Cost example updated October 24, 2026
That average is the number to hold every other row up against. The best holders on this page lose under 26% in five years. The worst group, electric cars as a whole, loses 57.2%. On a $30,000 car, that is the difference between losing $2,880 and losing $17,160. The table below shows the ranking first, then what those percentages mean in dollars, then why the numbers land where they do. This page is a ranking across models. It is not a price for your car, for that, see the depreciation calculator, which prices one car at a time.
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The ranking: cars that lose the least value in five years
These figures come from the iSeeCars 2026 study, which looked at more than 950,000 five-year-old cars sold in the United States between March 2025 and February 2026. Depreciation is the plain name for the value a car loses, the gap between what it cost new and what it is worth later. MSRP means the sticker price when the car was new. The dollar column below is the study's own average dollar loss for each model, worked out from that model's own sticker price, not from $30,000, the $30,000 comparison comes further down this page, so every model is measured on the same starting price.
How the list is built
The list is built from one study. iSeeCars analyzed more than 950,000 five-year-old cars sold in the United States between March 2025 and February 2026. Models are ranked by the share of value lost over five years, lowest first. The Porsche 718 Cayman holds its value best at 9.6% lost, followed by the Porsche 911 at 11.1% and the Chevrolet Corvette at 18.7%. The top 11 are shown, then the average car row at 41.8%, and further down the full top 25 more everyday models appear, including the Toyota Corolla sedan at 27.6%, the Toyota Sienna at 28.5%, the Honda CR-V at 28.9%, and the Honda Accord at 30.5%. The dollar column in the ranking is the study own average dollar loss for each model, worked out from that model own sticker price, so a small percentage on an expensive car can still be a big dollar loss: the Cayman loses $6,988 on average and the 911 loses $15,533, while the Civic loses the fewest dollars of any model in the top 10, at $5,828.
The $30,000 comparison puts every model on the same starting price, so the percentages can be compared head to head. The math is $30,000 times the percentage lost. The Porsche 718 Cayman at 9.6% loses $2,880 and leaves $27,120. The Honda Civic at 22.9% loses $6,870 and leaves $23,130. The Toyota RAV4 at 25.2% loses $7,560 and leaves $22,440. The Toyota Corolla Hatchback at 25.5% loses $7,650 and leaves $22,350. The average car at 41.8% loses $12,540 and leaves $17,460. Electric cars as a group at 57.2% lose $17,160 and leave $12,840. On the same $30,000 starting price, the Civic rate leaves $5,670 more in your pocket after five years than the average rate, and the Cayman rate leaves $9,660 more. The electric-car group average leaves $4,620 less than the overall average.
By group, trucks lose 34.2% on average over five years and hybrids lose 35.4%, both better than the 41.8% average for all cars. SUVs as a group lose 44.9%, a little worse than average. Electric cars lose 57.2%, which is 15.4 percentage points more than the average, the study own wording is that electric cars lose more value than any other group. Three forces explain most of the ranking: strong demand, with lots of used-car shoppers wanting that model; a reputation for lasting a long time with few big repair bills; and limited supply, with not many of them for sale used. A ranking tells you what past cars did, not what a future car will do, and the cheapest car to own overall also depends on gas, insurance, repairs, and the loan, not on value loss alone.
| Rank | Model | Value lost in 5 years | Average dollars lost (study) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Porsche 718 Cayman | 9.6% | $6,988 |
| 2 | Porsche 911 | 11.1% | $15,533 |
| 3 | Chevrolet Corvette | 18.7% | $13,365 |
| 4 | Toyota Tacoma | 19.9% | $6,426 |
| 5 | Toyota Tundra | 21.2% | $8,746 |
| 6 | Honda Civic | 22.9% | $5,828 |
| 7 | Subaru BRZ | 23.7% | $8,489 |
| 8 | Toyota GR Supra | 24.0% | $13,963 |
| 9 | Toyota RAV4 / RAV4 Hybrid | 25.2% | $7,731 |
| 10 | Toyota Corolla Hatchback | 25.5% | $6,220 |
| 11 | Toyota 4Runner | 25.5% | $10,697 |
| — | Average car (all models) | 41.8% | $16,571 |
Two notes on reading this table honestly. First, the top three are sports cars with high sticker prices, so their small percentages still mean thousands of dollars, the Cayman loses $6,988 on average, the 911 loses $15,533. A small percentage on an expensive car can still be a big dollar loss. Second, the Civic is the first everyday, lower-priced car on the list, and it loses the fewest dollars of any model in the top 10, at $5,828. Further down the full top 25, more everyday models appear, including the Toyota Corolla sedan at 27.6% ($6,328), the Toyota Sienna at 28.5% ($11,530), the Honda CR-V at 28.9% ($8,946), and the Honda Accord at 30.5% ($8,654), all still well under the 41.8% average. The Corolla sedan is a different model from the Corolla Hatchback in the top 10, so their two percentages are not the same car counted twice. Driveonomics does not yet have its own cost pages for the Porsche, Corvette, Tacoma, Tundra, BRZ, or Supra models in this ranking, so those rows have no link here rather than a link to a page that does not exist.
