0.3% (+$90)
> Current value: $30,090
> 2017-2019 est. base value, adjusted for inflation: $30,000
> Type: Compact SUV
[in-text-ad]
4. Porsche 718 Cayman
> Three year change in value: +1.8% (+$1,342)
> Current value: $75,898
> 2017-2019 est. base value, adjusted for inflation: $74,556
> Type: Luxury sports car
24/7 Wall St.
3. Jeep Wrangler Unlimited
> Three year change in value: +2.0% (+$880)
> Current value: $44,880
> 2017-2019 est. base value, adjusted for inflation: $44,000
> Type: Midsize SUV
2. Toyota RAV4 Hybrid
> Three year change in value: +2.5% (+$883)
> Current value: $36,203
> 2017-2019 est. base value, adjusted for inflation: $35,320
> Type: Hybrid SUV
[in-text-ad-2]
1. Porsche 911
> Three year change in value: +5.7% (+$11,373)
> Current value: $210,899
> 2017-2019 est. base value, adjusted for inflation: $199,526
> Type: Luxury sports car
The Average American Has No Idea How Much Money You Can Make Today (Sponsor)
The last few years made people forget how much banks and CD’s can pay. Meanwhile, interest rates have spiked and many can afford to pay you much more, but most are keeping yields low and hoping you won’t notice.
But there is good news. To win qualified customers, some accounts are paying almost 10x the national average! That’s an incredible way to keep your money safe and earn more at the same time. Our top pick for high yield savings accounts includes other benefits as well. You can earn up to 3.80% with a Checking & Savings Account today Sign up and get up to $300 with direct deposit. No account fees. FDIC Insured.
Click here to see how much more you could be earning on your savings today. It takes just a few minutes to open an account to make your money work for you.
Our top pick for high yield savings accounts includes other benefits as well. You can earn up to 4.00% with a Checking & Savings Account from Sofi. Sign up and get up to $300 with direct deposit. No account fees. FDIC Insured.
Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.
Latest from 24/7
Our expert who first called NVIDIA in 2009 is predicting 2025 will see a historic AI breakthrough.
You can follow him investing $500,000 of his own money on our top AI stocks for free.