Resale values vary from class to class and from vehicle to vehicle. The phrase “you lose money as soon as you leave the lot” has never been truer than with current sedans, which tend to lose more value than SUVs. Depreciation can add up to about fifty percent of your total costs for the first five years of ownership these days, and a vehicle can lose two-thirds or more of its initial value during that time. It's a huge amount of money.
Do you want to minimize your losses? Choose a previously-owned vehicle over a new one to avoid a significant amount of long-term depreciation loss. Our list of sedans with the best resale values includes a wide range of options, from subcompacts to high-end luxury vehicles. Vehicle depreciation is virtually unavoidable. Recognizing this, we wanted to provide you with the good, the bad and the ugly when it comes to those vehicles that perform well at maintaining their value, and equally, those that don't.
Most car research sites need to be careful what they post so as not to annoy their dealership customers, and with that, they will only show you the good news. We, on the other hand, provide you with the complete list, from best to worst, with more than 200 makes and models of vehicles classified every six months. The Honda Civic line covers sedans and hatchbacks, in versions ranging from soft to wild. Its well-deserved reputation for reliability helps this compact car retain its value admirably over the years.
These cars retain their highest value after five years. What about luxury SUVs? See which ones have the highest resale value here. If you are looking for an Audi one size larger, you can opt for the mid-level sports variant of the Audi A6, the S6, without sacrificing anything in terms of retained value. According to our friends at IntelliChoice, the S6 is projected to maintain 46.6 percent of its original value after five years.
Available in sedan and hatchback body styles, it also retains its value and is the only non-premium or performance car on this list. If you want an E-Class sedan and hope to limit the effects of depreciation, you'll have to opt for the Mercedes-AMG E63 and its twin-turbo V-8 that governs the autobahn. The Volkswagen Jetta is still a much more affordable way to drive a bona fide German-engineered sedan than choosing a model of the same size such as Audi, BMW or Mercedes-Benz. If you need a sedan that will get there regardless of the weather or road conditions, the Legacy is the best option.
The Lexus LS and Mercedes-Benz CLS also offered stronger-than-average luxury sedan resale values. The luxurious Lexus GS sedan line offers a wide range of options, with the GS, GS Hybrid and GS F models. While it also comes standard with all-wheel drive, the Impreza offers a wider model line that includes sedans and subcompact wagons. It's a spacious and quiet luxury sedan that may not have the dynamics of a Porsche or a Mercedes-AMG product, but its comfortable handling and luxurious interior will be appreciated by those looking for comfort rather than the ability to carve cannons.
The C63 is the smallest sedan offered by AMG's thunderous twin-turbo V-8 and becomes a bullish beast that punishes any cannon road. While subcompact sedans are prone to high depreciation rates, they are a great way to keep moving on a tight budget and, in addition, they can be fun to drive. Luxury sedans represent six models on this list, including the BMW 7 Series super-luxury sedan, the fourth-ranked Maserati Ghibli, the sixth-placed Jaguar XF, the seventh-placed BMW 5 Series, the eighth-ranked Audi A6, and the tenth-ranked Volvo S60. Although the people at AMG don't build an A-Class with the CLA45's 382 hp turbo-four, the A35 is a sweet little sports sedan in its own right.
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