Pickup trucks ranked from worst to first in resale value

Pickup trucks ranked by resale value

Pickup trucks have long sat atop the best-selling vehicle list in the United States, with the Ford F-Series taking the overall crown for, oh, the last 42 years. And once 2019 comes to a close, Ford will be able to extend that streak to 43 years. Still, as popular as pickups are in America, they depreciate just like any other vehicle, albeit at a slower rate overall than passenger cars.

“Pickup trucks depreciate the least of any vehicle segment at 42.7 percent,” according to iSeeCars CEO Phong Ly. The site analyzed millions of new vehicles sold in 2014 to find out which ones retain the most value after five years of ownership. “The lower depreciation for pickup trucks is likely because of their durability and their popularity, which keeps their resale values high,” said Ly.

Here you’ll find all the pickup truck models (not including heavy duty models) sold new in 2014 ranked by the amount of value they retain five years after their initial sales date and ordered from last place to first. Note that the images you’ll see representing each truck in this gallery are of their latest versions, but the data applies to the 2014 model year. That means only models that were on sale in 2014 are included in this list, so recent additions like the Ford Ranger and Jeep Gladiator are not represented here. The order of this list will fluctuate from year to year as new generations of vehicles replace older models — that said, past performance on the used vehicle market remains a good predictor of future performance.

Click on the image above to get started.

Number 9: Ford F-150

Average 5-year depreciation: 46.5%

You may be surprised to see the Ford F-Series in last place in resale value considering that it’s first-place in sales. But that’s actually a key reason for its higher-than-average depreciation, according to Ly.

“The Ford F-150 is the best-selling pickup, so it depreciates more than the average truck because there are so many of them in the used car marketplace,” said Ly. That said, it’s not all bad news. “Although the F-150 is the highest-depreciating truck with a depreciation of 46.9 percent, it still depreciates less than the average vehicle across all segments at 49.6 percent.”

It’s also worth remembering that 2014 was the final year of the fully steel-bodied Ford F-150. The truck switched to aluminum bodywork for the 2015 model year, losing weight and gaining efficiency in the process.

Number 8: Nissan Titan

Average 5-year depreciation: 45.9%

In second-from-last place sits the Nissan Titan. Note that the image above is of the current Titan, but back in 2014 Nissan was still selling the previous generation. We’ll have to wait and see if this poor result improves over the coming years.

Number 7: Ram 1500

Average 5-year depreciation: 45.2%

The current Ram 1500 is our favorite fullsize pickup truck, and the 2014 model was pretty good, too. Still, it depreciates more than the pickup truck average, losing over 45 percent of its value after five years of ownership.

2014 was the first year that Ram offered a so-called light-duty diesel engine in its 1500 pickup truck. The EcoDiesel engine’s 420 pound-feet of torque allowed for a maximum tow rating of 9,200 pounds. When not towing, the 3.0-liter diesel engine offers relaxed manners and comparatively strong fuel efficiency.

Number 6: GMC Sierra

Average 5-year depreciation: 43%

Interestingly, the GMC Sierra depreciates a little bit faster than its sibling from Chevrolet, the Silverado. GMC bills the Sierra as “professional grade” and sells its high-end trucks at higher transaction prices than any of its competitors, buoyed by the strength of its high-luxe Denali trim level. Considering that luxury vehicles generally depreciate at higher rates than non-luxury vehicles, the Sierra’s positioning may have a negative impact on its resale value.

Number 5: Chevrolet Silverado

Average 5-year depreciation: 42%

We’ve turned a corner in our pickup truck depreciation rankings. The average truck loses 42.7% of its value after five years; the Silverado loses 42% on the dot, which means it scores just better than average. That’s a positive, but as you’ll soon see, there are several trucks that are even better at retaining their value.

Number 4: Nissan Frontier

Average 5-year depreciation: 39.5%

The Nissan Frontier is ancient. It’s soldiered on in its current form with very little change since its introduction for the 2005 model year. Still, it’s pretty good at retaining value, earning a solid fourth-place finish overall and depreciating less than average after five years of ownership.

Number 3: Honda Ridgeline

Average 5-year depreciation: 38.1%

The Honda Ridgeline isn’t like the other vehicles you see on this list. While traditional trucks are built atop a sturdy ladder frame, the Ridgeline is a unibody. That lends it a more carlike ride and good handling manners. It’s not as heavy duty as some of its competitors, but its efficiency and reasonable hauling and towing capabilities may help improve its resale value.

Number 2: Toyota Tundra

Average 5-year depreciation: 35.9%

You likely aren’t surprised to see the Toyota Tundra sitting toward the top of the resale value list. The Japanese automaker is well known for reliability, and its trucks have a well-reputation for durability. You’ll note that the Tundra holds its value better than any of its fullsize competitors, but there’s still one mid-size pickup that performs even better.

Number 1: Toyota Tacoma

Average 5-year depreciation: 32%

Losing just 32 percent of its value after five years of ownership, the Toyota Tacoma is far and away the top-performing pickup on the depreciation chart. In fact, only the Jeep Wrangler (in both two- and four-door Unlimited guises) loses less value than the Tacoma once all vehicle shapes and sizes are factored in.