What will your carbe worth?
Fill in the sentence. The calculator projects your car’s value year by year, using the latest five-year resale studies.
An estimate for planning, not an appraisal or a trade-in offer. Your car’s real value depends on its make, model, trim, history and local market. See how the number is built below.
How the number is built
The calculator starts from one question: how much of its value does a typical vehicle of your type keep after five years? That figure comes from iSeeCars, which analyzes hundreds of thousands of real used-car sales every year. Its most recent study looked at about 950,000 five-year-old cars sold between March 2025 and February 2026 and found the average car lost 41.8% of its original price.
From there, three steps:
- The first year hits hardest. Kelley Blue Book says new cars often lose 20% or more in their first year. The calculator applies a first-year loss in line with that for most vehicle types, and a steeper 35% for electric cars, the low end of the 35% to 40% range Kelley Blue Book gives for EVs.
- After that, the loss slows to a steady yearly rate. The rate is set so that, by year five, the car lands on the five-year figure for its type. For an average car that works out to about 7.7% a year, close to the 8% to 12% a year Kelley Blue Book describes after the first two years.
- Your miles and condition adjust the result. The calculator assumes 12,000 miles a year as normal. Each 1,000 miles above that trims about 0.5% more off the value for every year you own the car, and fewer miles add it back, up to a limit. Condition moves the final value up 5% (excellent) or down 10% (fair) or 25% (rough). These two adjustments are CarPolicyLab’s own simple assumptions, not figures from a study.
If your car is already a few years old, enter what it’s worth today and its age. The calculator skips the steep early years it has already been through and continues from the slower part of the curve.
Five-year loss by type
| Vehicle type | Value lost after 5 years | First-year loss used | Source of the 5-year figure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average car (all types) | 41.8% | about 20% | iSeeCars, 2026 study |
| Hybrid | 35.4% | about 17% | iSeeCars, 2026 study |
| Pickup truck | 40.4% | about 19% | iSeeCars, 2025 study |
| SUV or crossover | 48.9% | about 23% | iSeeCars, 2025 study |
| Electric car | 58.8% | 35% | iSeeCars, 2025 study; first year from Kelley Blue Book |
| Luxury car or big SUV | about 57% | about 27% | Estimate from large luxury SUVs in the 2026 study |
| Sports car | about 24% | about 11% | Estimate from sports models in the 2026 study |
The luxury and sports car rows are not category averages. iSeeCars publishes them model by model, so CarPolicyLab took a representative figure from the models in its 2026 list. Treat those two rows as rougher than the rest.
What moves the number
The type of vehicle
Trucks, hybrids and sports cars hold value best. Electric cars and large luxury SUVs lose the most, often more than half in five years. An average electric car loses about 2.4 times as much of its value as a typical sports car over five years.
2.4×
The first two years
Kelley Blue Book estimates a new car loses about 30% over its first two years. Buying a car that’s two or three years old lets the first owner absorb that drop.
30%
Miles and care
High mileage, accidents on the history report and worn interiors all cut what a buyer will pay. Service records and a clean title help you keep more of it. The calculator treats 12,000 miles a year as normal driving.
Three cars, five years
New SUV
$40,000 → $20,400
At the SUV rate, a new $40,000 crossover driven 12,000 miles a year loses about $19,600 in five years. That’s roughly $325 a month, before gas or insurance.
New hybrid
$32,000 → $20,700
Hybrids kept the most value in the 2026 study. The same five years cost about $11,300, or close to $190 a month.
Three-year-old EV
$25,000 → $17,800
Bought used, much of an electric car’s early drop has already happened. Over the next three years, the calculator estimates a further loss of about $7,200.
Examples use good condition and 12,000 miles a year. Run your own numbers in the calculator above.
Car depreciation, explained
Depreciation is the difference between what you pay for a car and what it’s worth when you sell or trade it in. It’s usually the biggest cost of owning a newer car, bigger than gas, insurance or repairs, and it’s the one people notice least because no bill ever arrives. You only see it on the day you sell.
