Pickup trucks retain their value best when resold
The three models that retain their value best after three years of use are all pickups, with the Toyota Tacoma, Ford F-series and Ford Ranger being the top performers.
Analysis from Zutobi, a driving instructor with locations in the US, UK, Sweden, Australia, France and Germany, shows which cars retain their value the most after three years of use.
| Car model | New purchase price | Price after 3 years | Depreciation rate (%) |
| Toyota Tacoma | 28,600 | 22,300 | 21.93 |
| Ford F-series | 39,400 | 29,800 | 24.48 |
| Ford Ranger | 29,200 | 22,100 | 24.48 |
| Tesla Model 3 | 46,200 | 34,800 | 24.79 |
| Nissan Frontier | 30,900 | 23,100 | 25.15 |
| Chevrolet Colorado | 28,300 | 21,100 | 25.49 |
| Toyota RAV4 | 27,800 | 20,600 | 25.97 |
| Mazda3 | 23,800 | 17,600 | 26.31 |
| Toyota Tundra | 39,700 | 29,100 | 26.87 |
| BMW X3 | 44,695 | 32,700 | 27.01 |
Unit: USD
The Japanese pickup, Toyota Tacoma, is the "king of value retention" when it still sells for $22,300 after three years of use. The new purchase price is $28,600, which means the depreciation rate is 21.93% - the lowest in the ranking.
Coming in second and third in the top three are two pickup trucks from the American automaker, Ford. The F-series has been the best-selling vehicle in the US for many years, while the Ranger is quite special as it has only returned to the US market for a few years, not being on the list of best-selling vehicles in the domestic market.
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Tacoma is the "king of value retention" when resold after 3 years of use. The pickup model has been produced since 1995 and is currently in its 3rd generation. Photo:Toyota |
In addition to the top 3, there are three other positions in the top 10 that are also pickup trucks: Nissan Frontier, Chevrolet Colorado and Toyota Tundra. Of which, Frontier was the second best-selling mid-size pickup truck in the US in the first quarter. The other two products are also regularly present in the rankings of best-selling vehicles in the US.
In the top 10, there is one electric car: Tesla Model 3. Mazda3 is the only sedan (using internal combustion engine). Only one luxury car is present: BMW X3, also the only German car when the rest are all Japanese and American cars.
To determine depreciation rates, Zutobi took price lists of the 100 best-selling cars in America and used a depreciation calculator to determine the value after three years of use if a car averaged 13,000 miles per year.
