Your Car
The vehicle price before taxes and fees. For a new car, the sticker price (MSRP) works too.
Toyota, Honda, Porsche and most pickups usually hold value well. Big luxury sedans and SUVs and many EVs usually lose value fast. Not sure? Keep Average.
Leave mileage blank if you are not sure. 12,200 miles a year is the U.S. average.
Optional
Add this to see if you are upside down on your car loan.
Result
Fill in the form and press Calculate to see your car’s value today, in 3 and 5 years, and a year-by-year chart.
Your car’s value by year
| Year | Car age | Estimated value | Value lost that year | Total lost since you bought it |
|---|
Values are estimates for each year you own the car, based on your mileage per year. The highlighted row is this year.
Estimates only, based on average U.S. depreciation data by vehicle type. Your car’s real value depends on its exact make, model, trim, options, location and market conditions. For a selling price, compare with Kelley Blue Book, Edmunds or real listings near you.
Use this free car depreciation calculator to see what your car is worth today and what it will be worth over the next 10 years. It adjusts for the things that really move resale value: mileage, vehicle type (including EVs and hybrids), condition and accident history. Add your loan payoff and it also tells you if you owe more than the car is worth.
Table of Contents
How Much Does a Car Depreciate Per Year?
The average vehicle loses about 41.8% of its value in five years, according to the 2026 iSeeCars study of more than 950,000 five-year-old cars sold between March 2025 and February 2026. The drop is steepest at the start: CARFAX notes that a new car can lose more than 10% of its value in the first month alone.
Here is the typical curve our calculator uses for an average car or sedan with normal mileage (about 12,200 miles a year) and good condition:
| Car age | Value left | Total value lost | A $40,000 car is worth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 84% | 16% | $33,600 |
| Year 2 | 75% | 25% | $30,000 |
| Year 3 | 68% | 32% | $27,200 |
| Year 4 | 62.5% | 37.5% | $25,000 |
| Year 5 | 58.2% | 41.8% | $23,280 |
| Year 6 | 53.5% | 46.5% | $21,400 |
| Year 7 | 49% | 51% | $19,600 |
| Year 8 | 45% | 55% | $18,000 |
| Year 9 | 41.5% | 58.5% | $16,600 |
| Year 10 | 38% | 62% | $15,200 |
Year 5 matches the 2026 iSeeCars average. The other years are our estimate of the typical shape of the curve. Real cars can sit well above or below it.
Car Depreciation by Vehicle Type
What you drive matters more than almost anything else. Pickup trucks and hybrids hold their value best, while electric vehicles lose value fastest:
| Vehicle type | Average value lost in 5 years | A $40,000 vehicle is worth about |
|---|---|---|
| Pickup truck | 34.2% | $26,300 |
| Hybrid | 35.4% | $25,800 |
| All vehicles (average) | 41.8% | $23,300 |
| SUV | about 45% (estimate) | $22,000 |
| Electric vehicle (EV) | 57.2% | $17,100 |
Truck, hybrid, EV and all-vehicle figures are from the 2026 iSeeCars study. iSeeCars did not publish a 2026 SUV average, so we use about 45%, based on its 2025 study, where SUVs lost about 3 points more than the average vehicle.
The model matters too. In the 2026 study, the Porsche 718 Cayman (9.6%), Porsche 911 (11.1%) and Chevrolet Corvette (18.7%) lost the least after five years. The Nissan LEAF (63.1%), Infiniti QX80 (62.8%) and Volkswagen ID.4 (62.1%) lost the most. That is why the calculator has a “resale reputation” option.
3 Quick Examples
Here is what the calculator shows for three common situations (estimates as of September 2026, good condition, no accidents):
- $35,000 SUV bought new in 2023, 40,000 miles: worth about $22,300 today (36% lost) and about $17,100 in 2029.
- $45,000 EV bought new in 2022, 45,000 miles: worth about $21,600 today (52% lost), even though it is only about four years old.
- $28,000 pickup truck bought used in 2021 (then 3 years old), 90,000 miles now, a model that holds value well: worth about $22,300 today (only 20% lost).