What the percentages mean in dollars, on a $30,000 car
The study's dollar figures use each model's own sticker price, which makes models hard to compare head to head. Putting every model on the same $30,000 starting price fixes that. The math is simple: $30,000 times the percentage lost.
| Car or group | Value lost | Dollars lost on $30,000 | Value left after 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Porsche 718 Cayman (9.6%) | 9.6% | $2,880 | $27,120 |
| Honda Civic (22.9%) | 22.9% | $6,870 | $23,130 |
| Toyota RAV4 (25.2%) | 25.2% | $7,560 | $22,440 |
| Toyota Corolla Hatchback (25.5%) | 25.5% | $7,650 | $22,350 |
| Average car (41.8%) | 41.8% | $12,540 | $17,460 |
| Electric cars, as a group (57.2%) | 57.2% | $17,160 | $12,840 |
On the same $30,000 starting price, the Civic rate leaves $5,670 more in your pocket after five years than the average rate ($12,540 minus $6,870), and the Cayman rate leaves $9,660 more ($12,540 minus $2,880). The electric-car group average leaves $4,620 less than the overall average ($17,160 minus $12,540). These are group and model averages, not a promise for any single car, mileage, condition, and local demand move any one car's number.
By group: trucks and hybrids hold up best, electric cars lose the most
A segment is just a group of similar cars, trucks together, hybrids together, and so on. In the 2026 study, trucks lose 34.2% on average over five years and hybrids lose 35.4%, both better than the 41.8% average for all cars. SUVs as a group lose 44.9%, a little worse than average. Electric cars lose 57.2%, which is 15.4 percentage points more than the average, the study's own wording is that electric cars lose more value than any other group. That group average hides wide differences inside the group, and this page does not have a single-model electric-car ranking to break it down further, that gap is stated here rather than filled with a guess.
Why some cars hold their value, in plain words
Three forces explain most of the ranking, and none of them is a secret about one brand.
- Demand, lots of shoppers want it used. When many people are hunting for the same used model, sellers do not have to drop the price to move it. The Civic, RAV4, and 4Runner all sit in that position: everyday models with a long line of used buyers.
- A reputation for lasting. Models known for running a long time with few big repair bills keep their used prices up, because the next buyer is paying for years of use still left in the car. That reputation is built over years, not from one good year.
- Limited supply, not many for sale used. Sports cars like the Cayman and 911 are made in smaller numbers, so few reach the used market. Fewer cars for sale, with steady demand, keeps prices higher. The same logic works in reverse: a model that floods the used market, with few shoppers chasing it, drops faster.
None of this is a recommendation. A ranking tells you what past cars did, not what a future car will do, and the cheapest car to own overall also depends on gas, insurance, repairs, and the loan, not on value loss alone. The calculator adds those lines together for a single car, and why cars lose value explains the curve itself.
What this page does not cover, stated, not guessed
- Worst single models: this page names the worst group (electric cars, 57.2%) but does not publish a worst-models list, because the single-model figures at the bottom of the ranking could not be confirmed from two independent reports of the study this week. Naming them from one report alone would risk a wrong ranking.
- Your car's number: averages hide mileage, condition, trim, and where you live. For one specific car, use the depreciation calculator instead of reading your number off this ranking.
- Next year's ranking: the study is redone every year, so this page needs a fresh check when the next study lands. The 2026 figures here cover cars sold between March 2025 and February 2026 and should not be carried forward as if they were current.
Calculation transparency
Scope. A ranking across models from the iSeeCars 2026 study of five-year-old cars, with the percentages turned into dollars on one shared $30,000 starting price, plus the segment figures and the three forces behind the ranking. It is a ranking across models, not a price for any one car.
Rules and time period. iSeeCars 2026 study of more than 950,000 five-year-old cars sold March 2025 to February 2026; percentages are shares of original price lost over five years; the ranking dollar column uses each model own sticker price; the $30,000 table is a same-price comparison, not the study dollars.
