Since their inception pickup trucks were made for work, whether it was on a farm or on the streets selling fruits or vegetables from the bed. Almost every car company has dipped their feet (or dunked in head first) in the pickup business. As recently as last year, with Mercedes-Benz joining the pickup crowd in their X-Series, more companies try their hand at creating a successful truck Although, it's not initial sales alone that determine a truck's overall appearance to the public, the dependability, longevity, and reliability take a factor in what the public expects from its pickups long after that pickup model's discontinuance.
The factors mentioned often lead to a good resale value, as well as what sort of features and options are installed, how many are made, and on a more personal level, how the truck was taken care of. A customer that has kept maintenance records, whether the paint has been taken care of or not, and most importantly, how clean the car is. Although all of this is important whether you want to sell your truck sometime down the road or not, the customer care cannot affect the overall average price for a pickup in the used market. I want to focus more on the ones that'll loose value for simply how they are made and their perspective markets that these trucks are directed at, those trucks that'll quickly loose their value over the span of 2 years.
20 Chevrolet Silverado WT/GMC Sierra
The base model Silverado comes with most options to make it anything you like for a decent price in the full-sized truck market. At it's very least it can be had with a 285hp/ 305 lb-ft, 4.3-liter EcoTec3 V6 in a 3.23 differentiated, rear wheel drive format through a 6-speed automatic transmission. The following that this truck model has acquired exceeded its beginnings as a luxury trim on the C/K models, offered throughout the 80s and well into the 90s. Silverado is synonymous with the hard working man and is often seen in fleets.
That's where the down-fall for this truck comes.
In America, the Silverado is arguably one of the best selling full-sized pickups used in industry, and to find a simple base trimmed Silverado is easy.
19 Chevrolet Colorado
The successor to the popular S10, the Colorado had some large shoes to fill in the compact-midsize truck market. So far these shoes have been filled well and beyond the offerings of the S10. From a $21,495 base model to the off-roader ZR2 trim there's plenty for everyone who doesn't need a Silverado. Also unlike it's large brother, the Colorado suffers a different type of depreciation, on top of being a smaller work truck for companies who don't need a big full size. With only 112,996 produced last year, it seems like an over looked option in the Chevrolet truck line up, and according to Edmunds.com, is the third best midsize.
18 GMC Canyon
How is this any different from the Colorado? I asked myself this same question and besides an extra thousand bucks or so and not much more except for a few extra options, but these options could make or break the value.
A base model Canyon will lose just as much value as its Chevy cousin without the added options.
The GMC Canyon's top trim is the more luxurious Denali as opposed to the Colorado's tough ZR2, and that is where the true difference lies. I have no doubt these higher trim levels will retain value simply for being the best that company puts out that year. We all see how a older Denali holds value, a 10 year old Yukon is still around $20,000.
17 Fiat Strada
This Brazilian favourite is another sufferer of the over saturation in the market, least in Brazil. The Fiat Strada is more of a utilitarian pickup, and from what I understand a workhorse of its own, doing well in the cities due to being small and nimble. The front wheel driven 4-cylinder is simple enough to produce and sell at a cheap price (well below $20 grand for the base "Working" trim and around $20,000 for the top of the range "Adventure" trim) , making this a large depreciating formula, it wouldn't take much for this ute to fall around or below $10,000 in a couple years.
16 Ram 1500 Tradesman
The base model Ram is no different than its domestic brethren, a working class hero. Base model comes with 3.6-liter V6 that's there with the rest of them. Recent history isn't very kind to these trucks, the ripples from the 2000s transmission failure issue are still being felt, and as such these trucks may initially be sold at about $27k, no different than the full-sized base trims offered from the other two.
The resale for a 2017 Ram has already dropped down to below $20,ooo according to Carmax.
These trucks may be just as tough as it's competitors (opinions aside), but it'll take more than a buy out and making Ram it's own to shed the major losses it seems to suffer rolling off the lot.
15 Chevrolet Silverado LS
The LS trimmed Silverado isn't much different from the base model WT, besides the obvious chrome bumpers instead of the plain black. Beyond that the motor options are the same, and also the same resale problem. These trucks maybe a tad more upscale than the base model with a little bit more features, they're still used widely in fleets. The more common 5.2-liter V8 can be found seemingly most anywhere, and with 585,864 produced just last year, there is plenty for everyone in all sorts of configurations, and from what I've found in just my first 5 minutes on craigslist, Silverados built just a year ago already fetch for about $20,000, already loosing 1/3 of its value in just one year.
