Skip to main content

Toyota Tundra and Tacoma have best retained value of all pickups

NADA study reveals Toyota brand trucks dominate in value retention having the lowest depreciation over 3 to 5 years. Ford, Chevy, and Ram are not even close.

A recent study published by the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) provides an interesting look at just which pickup trucks actually have the highest resale value, or value at the end of a lease. This is a very important factor in the overall cost of ownership of a pickup truck, or any vehicle for that matter. The depreciation of a vehicle is the single most expensive part of cost of ownership. NADA looked back all the way to 2001. Going that far back, the study includes the older Ford Ranger and Chevy Colorado mid-size pickups as well as all the current half-ton pickups. Toyota took the top spot in both size categories by a landslide.

In the full size pickup (half-ton) category the highest rated truck in terms of retained value is the Toyota Tundra years 2007 to present. NADA says that the Tundra retains 71.6% of its value over 3 to 5 years. The Chevy Avalanche and Silverado are the next two on the list with retained values of 65.3% and 63.4%. Ford was the number four vehicle. When one considers that a truck can easily sell for $40,000, the 6.3% value difference can mean as much as $2500 in the trade-in value between a Tundra and the number two vehicle, the Avalanche, if both had the same initial cost.

In the mid-size pickup category the Toyota Tacoma, from years 2005 to present, absolutely dominated the class. It retains 80.7% of its value according to NADA. That is head and shoulders above the category average of just 61.1%. The 2004 to 2012 Chevy Colorado only retains 57.9% of its value according to NADA. That is a disparity of about 23% between the leading Tacoma and the Chevy. Toyota should enjoy this advantage through the rest of this year. The new Chevy Colorado will be re-launched as a completely new design for model year 2015.

The mid-size category is dominated by the Asian brands, Toyota, Honda, and Nissan. It is not much of a stretch to say that the “domestic” automakers gave up on that category over the last decade. Over that period Toyota has sold hundreds of thousands of Tacomas at high margins of profit and solidified its loyal customer base. Something it will desperately need given that the new 2015 Colorado looks to be a fantastic new truck.

Related Stories:
Toyota's secret plan for the Tacoma to match the new Chevy Colorado
Why are 2014 Toyota Tundra sales growing so much?

Comments

SC (not verified)    April 7, 2014 - 9:10PM

Please keep in mind the useage of these trucks. This article never mentioned the condition of these trucks upon trade in. Let alone that when a truck has changed style resale goes way done as new buyers look for something to keep up with the Jones.
Thanks for buying imports!!

Stanley (not verified)    April 7, 2015 - 7:40AM

In reply to by SC (not verified)

Toyota trucks like the tundra and Tacoma are made in the USA. San Antonio Texas for the Tundra hence they are not "Imported". The vast majority or all of Ford, Chevorlet, and Ram trucks are made in Canada and Mexico and are "imported" to the USA. Dodge is owned by Fiat an Italian company . Calling these brands especially chrysler, dodge, jeep, " domestic" is an insult to the American workforce.

Stanley (not verified)    April 7, 2015 - 7:41AM

In reply to by SC (not verified)

Toyota trucks like the tundra and Tacoma are made in the USA. San Antonio Texas for the Tundra hence they are not "Imported". The vast majority or all of Ford, Chevorlet, and Ram trucks are made in Canada and Mexico and are "imported" to the USA. Dodge is owned by Fiat an Italian company . Calling these brands especially chrysler, dodge, jeep, " domestic" is an insult to the American workforce.

Mr. Detroit (not verified)    April 9, 2014 - 1:26PM

Since the Tundra has the most USA content of the four manufactures I can only assume your comment "Thanks for buying imports!!" has nothing to do with the facts of life here on earth. Maybe you should tell us what you really meant to say. Don't be shy, UAW isn't an evil acronym.

Chad Martinez (not verified)    October 30, 2019 - 7:38AM

I have a 2004 tacomma and they welded the frame in back where they break in half the y told me the frame does not qualify for frame replacement, well the body has practically 0 rust while the frame is total rust, so now one still pays for plate stickers as the vehicle was a certain weight now it is probably 100 1bs or maybe 200 lbs less than what it was when it left the factory, so this means that the weight class should be dropped and one should not have to pay as much for a plate sticker or weight class sticker and so on, why not fix the frame it is a hazerdous situstion on the road and should be removed, so now the owner gets the ***** end of the stick and people are in danger with these vehicles on the road. But why ???.

Chad Martinez (not verified)    October 30, 2019 - 7:43AM

Oh and i also asked headquarters if i could replace the frame myself if they supplied the frame and all the parts associated with the frame and they said sorry we can not help you ???.