Only 1 Toyota is on the list of the Top 5 vehicles with the best resale value, and it’s not the RAV4

Last year, the Toyota RAV4 smashed expectations by dethroning the seemingly unstoppable Ford F-150 in overall sales. It’s an accomplishment for sure. But it doesn’t mean that the wildly popular little Toyota SUV is the brand’s best vehicle for resale value after a buyer signs the dotted line. That title belongs to Toyota’s fan-favorite small pickup truck, the Tacoma. 

The Tacoma is the only Toyota with top 5 resale value chops, beating out the popular RAV4 and Tundra

This year, iSeeCars released a study highlighting the very best and worst vehicles for resale value on the market. In the new study, the Porsche 911 and 718 Cayman stole top spots, suggesting that high demand for the scalpel-sharp, nimble sports cars lowered the models’ five-year depreciation rates. However, the No. 3 spot belonged to something entirely different: the Tacoma. 

Executive Analyst at iSeeCars Karl Brauer echoed the importance of shopping for a vehicle that won’t dump its value as fast as it possibly can. “Depreciation remains the most expensive aspect of buying a new vehicle, and the variation between vehicle types and specific models is something consumers should consider when researching their next purchase,” Brauer said. 

The Tacoma, then, is the best of the pickup truck segment on the short list of best vehicles at resale value retention. In its first five years of ownership, a Tacoma will shed around 26% of its original MSRP price tag. When compared to the industry average of 45.6%, the Tacoma looks like a value-retention rockstar. 

As for its Toyota-branded siblings, the best-selling RAV4 may dump around 30.9% of its original value in the first half-decade of ownership. The Tundra, on the other hand, keeps it at 29.1%. Still, neither popular Toyota vehicle takes a top five spot.