Depreciation Tracker
Depreciation is usually the single largest cost of owning a vehicle, and it's front-loaded — a new car loses roughly 10-12% of its value the moment it's driven off the lot, and 15-30% within the first year. This tracker projects how much value a vehicle is likely to lose over the next 1-5 years based on its price and body style, so you can weigh that against how long you actually plan to keep it.
Your Vehicle
EVs currently show more volatile and often steeper depreciation than gasoline or hybrid vehicles, largely due to a wave of off-lease EVs hitting the used market faster than demand has kept pace, plus rapidly improving range and charging technology from year to year. Factor that volatility in if you're considering a new EV specifically for its resale value.
Projected Value After 5 Years
Value Lost
$0
Retained
0%
Value by year
Frequently asked questions
How much value does a new car lose in the first year?
On average, a new vehicle loses roughly 10-12% of its value the instant it's driven off the lot, and 15-30% of its total value within the first year of ownership. This front-loaded pattern is exactly why buying a 2-5 year old used vehicle is often the financially optimal window — most of the steepest depreciation has already happened, but plenty of useful life remains.
Do all vehicle types depreciate at the same rate?
No — depreciation varies meaningfully by body style and segment. Trucks and certain SUVs have historically held value better than sedans, luxury vehicles typically depreciate faster in percentage terms even though their absolute resale values may still be higher, and EVs have recently shown steeper, more volatile depreciation than hybrids or conventional gas vehicles.
By what point does depreciation slow down?
Depreciation is steepest in the first one to two years, then settles into a steadier 8-12% annual rate afterward. By the five-year mark, the average vehicle retains only about 34-40% of its original MSRP — a roughly 60-66% total loss in value — which is why buying used in that 2-5 year window can meaningfully change your total cost of ownership.
Does this tracker account for a specific vehicle model, or just general trends?
This tool projects depreciation based on general trends for a given price range and body style — useful for comparing categories or setting expectations before you shop. For a specific make and model, check that vehicle's individual review page, which factors in that model's actual resale and reliability data rather than a category-wide average.