Best Resale Value Luxury Cars for 2024
The best resale value luxury cars are determined based on analyzing over 3 million vehicles to calculate how much each luxury car model depreciates after 5 years.
The best resale value luxury small and compact car is the Lexus RC 300 (67.8% 5-yr resale value), with the Lexus LC 500 being the best resale value luxury midsize car (62.3% 5-yr resale value). The Mercedes-Benz S-Class (coupe) ranks #1 for the best resale value luxury large cars (56.1% 5-yr resale value).
The best resale value luxury hybrid car is the Chevrolet Corvette (hybrid coupe) (68.5% 5-yr resale value) and the best resale value luxury plug-in hybrid car (PHEV) is the Polestar 1 (59.9% 5-yr resale value). Topping the list for the best resale value luxury electric cars is the Tesla Model 3 (53.3% 5-yr resale value), while the Porsche 911 (coupe) ranks first for the best resale value luxury sports cars (91.7% 5-yr resale value).
The best resale value luxury convertible is the Porsche 718 Boxster (73.1% 5-yr resale value), with the Porsche Panamera (wagon) being the best resale value luxury wagon (60.9% 5-yr resale value).
Luxury brand buyers may prefer Acura over Honda or Lexus over Toyota, but smart luxury shoppers also prefer minimal depreciation and high residual value. They know that while nearly all new vehicles fall from their MSRP over multiple years of ownership, the best luxury cars retain more of their original value, providing increased spending power when it’s time to buy the next new car.
Even entry-level luxury vehicles start at a higher price than their mainstream counterparts, meaning they have a greater potential for lost value. But automakers like Lexus, Mercedes Benz, and Porsche consistently win best resale value awards from automotive outlets. Luxury shoppers seeking their next compact SUV, crossover, or electric vehicle should keep those brands in mind.
Mainstream car owners expecting the same resale value they experienced in a Honda Accord, Subaru Forester or Toyota Sienna should study the below lists carefully. Some brands, including Jaguar, Land Rover and Volvo, tend to struggle with resale value versus high-volume models like the Honda Civic.
Thankfully, while luxury SUVs such as the Land Rover Range Rover, Lexus LX, and Porsche Cayenne have grown in popularity over the past 20 years, a full spectrum of traditional luxury cars remains available for buyers who embrace the reality of never going off road. They’ll happily leave the off-pavement adventures to full-size pickup trucks like the Ford Raptor and and full-size SUVs like the GMC Yukon.
Better yet, these shoppers can save fuel and enjoy superior driving dynamics, while still conquering foul-weather driving conditions, with several all-wheel drive sedans, sports cars, and wagons listed below.
How We Rank These Cars
iSeeCars analyzed over 3 million vehicles to calculate the resale value for each model after 5 years. The resale value for a given model is based on the difference between the new car MSRP and the equivalent 5 year-old used car price for the model.
Vehicles within a given category are sorted to show the models with the best resale values first. If two cars have the same resale values, then we break the tie by seeing which vehicle has the higher overall iSeeCars Score. Along with resale value, we show comprehensive iSeeCars ratings for each model, because we believe multiple factors should be taken into account when buyers are seeking the best overall vehicle. Two of these additional factors are reliability and safety, both of which are included in our ratings system.
The overall iSeeCars Score is an analysis of these three key factors: reliability, resale value and safety. It is calculated based on the latest research and analysis by our data science team. The data analysis comes from over 12 million new and used vehicles in our Longest-Lasting Cars and 5-Year Depreciation Studies, combined with NHTSA and IIHS Safety Ratings.
Vehicles are scored in three categories:
Reliability
The reliability score represents an analysis of iSeeCars' proprietary research on the longest-lasting vehicles.
Value Retention
The value retention score is based on our data science team's statistical analysis and prediction of 5-year depreciation from MSRP to determine which cars hold their value best, using US Bureau of Labor Statistics data to adjust for inflation.
Safety
The safety score is calculated based on the last five years of crash test ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and incorporates the latest Top Safety Pick information from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
