Best Resale Value Subcompact Cars for 2026
The best resale value subcompact cars are determined based on analyzing over 3 million vehicles to calculate how much each subcompact car model depreciates after 5 years.
The Kia Rio has the best resale value among subcompact cars. The Rio retains 68.4 percent of its value after 5 years, with an average price of $13,545 for 5-year-old models. The Rio's resale value puts it 2.1 percent above the resale value average for subcompact cars, which is 66.3 percent.
The Kia Rio 5-Door ranks #2 for best resale value for subcompact cars. The Rio 5-Door retains 67.5 percent of its value after 5 years, with an average price of $13,535 for 5-year-old models. The Rio 5-Door's resale value is 1.2 percent higher than the resale value average for subcompact cars.
The Kia Rio has the best resale value among subcompact cars. The Rio retains 68.4 percent of its value after 5 years, with an average price of $13,545 for 5-year-old models. The Rio's resale value puts it 2.1 percent above the resale value average for subcompact cars, which is 66.3 percent.
The Kia Rio 5-Door ranks #2 for best resale value for subcompact cars. The Rio 5-Door retains 67.5 percent of its value after 5 years, with an average price of $13,535 for 5-year-old models. The Rio 5-Door's resale value is 1.2 percent higher than the resale value average for subcompact cars.
-
5-yr resale value
0.684109
- Avg 5-yr old price: 13545.157627118644
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
-
Reliability
6.7
/ 10
-
Value Retention
8.6
/ 10
-
Safety
Not Available
2. Kia Rio 5-Door
-
5-yr resale value
0.675105
- Avg 5-yr old price: 13535.388349514564
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
-
Reliability
7.3
/ 10
-
Value Retention
8.5
/ 10
-
Safety
Not Available
3. Hyundai ACCENT
-
5-yr resale value
0.669691
- Avg 5-yr old price: 13687.123574144487
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
-
Reliability
6.6
/ 10
-
Value Retention
8.5
/ 10
-
Safety
7.0
/ 10
4. Chevrolet Spark
-
5-yr resale value
0.665501
- Avg 5-yr old price: 12574.050309597524
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
-
Reliability
7.4
/ 10
-
Value Retention
8.4
/ 10
-
Safety
Not Available
-
5-yr resale value
0.658082
- Avg 5-yr old price: 22412.83257918552
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
-
Reliability
7.1
/ 10
-
Value Retention
8.4
/ 10
-
Safety
7.0
/ 10
-
5-yr resale value
0.654813
- Avg 5-yr old price: 13354.08198019802
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
-
Reliability
6.7
/ 10
-
Value Retention
8.4
/ 10
-
Safety
8.0
/ 10
-
5-yr resale value
0.653018
- Avg 5-yr old price: 20284.47272727273
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
-
Reliability
7.1
/ 10
-
Value Retention
8.4
/ 10
-
Safety
Not Available
8. Mitsubishi Mirage (hatchback)
-
5-yr resale value
0.641151
- Avg 5-yr old price: 11864.225
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
-
Reliability
7.1
/ 10
-
Value Retention
8.3
/ 10
-
Safety
7.0
/ 10
Related Rankings
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).