Scope and limitations. Educational estimate only. These are group and model averages, not a promise for any single car: mileage, condition, trim, and local demand move any one car number. This page names the worst group, electric cars at 57.2%, but does not publish a worst-models list, because the single-model figures at the bottom of the ranking could not be confirmed from two independent reports of the study. The study is redone every year, so the 2026 figures here cover cars sold between March 2025 and February 2026 and should not be carried forward as if they were current. Prices vary by car, shop, and city. Get a written quote for your own car before you decide.
Source links checked November 6, 2026. Figures: iSeeCars 2026 depreciation study, more than 950,000 five-year-old cars sold March 2025 to February 2026; segment figures cross-checked against a third report of the same study, as stated on the page. The TFLcar and We Talk Cars reports of the study are named only, not linked.
Primary sources: iSeeCars, cars that hold their value study; How fast used EVs lose value; Why cars lose value; How does mileage affect car value; Best used cars under $10,000. How the numbers are calculated is written down on the methodology page, and every source is listed on the sources page.
Definitions
Depreciation. The plain name for the value a car loses, the gap between what it cost new and what it is worth later. On this page, the average car loses 41.8% over five years.
MSRP. The sticker price when the car was new. The ranking dollar column is worked out from each model own sticker price.
Segment. A group of similar cars, trucks together, hybrids together, and so on. On this page, trucks lose 34.2%, hybrids 35.4%, SUVs 44.9%, and electric cars 57.2% on average.
Value lost. The share of the starting price that is gone after five years. On a $30,000 car, the average 41.8% loss is $12,540.
Value left. What remains of the starting price after five years. On a $30,000 car, the average 41.8% loss leaves $17,460, and the Cayman 9.6% loss leaves $27,120.
Ranking. Models ordered by the share of value lost over five years, lowest first. The Porsche 718 Cayman leads at 9.6% lost, and the average car sits at 41.8%.
Questions people actually ask
What cars hold their value best?
In the 2026 iSeeCars study, the Porsche 718 Cayman holds its value best, losing 9.6% over five years, followed by the Porsche 911 at 11.1% and the Chevrolet Corvette at 18.7%. Among everyday cars, the Honda Civic at 22.9%, the Toyota RAV4 at 25.2%, and the Toyota Corolla Hatchback at 25.5% sit at the top of the ranking. The average car loses 41.8% over the same five years.
What does a depreciation percentage mean in dollars?
It means the share of the starting price that is gone after five years. On a $30,000 car, the average 41.8% loss is $12,540, leaving $17,460. The same $30,000 car at the Honda Civic rate of 22.9% loses $6,870, leaving $23,130. That is a $5,670 difference on the same starting price.
Why do some cars hold their value better than others?
Three things show up again and again in the study: strong demand, meaning lots of used-car shoppers want that model; a reputation for lasting a long time with few problems; and limited supply, meaning not many of them are for sale used. When demand is high and supply is low, used prices stay up. When a model is easy to find and few shoppers want it, prices fall faster.
Do electric cars hold their value?
As a group, no, not in this study. Electric cars lose 57.2% of their value on average over five years, which is 15.4 percentage points more than the 41.8% average for all cars. That is the average for the whole group, and single models inside the group will differ. Hybrids, which run on gas and electric power together, lose 35.4% on average, and trucks lose 34.2%.
How is this page different from the depreciation calculator?
This page is a ranking across models, from a study of cars that are already five years old. The depreciation calculator prices one car, yours, and shows what it may be worth over time. Use the ranking to compare models side by side, and use the calculator to run the numbers on a single car you already have in mind.
Related: Mileage is the fastest way value drops. See how mileage affects car value.
Related: Even the best cars age. See whether a high-mileage car is worth buying.
Related: Cars that hold value are dearer used. See the best used cars under $10,000.
Run your own numbers
Compare models on the calculator, price your own car on the depreciation calculator, or read why cars lose value for the curve behind these percentages. Full model costs for the ranked models with Driveonomics pages are linked in the table above. For the same models in sales order instead of value-retention order, see best-selling used cars.
Figures: iSeeCars 2026 depreciation study (more than 950,000 five-year-old cars sold March 2025 to February 2026), as reported by TFLcar and We Talk Cars, with segment figures cross-checked against a third report of the same study. Average 5-year depreciation 41.8% ($16,571); best: Porsche 718 Cayman 9.6% ($6,988), Porsche 911 11.1% ($15,533), Chevrolet Corvette 18.7% ($13,365), Honda Civic 22.9% ($5,828), Toyota RAV4 25.2% ($7,731), Toyota Corolla Hatchback 25.5% ($6,220); segments: trucks 34.2%, hybrids 35.4%, SUVs 44.9%, electric cars 57.2%. Study figures are averages and vary by trim, mileage, condition, and market.