Same kind of money, very different results. The EV lost more than twice as much as the truck.
What Makes a Car Lose Value Faster
- High mileage. The U.S. average is about 12,200 miles a year. CARFAX says driving 7,500 miles a year instead of 15,000 over five years can cut your depreciation by thousands of dollars.
- Accidents. CARFAX data puts the average hit to a used car’s retail price at about $500 after an accident, and about $2,100 for severe damage. If the damage is major, check our totaled car value calculator.
- Condition and records. Dents, a worn interior, warning lights and missing service records all lower the price buyers will pay.
- Brand and segment. Luxury models made up 18 of the 25 fastest-depreciating vehicles in the 2026 iSeeCars study.
- New-model changes. A redesign, big price cuts on new models or better battery range on new EVs can quickly lower what older versions are worth.
Are You Upside Down on Your Car Loan?
You are “upside down” (or have negative equity) when your loan payoff is higher than what your car is worth. It is common in the first two or three years, when value falls faster than a long loan is paid down. Enter your payoff amount in the calculator to check.
If you are upside down: pay a little extra toward the principal each month, avoid rolling the balance into your next car loan, and consider gap insurance until you catch up. A bigger down payment and a shorter loan help you avoid it next time. You can test both with our car payment calculator.
How to Slow Down Depreciation
- Buy a car that is 2 to 3 years old, so the first owner takes the biggest hit.
- Choose vehicles that hold value well, like pickups, hybrids and models with a strong resale record.
- Keep your mileage reasonable and keep every service receipt.
- Fix small dents and chips, and keep the interior clean.
- Sell or trade in before the car needs big repairs or crosses a major mileage milestone.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a car depreciate per year?
It depends on the vehicle, but the first year brings the biggest drop (our average curve uses about 16%). After that, a typical car loses roughly 4% to 9% of its original price each year. Over five years, the average is 41.8% (iSeeCars 2026).
How do you calculate car depreciation?
A simple way is: value = price × (1 − yearly rate) ^ years. For example, $30,000 × (0.85)^3 = about $18,400. This calculator goes further by using a year-by-year curve for your vehicle type and adjusting for mileage, condition and accident history.
Which cars hold their value best?
Pickup trucks and hybrids hold value best on average, losing about 34% to 35% in five years. Sports cars like the Porsche 718 Cayman, Porsche 911 and Chevrolet Corvette topped the 2026 iSeeCars list, and Toyota had 10 of the top 25 spots.
Do electric cars depreciate faster?
Yes. EVs lost an average of 57.2% of their value in five years in the 2026 iSeeCars study, the most of any segment. Fast-improving batteries and price cuts on new models are big reasons.
Does mileage affect depreciation?
Yes. Buyers pay less for cars with more miles than average for their age (about 12,200 miles a year in the U.S.). Low-mileage cars sell for more. This calculator adjusts your estimate up or down based on your odometer reading.
When does a car stop depreciating?
It rarely stops, but it slows down a lot. After about 6 to 8 years, most cars lose much less in dollars each year, which is why an older car can be a smart buy if it is reliable.
More Car Money Calculators
Planning your next car? Estimate a monthly payment with the car payment calculator, compare coverage costs with the car insurance calculator, or see your yearly gas spend with the fuel cost calculator. All our tools are on the car calculators page.
Sources and methodology
- iSeeCars — Cars that hold their value (5-year depreciation study)
- TFLcar — 2026 iSeeCars five-year depreciation results
- CARFAX — Car depreciation: how much value a car loses
- CARFAX — Diminished value after an accident
- Kelley Blue Book — Average miles driven per year (FHWA data)
How it works: the calculator starts from an average depreciation curve calibrated to the iSeeCars five-year average, scales it for your vehicle type and resale reputation, then adjusts about 0.45% of value for every 1,000 miles above or below the U.S. average, plus condition (+5% to −25%) and accident history (about $500 minor, $2,100 severe). More detail is on How Our Calculators Work. Results are estimates for general information only and are not financial, tax or insurance advice. Last reviewed: September 30, 2026.
