It’s no secret that one of the biggest advantages of buying used is the savings compared to a new car purchase. The moment a brand-new car is driven off the lot, it loses an average of 10% of its market value, and then another 10% over the course of its first year.
We looked at 2015 model-year vehicles sold in the wholesale market July through September 2018 and compared their wholesale price to the MSRP of the car when new. So if you’re looking to save some serious bank on your next car, here are the top 10 models with biggest dollar discounts to new.
Here we have mostly high-end cars with an MSRP between $35,000-$50,000. With these owners always trading up for the brand-new model, that leaves us with a tempting discount price on the used market.
On the other hand, maybe you’re looking for a car that has not depreciated very much over the past few years, and will continue to hold onto its value. If this is the case, take a look at these hard-working cars. These vehicles may not be the flashiest on the block, but they’re certainly the bread and butter of commuter and family cars.
Unsurprisingly, Honda and Toyota models dominate this list. Their reputation for dependability translates to a steady value on the secondhand market. They’re joined by the Hyundai Sonata, Nissan Sentra, and Ford Focus. The vehicle that stands out from this grouping is the Ford F-150 Lariat – a hefty pickup with a bit of extra spring in its step.
Note that while the dollar value of their depreciation is lower than the luxury vehicles from the first group, the %of Original Value Retained is actually not too dissimilar, though this grouping of vehicles does seem to trend higher by this metric, ranging between ~65-85% retained value compared to the first set’s ~55-70%.
So whether you’re looking for the best discount off the sticker price, or a vehicle that’ll continue to keep a tight hold of its value, you know what to look for.
Note: We looked at models with at least 1,000 vehicles sold in the wholesale marketplace between July 1st and October 1st, 2018. (Please note that the sale price of a car in the wholesale marketplace is lower than the price of the vehicle sold to the end consumer.) A total of 86,401 vehicles were part of the sample. Percent of original value retained was calculated by dividing the average wholesale sale price of the vehicle by the average MSRP for that vehicle’s Year/Make/Model/Trim. (Avg. wholesale price / MSRP).
