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One of the reasons so many buyers are drawn to pickup trucks, apart from their obvious versatility, is that they generally hold their value quite well. As vehicles that can both carry passengers in comfort every day and perform important work tasks, there’s a constant demand for used trucks — be it newer, lightly-used examples or workhorses that are a couple of decades old.
When looking at newer trucks specifically, buyers can take some solace knowing that, despite their high price tags, many of today’s trucks have high resale values — or, at least, higher than the average vehicle. Data from iSeeCars backs this up, showing that among all vehicle segments, pickup trucks hold their value the best, coming in slightly ahead of fuel-slipping hybrids and far ahead of SUVs.
Not all trucks hold their value equally, though, and when looking at the best trucks by the five-year depreciation standard, there’s one pickup that beats them all. It’s not the popular Chevy Silverado or the best-selling Ford F-150 — in fact, it’s not even a full-size truck at all. According to iSeeCars, the lowest depreciating truck over five years is the mid-sized Toyota Tacoma. What’s even more impressive is that the Tacoma doesn’t just beat other trucks in resale value; it’s actually the fourth-best vehicle outright and mixes it with some of the most in-demand, high-dollar sports cars on the market today.
The Toyota Tacoma is the resale king once again
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It likely doesn’t come as a surprise to hear that Toyota’s vehicles retain their values well. On iSeeCars’ ranking of the 25 vehicles with the lowest depreciation, Toyotas take up nearly half the spots, with everything from the rugged 4Runner SUV to the thrifty Prius hybrid making the list. The Tacoma, though, is at another level when it comes to holding value.
Per the iSeeCars study, the typical Tacoma loses only 19.9% of its original value over five years, for an average drop of just $6,426 less than its original selling price. These are incredible numbers, but the Tacoma does have one more pickup truck nipping at its heels on the resale value list, and that truck also comes from Toyota in the form of the full-sized Tundra.
The Tundra has a depreciation rate of 21.2% after five years for a drop of $8,746 from its original MSRP, which makes sense given the Tundra’s higher starting price compared to the Tacoma. Both trucks have excellent resale value, but the Tacoma gets the win over its larger sibling in this metric.
Pickups stand the test of time
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Looking at the iSeeCars resale value rankings, it’s hard not to find a bit of humor in the results. The Toyota Tacoma, especially in its lower trims, is about as basic as a new truck gets — and by new pickup standards at least, it’s about as cheap as one can be, too. The Tacoma is generally seen as a reliable workhorse, yet the only vehicles that hold their value better are the Porsche 718 Cayman, the Porsche 911, and the Chevrolet Corvette. These are, of course, niche, high-performance sports cars with equally high price tags, and share nothing in common with the humble Tacoma.
Interestingly, the Tacoma even beats out Toyota’s own performance flagship, the GR Supra, when it comes to holding its value. As for why trucks like the Tacoma and Tundra hold their value so impressively well, the iSeeCars study summarizes that it’s the utility aspect that makes pickup trucks age so well and maintain their demand long after they leave the showroom.
While luxury SUV or EV buyers might be drawn to the latest tech features and amenities that can quickly become obsolete, pickup buyers are usually looking for more durable, time-tested attributes like towing capacity or off-road capability. Ultimately, there are lots of things to know before buying a new or used Tacoma, but the risk of getting burned on depreciation is one thing you shouldn’t need to worry about.