14 Ram 2500 Tradesman
Perhaps the only 3/4 ton to be on this list, the Ram 2500's resale value is below average compared to other 3/4 ton trucks on the market. A used 2017 Tradesman 2500 I found in Wisconsin with the larger 6.4-liter V8 is already valued at a little over $24,000. This is an $8000 drop from a brand new truck, and this number will drop more as time continues and these trucks are used in the purpose of heavy haulers. As I've said time and again, fleet trucks are prone to a lot of this dropped resale value, and the larger trucks are no different, and (relative to their dealer price) drop quite a bit in resale, falling below the value of a new 1500.
13 Honda Ridgeline RT
Ridgeline is the best seller in the domestic mid-size pickup market, Although that's not where the depreciation is.
The Ridgeline is already a bit over priced for what it is.
Brand new off of the Honda website, a base model nothing included Ridgeline will still run you about $30,000. A FWD, V6 pickup with the same towing capacity as a $20,000 Chevy, the depreciation is in what it is. More people are gonna buy the Chevy if they're looking at the towing numbers, and I feel the ones that are gonna buy a Ridgeline, are going to go after a AWD, Sport, or even the top of the range Black Edition, leaving the base RT to depreciate to a more affordable number that's actually competitive with the market.
12 Toyota Tacoma
Being the next best seller in the mid-sized truck market, the SR is a reliable and durable option in the competing market, even the base models sell well causing a over-saturation in the market by civilian purchase! The problem not only arises from this saturation, but in how their built. As much as everyone knows how reliable they are, most northerners (like myself) know that these rust rapidly. They're not built to endure our harsh winters year after year, with all the salt on the roads there's no surprise it's gonna rust a little, but it was only 2 years ago they issued a recall for frame rusting issues.
11 Toyota Hilux
The Toyota Hilux isn't like it's domestic cousins, being the best seller in Australia, the Hilux doesn't have to worry about the rust issues, it's known for a durable range from the Workman to the Rugged X. Reliable motors from a basic 2.7-liter 4 cylinder to the 2.8-liter Diesel motors, and with a sticker price as low as $20,990 according to carsguide.com. What's not to like about it, the reputation for these trucks is terrific and the sales show with over half a million brand new Hilux pickups sold in 2017. It's these sales numbers that lead me to believe that the resale will drop considerably over the next couple year. Not because there is anything initially wrong with the truck, they're just everywhere.
10 Ford F150 XL
Being continuously built since after World War 2 in 1948, the Ford F-series is just another case of a truck used in massive fleets, so the sales from that alone is enough to over-saturate the market.
The F150 is a special case of both public and industrial over-consumption.
Being the best selling full-sized pickup for longer than I've been alive (40 consecutive years) in a land that's obsessed with its pickup trucks should say something. Almost 900,000 were sold last year, with the final month of December selling 89,385. There is simply too much of this truck! The Ford F-series isn't a bad truck and has gone through multiple incarnations throughout the years.
9 Nissan Frontier SV
The Nissan Frontier is different in the resale market for depreciating due to being "okay". It's sold at a low price, has good enough reliability, but the lack of modern tech and not to mention it hasn't had a redesign in over a decade. The Frontier has aged and is often overlooked by perspective buyers looking for something, well new. The handling is okay, and the options (least for the base S and SV trim) are okay. It suffers bad resale value for being bland and practically unchanged since 2004. With a redesign finally coming in for 2019, the 2018 Frontiers will be more overlooked as ever as people anticipate the fresher look and new features of a truck long over-due on both of those.
8 Toyota Tacoma SR5
The SR5 grade Toyota is a little different from the SR. Coming with added options as standard adds a couple grand to the price, and although this Toyota isn't as expensive as a base Honda, it's not exactly cheap. I feel though, that the reliably speaks for itself, not to say a Colorado isn't reliable, a Tacoma is just more known for it. Again the rust issue comes into play, where a Toyota may sell a the higher price now, but if not tend to carefully or depending on where it's sold. Thus the price will drop dramatically over a 2 year span, maybe even becoming the cheaper option down the road compared to the competition. All we can hope for, is for Toyota to finally right this huge issue, then maybe the value won't drop so sharp.
