Preferred over other vehicles because of their practicality, versatility, and adaptability, pickup trucks are still the most popular vehicles across America. They easily double up as daily work vehicles and recreational trucks after work.
Companies like Ford and Chevrolet have over the years built their businesses on the backs of their amazing trucks. This is because their truck lineups perform better than their other lineups. But not even the best pickup trucks can hold value forever, and there are some pickups that just retain their initial purchase value far better than others, according to numerous online sources such as this study conducted by iseecars.com on depreciation rates of popular cars.
So, given that the average time a consumer will hold on to their truck before selling it tends to revolve around 5 years, we've compiled a list of the 10 best pickup trucks and expressed how much of their initial value they retained after that period of time.
On that note, let us have a look at ten trucks that are best at retaining their value, ranked worst to best.
11 Ford Ranger (47.7%)
Not many trucks on the market boast such a track record of reliability as the Ford Ranger. This mid-size heavy-duty truck has taken advantage of its popularity and reputation to build an empire. The Ranger is one of the best-selling Ford trucks on the market.
Since its debut in 1983, the Ranger has gone on to become one of the most versatile, adaptable, and affordable trucks in the market. Sometime back, the Ranger was thought of being an average-looking work truck. However, today, this truck tops the list of best daily and recreational trucks on the market. Despite scoring the lowest, with a depreciation rate of 47.7%, the Ranger is still a great truck and a decent investment due to the amount of utility it offers for the price.
10 Ford F-150 (46.5%)
The Ford F-150 is one of the most popular Ford F-Series trucks. This truck was first unveiled in 1948. This full-size, light-duty truck is the best-selling Ford truck in America. However, that extreme popularity might be the reason why it's close to last on this list when it comes to retaining value.
Because this truck started as a farm truck, most people still use it as a search. This affects how often the car is maintained and repaired. While the Ford F-150 can hold its own as it has proven time and time again, it doesn't lose value if it is taken care of.
Still, the Ford F-150 will, on average lose about, 46.5% of its value after 5 years of ownership, resulting in a resale value of 53.5%.
9 Nissan Titan (45.9%)
If you are looking for an affordable, versatile, adaptable, and reliable truck, then the Nissan Titan is a good option. The Titan is a quality truck and suitable for anyone who relies on their truck on a day-to-day basis.
The Nissan Titan boasts of a decent powertrain, off-roading capabilities, sufficient cabin space, decent towing power, and decent payload capacity. This Japanese beauty is built to last, with proper yet minimal maintenance. This truck will lose about 45.9% of its value over 5 years of ownership.
8 Ram 1500 (45.2%)
When it comes to sales numbers, the Ram 1500 is the only truck that comes close to matching the Ford –F-150’s numbers. Since its debut in 1980 as the Dodge Ram, it has undergone a number of iterations and upgrades.
This truck is currently in its fourth-generation and there is no sign of it retiring anytime soon. The Ram 1500 is a good investment for anyone looking to buy a truck and resale it after some time. However, even if you are not planning to resale your truck knowing that the Ram 1500’s depreciation rate stands at 45.2%.
7 Jeep Gladiator (42%)
Jeeps are popularly known for their rugged and unique style. The Jeep Gladiator's history dates back to 1962. Back then the Gladiator shared its basic frame architecture and front end with the Jeep Wagoneer – a four-wheel-drive stallion wagon.
The Jeep Gladiator is a new player in the resale market. Its depreciation rate is estimated at 42%. While it has been in production for a full year, the aftermarket resale value of the Gladiator is strong. Well, that is a good sign for those who made an early investment.
Hopefully, the crowned king of off-roaders will start climbing up the table once long-term data starts rolling out.
6 Chevrolet Silverado HD (39.9%)
The Chevrolet Silverado is the second best-selling truck in America. First place is reserved for the Ford F-150. The Silverado has over the years evolved from a basic farm truck to a beast.
The Silverado is a popular farm truck. However, with the recent models, it has found its way into other work paths such as the construction industry. Since there are not that many people who need to tow 35,500 pounds, the Silverado has been known to be a recreational truck.
This heavy-duty pickup truck has one of the best resale value since it will lose just 39.9% of its original value after 5 years.
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4 Nissan Frontier (39.5%)
Nissan trucks are not just popular in America, these trucks have made their way into Europe and Africa. The Nissan Frontier is one of Nissan’s best-selling trucks. Over one million units of this truck have been sold in America since it was unveiled in 2004.
The Nissan Frontier’s reputation as a workhorse has seen it is popularity grow among farmers, construction workers, and anyone who is looking for a budget work truck. This truck has been known to go for miles with minimal maintenance. With proper maintenance and handling, the budget-friendly Nissan Frontier will depreciate up to 39.5% after 5 years.
3 Honda Ridgeline (38.1%)
Japanese vehicles have a record of being affordable and adaptable. Honda has lived up to this. The Honda Ridgeline is a light-duty truck that was built to be more of a family truck than a work truck. This is not to mean that this macho truck cannot haul goods and equipment. It can, but it does not have the power to tow or to carry huge loads.
If used for light-duty work as it is designed to, the Honda Ridgeline is a truck that can serve you for years and perhaps even for generations. It's also easily one of the most underrated pickups on the market, with impressive performance both on and off-road and stellar reliability scores.
2 Toyota Tundra 35.9%
The Tundra is definitely one of the Best Toyota models ever. These full-scale trucks are tough, tech-friendly, great for customization, and offer top-notch comfort. Truck fanatics love the Toyota Tundra for its reliability, power, and mechanical simplicity.
While the engineering on the Tacoma is not fancy and neither is it lightweight compared to the Ford F-150, it holds its price better. The Toyota Tacoma has a depreciating value of 35.9%. This earns it the second position in the least depreciating cars overall, in all segments.
1 Toyota Tacoma (32.4%)
The Toyota Tacoma is a versatile, reliable, affordable, and extremely capable off-road vehicle. It is also one of the most consistent trucks when it comes to resale value. While the Tacoma’s 32.0% depreciation rate is lower than the Jeep Wrangler and the Wrangler Unlimited.
The Toyota Tacoma features a mix of size and power makes it a popular choice for general off-roading and Overlanding. However, the Tacoma lacks the luxury trappings of the full-size pickup truck market, this helps in keeping prices of the truck level over the years.
sources: autoblog.com, carbuzz.com, iseecars.com