Not all of us plan to drive our trucks into the ground. A high resale value is important when you want to sell it later. One of the longtime rules of thumb is that your new truck loses about 15% to 20% of its value every year. After about three years, any new car is worth about half of what it was new. Today, that’s not necessarily true as the market has shifted due to chip shortages and other supply-chain weirdness.

But resale value is still a key factor to consider when you’re buying a new truck. A higher resale value will save you a lot when it’s time to sell your truck.

Why is resale value important for cars or trucks?

Cars don’t appreciate unless they’re rare collectible exotics. For starters, it’s nice to know that what you’ve spent your money on won’t lose its value.

knowing that your truck is worth more may entice you into maintaining it better. A well-maintained car is worth more when it comes time to sell it than one that isn’t maintained. Also, those giant 35-inch rims and tires may be what you want, but expensive accessories can actually hurt your resale value. High (or low) mileage, dents, and funky smells all hurt resale value.  

According to the folks at Kelly Blue Book, however, some trucks hold their value better than others. The site estimates vehicles’ values and which are projected to retain the highest percentage of their original sticker price.

The trucks that hold their value the best include:

What truck has the highest resale value?

KBB expects the new 2022 Tundra trucks to retain 70.2% of their value over five years. Toyota redesigned Tundra trucks for 2022 and they now feature a big, blocky, front end and updated styling. They now offer a power turbocharged V6 and a hybrid V6, big towing and payload capability. Toyota trucks have always been lauded for their reliability. The new Tundra should be, too.

The 2022 GMC Sierra HD is the only heavy-duty truck on the list

The 2022 GMC Sierra 2500 HD is expected to retain 60.8% of its value in five years. The Sierra HD is the only full-size heavy-duty truck to make the list. The HD line of GMC trucks is the company’s line that comes with the most towing capacity, most payload, and most torque. These trucks can tow up to 36,000 pounds, for example. They’re available in dozens of configurations, including diesels, duallys, crew cabs, Denali, or AT4.

Toyota Tacoma trucks make the list, of course

Toyota Tacoma trucks have been the best-selling mid-size trucks for the last 17 years, so we’re not surprised that they are expected to retain 60.6% of their value. Tacomas are a good size, offer good utility, and after a recent update a comfy cabin. They can be ordered as simple work trucks, off-road animals with TRD packages, or even as luxury trucks in the Limited trim. But at their core, Tacomas are workhorses that you can get many miles out of.

The New Ford Maverick is right on the Tacoma’s heels

Interestingly, the Maverick tied with the Chevrolet Corvette for fourth place. While the Maverick is still a new truck and a new design, KBB expects the truck to retain 59.5% of its value in five years. That’s Tacoma territory. But Ford designed this truck to be a light-duty pickup with a four-cylinder hybrid motor that can get up to 42 miles per gallon in the city. It’s no surprise Mavericks hold their value. It’s already outselling the Ford Ranger.

The 2022 Corvette was redesigned in 2020 as a mid-engine supercar and one of the most sought-after used cars.

Ford’s F-Series trucks are always a sales leader, even used

Ford’s F-150 is the world’s best-selling truck, so it’s no surprise that it keeps its resale value. KBB expects the F-Series of trucks to retain 57.3% of their value after five years. While KBB broke out the GMC Sierra HD, it didn’t separate the half-ton F-150 from the larger Super Duty trucks. We know the F-150 is popular. The new F-150 Lighting is on the horizon. Customers placed 200,000 orders for Lightnings, and we are watching to see how that changes the F-150 Lightning’s resale value in 2023.