Special Report

Cars With the Best Retention Value

Sam Gupton

Published: December 9, 2023 11:45 am

It was typically a common belief that cars lost value the moment they were purchased and driven off the lot. According to Bankrate.com, a car fresh off the lot will lose between 9% and 11% of its value. This increases to 20% in the first year alone. Although this may have been true a short time ago, during the COVID-19 pandemic, outlooks for cars have changed. Due to a variety of factors, such as supply chain shocks, and changes in customer preferences, we are now seeing a shift in trends that have led to unprecedented times.

As new cars became increasingly short in supply, the price of many used vehicles rose. 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. (These are the best and worst-built cars in America.)

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 the base price three years ago to the 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. 

The value of used cars only decreased, on average, by 17% in three years, which according to iSeeCars was the smallest drop on record. 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.

During pandemic lockdowns, the price of sports cars like the Porsche 911, Ford Mustang, and Chevy Camaro increased, 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.)

Vehicles that also retained value particularly well are Compact SUVs, of which four 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)

Here are the cars with the best retention value

15. Tesla Model 3

Source: y_carfan / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

• 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

14. Chevrolet Camaro

Source: Raymond Boyd / Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images

• 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

Source: Courtesy of Kia

• 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

Source: Courtesy of Toyota

• 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

11. Toyota RAV4

Source: Tramino / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images

• 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

Porsche 718 Boxster (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Alexandre Prevot

• 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

9. Toyota C-HR

Source: VanderWolf-Images / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

• 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

8. Subaru Crosstrek

Source: nuttapong / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

• 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

Source: shaunl / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images

• 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

6. Mercedes-Benz G-Class

Source: Tramino / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images

• 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

Source: MousePotato / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images

• 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

4. Porsche 718 Cayman

Source: DarthArt / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

• 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

3. Jeep Wrangler Unlimited

Source: Sjo / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images

• 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

Source: Tramino / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images

• 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

1. Porsche 911

Source: Tramino / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images

• 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