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Planning on driving your new SUV forever?  We didn’t think so. So it’s important to consider resale value when you’re looking at a new SUV. You don’t want to buy an SUV that’s worthless after just a few years. As a rule of thumb, new SUVs lose about 50% of their new value in three years. While in today’s marketplace it seems like that might not be true because of a shortage of new cars, resale value is still important.

Regardless, if you pick the right SUV, you’ll be able to trade it in for more when the time comes. Resale value is still important whether you’re going to sell it yourself or trade it in. There are a few ways to maintain your resale value, which include not smoking in it, not putting on tacky accessories, and keeping the expensive accessories to a minimum. Not everyone will want to pay a premium for your giant tires, neon lights, or loud exhaust pipes.

The Toyota 4Runner, no surprise, is an SUV that will maintain its resale value

2022 Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro midsize off-road SUV in Lime climbing over rocks
2022 Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro | Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.

According to Kelley Blue Book, some SUVs will hold their value better than others. The site estimated which vehicles are projected to retain the highest percentage of their original sticker price.

KBB expects the 4Runner to retain 58.6% of its value over five years. That’s not a surprise. Toyota based the 4Runner on the Tacoma, and the truck is expected to retain 70.2% of its value. The 4Runner is expected to be updated for 2023, but the 2022 Toyota 4Runner is one of the best off-road SUVs you can buy, especially in TRD trims. It’s not a luxury SUV. The 4Runner handles the tough stuff with ease. The 4Runner Most don’t realize that 4Runner offers an optional tiny third row for packing in two more passengers if you need to.

Subaru Crosstrek is good on gas and offers a comfy ride

2022 Subaru Crosstrek Consumer Reports MotorTrend
2022 Subaru Crosstrek Crystal White Pearl | Subaru of America, Inc.

The 2022 Subaru Crosstrek is expected to retain 52.3% of its value in five years. That’s not a surprise as Consumer Reports ranked No. 1 in the subcompact sport-utility vehicle category. The Crosstrek is known for its predicted reliability, good gas mileage, and easy-to-use infotainment system. For 2022, Subaru offers three engine options, a small four-cylinder, a larger four-cylinder, and the Crosstrek is available as a PHEV that can go up to 17 miles on electricity.

The 2022 Subaru Forester is like a roomier Crosstrek

The 2022 Subaru Forester Wilderness compact SUV parked on a leaf-covered path within a forest
2022 Subaru Forester Wilderness | Subaru of America

Like its little brother the Crosstrek, Consumer Reports ranks the Subaru Forester ranks first place in the compact (not subcompact) SUV category. KBB says it should retain 47.2% of its value over five years. The Forester combines most of the goodness -including the gas mileage and friendly driving demeanor – of the Crosstrek, just in a bigger package. While it wasn’t designed to be a rock crawler, the new Wilderness option adds a suspension system that can tackle more off-road situations than other car-based SUVs.

The 2022 GMC Yukon is the biggest SUV to maintain its resale value

The 2022 Yukon should retain 47.2% of its value. That ties it with the Forester. The GMC Yukon is based on the full-size GMC Sierra truck, which means that it has all the cargo-hauling and towing capability of a full-sized truck. But somehow GMC engineers have made it ride like a luxury SUV, especially in Denali trim, or able to tackle the tough stuff in AT4 off-road trim.

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Best in Trucks & SUVs
Writer - Sedans & Coupes

Dan Mayfield

Dan joined MotorBiscuit in 2022 with over 20 years of experience in journalism and a lifelong passion for anything related to the automotive industry. He grew up wrenching a 1949 Ford pickup truck and an MGB with his dad, learning how not to wire a fuel pump (he inadvertently set the MGB on fire).

After earning a bachelor’s degree in photojournalism from the University of New Mexico, Dan has contributed his expertise to a range of local outlets, including the City of Albuquerque, US Eagle, and the Alliance for Local Economic Prosperity.

On weekends, Dan spends Saturdays enjoying “cars and coffee” chats and, on Sundays, he’s watching the Route 66 Cruise roll through town. He also races motorcycles, and it’s not unusual to find him elbows-deep in his latest cafe racer build.

Taking advantage of the local desert terrain, Dan also enjoys exploring and driving off-road in his trusty Ram Rebel pickup truck, which provides personal insights into his contributions to our Trucks, SUVs, & Crossovers coverage. Dan strives to give our readers unique information about the dynamic automotive market, reading anything that has to do with cars, trucks, bikes, 4X4s, and, in his words, “everything with a motor.”

Dan has earned a number of accolades from the Public Relations Society of America, and is a University of Southern California, Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism Fellow.