Why cars lose value so fast at first
The moment a new car is titled to you, it becomes a used car, and used cars sell for less. That’s why the first year is the steepest: Kelley Blue Book says new cars often lose 20% or more in year one and about 30% over the first two years. After that, the curve flattens. The car keeps losing value, but more slowly, typically 8% to 12% a year according to Kelley Blue Book.
Which cars hold their value best
In the iSeeCars 2026 study, the five-year losses ranged from under 10% to more than 60%. Sports cars with loyal followings and long-running nameplates did best: the Porsche 718 Cayman lost just 9.6% and the Porsche 911 lost 11.1%. Among everyday cars, the Honda Civic lost 22.9% and the Toyota RAV4 25.2%. Hybrids as a group lost 35.4%, well below the 41.8% average.
At the other end, electric cars and big luxury vehicles dropped the most. The Nissan Leaf lost 63.1%, and models like the BMW 7 Series, Range Rover and Infiniti QX80 all lost more than 60%. Fast-changing battery technology, generous lease deals that flood the used market, and high original prices all play a part.
How mileage changes the picture
Buyers pay less for a car that has been driven more, because more of its life is used up. The calculator treats 12,000 miles a year as normal. If you drive 20,000, your car will be worth noticeably less at trade-in than the same model driven 8,000. Kelley Blue Book notes that depreciation tends to slow once a car passes about 100,000 miles, so the extra cost of each mile shrinks as the car ages.
How to lose less money to depreciation
- Buy a car that’s two to three years old. The first owner pays for the steepest part of the curve.
- Pick a model with a strong resale record. Trucks, hybrids and popular compact cars tend to hold value. Check a specific model’s history before you buy.
- Keep it longer. Because the loss slows each year, the cost per year of ownership falls the longer you keep a car.
- Keep the paperwork. Service records, a clean history report and a tidy interior help a private buyer or dealer pay more.
- Don’t over-option it. Expensive add-ons rarely return their cost when you sell.
Depreciation and your loan
If you finance a new car with a small down payment, depreciation can leave you owing more than the car is worth for the first couple of years. That’s called being upside down. It matters if the car is totaled or you want to sell early. A larger down payment, a shorter loan, or gap insurance on a long loan can protect you.
What this calculator can’t know
Every number here is an average for a type of vehicle, not a valuation of your car. Two cars of the same type can depreciate very differently depending on brand, trim, color, location and the used-car market at the time you sell. Use the calculator to plan and compare, then get a real appraisal or trade-in quote when you’re ready to sell.
Questions people ask
How much does a car depreciate per year?
About 20% in the first year for a typical new car, then roughly 8% to 12% a year after the first two years, according to Kelley Blue Book. Over five years the average car lost 41.8% of its value in the iSeeCars 2026 study.
How much is a car worth after 5 years?
On average, a little under 60% of what it cost new. It depends heavily on the type: hybrids kept about 65%, while electric cars kept closer to 40%.
Which cars depreciate the least?
Sports cars with loyal fans, pickup trucks, hybrids and popular compact cars. In the 2026 iSeeCars study, the Porsche 718 Cayman and 911, Chevrolet Corvette, Honda Civic and Toyota RAV4 were among the slowest to lose value.
Why do electric cars depreciate so fast?
Battery technology improves quickly, prices on new EVs have fallen, and many EVs come back from leases at the same time. Kelley Blue Book says EVs often lose 35% to 40% in their first year.
Does mileage matter more than age?
Both matter. Age drives most of the loss in the first years, while high mileage cuts what buyers will pay at any age. A five-year-old car with 100,000 miles will usually sell for less than the same car with 50,000.
Is this the same as a trade-in value?
No. It’s an estimate based on averages for your type of vehicle. A dealer’s trade-in offer is usually lower than private-sale value. For a real number, get an appraisal or compare offers.
Sources: iSeeCars five-year depreciation studies, 2026 (about 950,000 cars sold March 2025–February 2026, as reported by TFLcar) and 2025 (over 800,000 cars sold March 2024–February 2025, as reported by Guide Auto Web and TechnoFile); Kelley Blue Book, car depreciation. Mileage and condition adjustments are CarPolicyLab’s assumptions. This tool is for general information only and is not financial advice.