7 Nissan Navara
Along with being an Australian workaholic, the Navara suffers a little from its Frontier cousin. Not the look, but being just okay.
The powertrain options include a twin-turbo diesel option, which adds more towing capacity and usefulness.
Without this the gas motor leaves it an underpowered option and a handling issue that has only just been resolved will leave customers hunting for the revised models, letting those earlier year models set aside and anyone who has to sell them will have to give in to the depreciated cost. With the SL base and the ST model taking the biggest hit.
6 Mazda BT-50 XT
The BT-50 is another Australian best seller, sharing the same underpinnings as the Ford Ranger. A hard working, decent looking, mid-sized that isn't necessarily over running the streets. It's just missing something compared to it's in-house competition. The updates the Ford Ranger got, (due to, in part I'm sure, the domestic release). According to Whichcar.com, the Ford got electric steering, and a off road tweak that left the front Traction Control on, while the rear differential is locked. These two may not seem like much, but they make a world of difference in handling. Although everything about the size of the Ranger could be said for the BT-50. It just doesn't seem to be cared enough for by it's parent company, who is also concentrating on the sales of it's cars and crossovers, leaving little room for a little pickup.
5 Ford F150 XLT
The XLT is the other part of this over saturation in the market. I wouldn't go into the Lariat trim simply cause I feel that's where it starts getting expensive, but the XLT can still be had with the base model XL features plus a little more like different rims and chrome, A 2.7-liter V6 being the smallest option all the way up to the 5.0-liter V8, these options will affect the resale with the 5.0 retaining its value much better over the V6. That's relative to the other 900,000 built over the other ranges. The F-series shows no signs of slowing and looks to continue this over-sold trend leading to cheaper used options.
4 SsangYong Musso
The Ssangyong Musso may have been around awhile, but sales haven't been well for the small company, with it's best seller being a small crossover that only barely sold over 10,000 in 2016.
The total sales for SsangYong last year were 17,221 units.
Most trucks on this list out sell this company with one model, and it's this severe under exposure that's making these capable little trucks sell for cheap (just over $20k), for a 2.2-liter turbo-diesel 4-cylinder that's not too far away from the Colorado in power. These trucks won't be worth much in a couple years, and while trying to find a comparison for this, I could only find last year models, and even them have dropped 1/3 already in value.
3 Fiat Fullback
Fiat's first one-tonne pickup since just a couple years ago, it has already dropped value a lot in the couple years. New models often have kinks that need to be ironed out over the following model years, with the first model years being looked over in anticipation for the newer models with updates. Also, not only is a new model for Fiat, it's a new thing altogether, so they really have yet to make a mark and gain followers. The Fullback isn't a bad truck, with it's underpinnings shared from the Mitsubishi L200, this truck will make a good impact on the market, it's just going to take awhile to get there.
2 Ford Ranger
Wasn't I saying something about this earlier? As much as the Ranger is popular in the market down under, but up in North America, the Ranger hasn't been around since 2012. With a long awaited return, the Ford Ranger will no doubt sell like hot cakes. Problem lies when they're all bought and the sales year ends. The hype dies out and any short comings will surface, and resale prices will drop dramatically over the short period of time. Ford will ride this hype, but just how long will it last, and when it does just how far will the price drop. For base models, should be just about nil.
1 Mitsubishi L200
The Mitsubishi L200 is a much praised pickup, and as I mentioned is the base for the Fiat pickup. So how can a truck with a respectable view towards it not be valuable? Not just over saturation, being a popular option in the market sells well. A long history, with the model being around since 1978.
The only thing that really stops these dependable trucks is a case of "almost there".
Although the L200 is many good things, it seems to be too close and not quite yet enough of an image for people to prefer to buy one than most of the trucks I've mentioned already. The L200 may be a good truck, but simply by being not good enough isn't going to attract the buyers to purchase these used when they could have a Toyota or Nissan for around the same price, which is going to further drop the value to be competitive.
Refrences: GMauthority.com, strada.fiat.com.br, automobiles.honda.com, fordauthority, money.cnn.com,