What determines a car’s resale value? It can be tough for the everyday consumer to keep their finger on the pulse of both new and used car markets to see which vehicles will hold their value over the next several years. In large part, it comes down to trends. The folks at iSeeCars, for example, put together a study showing the best and worst-depreciating new models after their first five years in service. Another way to see how cars hold up is by looking at their used values respective to their mileage. In this video, we cover two examples of cars that, by and large, just don’t depreciate quickly at all.
The Jeep Wrangler actually topped the study linked above in terms of new vehicles. While you can’t buy the other new in the U.S. anymore, the Toyota FJ Cruiser has tremendous resale value. The one we bought cost us a surprising $33,500. It’s an almost unthinkable sum when you consider the car cost upward of $36,000 new. That figure is for a fully-loaded version, too. You can find cheaper FJ Cruisers, but on the whole they still retain a large share of their value, even several years on.
The (resale value) force is strong with the Jeep Wrangler
If you’re in the market for an off-roader, take a look at the Jeep Wrangler JL. Listings for used 2018 Rubicons with 20,000 miles or more still ask almost $50,000. That’s pretty much what they cost to buy new, with some options. Even with a strong presence in the used market, Jeep’s iconic SUV holds on to 70 percent of its initial value after five years.
So which SUV should you actually buy? A brand new Jeep Wrangler (again, you don’t save much buying them used unless they’re substantially older), or a used Toyota FJ Cruiser? While there’s plenty of debate surrounding capability and reliability between the Jeep and Toyota camps, these SUVs also take a different approach when it comes to character. On that basis, part of the decision comes down to preference. Check out the video below for more, where Andre and Tommy flesh out the details for both the Wrangler and FJ Cruiser:
