Which sedans hold their value well over time? Popular car types like crossovers and SUVs tend to hold their value better than most sedans. But sedans are more popular than most people realize, and some sedans hold their value better than you’d think.
All new cars depreciate over time, on average losing about 20 percent of their value in the first year, around 15 percent in the second, with the curve flattening from 15 to nine percent in the next three years. Brand and model popularity play a major role in value retention, with Toyota and Honda both known for keeping their value. Market conditions play a role as well, with used cars gaining popularity when new car prices spike, as happened recently. Here is a list of ten such sedans.
This list is a projection of the percentage value of the MSRP a new 2026 model will retain after five years, based on 12,000 miles per year. This projection uses industry-wide depreciation trends for similar cars and known resale patterns. Hybrid cars tend to keep their value better than the ICE versions of the same cars, so a popular model like the Corolla would have separate entries for its ICE and hybrid models. Models are listed from the least residual value after five years to the most.
Hyundai Elantra Hybrid
Residual Value After Five Years: 52-Percent
The MSRP for the 2026 Hyundai Elantra Hybrid is $25,450. A residual value of 52 percent after five years would be $13,254. The Elantra has impressive efficiency and bold, modern styling. Its focus is on everyday practicality rather than performance, an attractive commuter or family car with low fuel costs and a very strong warranty.
Although Hyundai does not have the high residual value found in Toyota and Honda vehicles, the Elantra has a good reputation for reliability, is laden with features, and has great ownership costs. Not to mention its sharp aesthetic is striking to most anyone who lays eyes upon it.
Find 2026 Hyundai Elantra and more cars for sale on our Marketplace
Subaru Legacy
Residual Value After Five Years: 53-Percent
Although the Subaru Legacy is meant to stop production, it is still being sold in January 2026. The 2025 Subaru Legacy has an MSRP of $26,810, leaving a residual value of $14,209 after five years. The Legacy is a mid-size sedan with AWD standard, making it popular in areas with challenging weather conditions and rough terrain.
It has a sizable following in the US because of its quality, comfort, safety, and great handling. The Legacy‘s value retention is the result of a very loyal customer base, the value of its excellent AWD, and its reputation for durability and safety.
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Mazda 3 Sedan
Residual Value After Five Years: 54-Percent
With an MSRP of $24,550, this Mazda should be around $13,257 in five years. The 2026 Mazda 3 Sedan is a prime example of Mazda’s drive towards more upscale cars and great driving dynamics. The interior is noticeably more premium than other sedans in the price bracket, while precise steering and great handling make the Mazda 3 more than just a great daily drive.
The Mazda 3 keeps its value because it stands out in the crowd with its distinctive styling and reputation as a driver’s car. A focus on solid engineering keeps the Mazda reputation on the right side of value.
Find 2026 Mazda 3 Sedan and more cars for sale on our Marketplace
The Affordable Honda Hybrid That’s Perfect For A First-Time Buyer
First time buyers are often stretched for money, but looking for a car that is a good investment. Honda hybrids are affordable and offer great value.
Honda Accord
Residual Value After Five Years: 54-Percent
The 2026 Honda Accord starts at $28,395 and will be worth $15,333 in five years. This is a refined, spacious mid-size sedan that combines comfort with Honda’s trademark great driving quality. The interior design is clean and modern, with loads of features.
It is a great car for both daily use and longer road trips. Honda is pushing Toyota in the long-term value stakes, and the Accord has a reputation for reliability and practicality. The cabin is roomy, and the mechanical components have proven reliability.
Find 2026 Honda Accord and more cars for sale on our Marketplace
Toyota Camry
Residual Value After Five Years: 55-Percent
The 2026 Toyota Camry is the top-selling sedan in the US, and since the 2025 model, available only as a hybrid. Starting at $29,100, it is an exceptional value under $30,000, and should be worth $16,000 in five years. The Camry has okay performance, but it is known more for being durable, comfortable, spacious, and safe.
The car’s electrified drivetrain is not only smooth and quiet, but it delivers excellent fuel economy and provides all the performance you could really ever need from a family-friendly car.
– Craig Cole for TopSpeed
The Camry nameplate has been around for decades and comes with a long and deserved reputation for reliability. Brand recognition is a strong factor in long-term value, and few US cars can match the Camry.
Honda Civic Sedan
Residual Value After Five Years: 57-Percent
The 2026 Honda Civic Sedan in all its forms, sedan and hatch, ICE and hybrid, was the North American Car of the Year in 2025 for a reason. Starting at $24,695, it offers unmatched value for money and would still be worth $14,000 after five years. The Civic is known as a great car to drive.
It combines high quality, modern technology, great ergonomics, and excellent safety. Used car buyers like the Civic because of its mechanical reliability and reputation as a driver’s car. It’s also an excellent daily drive, perfect for commuting, small families, and first-time drivers who want sharp looks as well.
The 2025 Toyota GR Corolla: Drive And Review
We put one of the hottest hatches of 2025 to the test in the canyons of Southern California.
Toyota Corolla Sedan
Residual Value After Five Years: 58-Percent
The 2025 Corolla has been a mainstay in the US since Nixon’s first term in 1968. It has laid its reputation for solid, dependable quality over the decades, and more recently, has added sharp, good looks to a previously pedestrian design. Starting at only $22,925, the Corolla represents great value when new, and keeps it at $13,297 after five years.
Nobody has ever accused the Corolla of being flashy, but it is easy to own and nice to drive, and very reliable. If you can put a price on the value of brand reputation, it would be the Corolla. It is generally considered among the most reliable cars ever made, and comes with low running costs. The Corolla is simply a no-hassle, easy-to-own daily drive.
Toyota Prius
Residual Value After Five Years: 60-Percent
Toyota just beat Honda with the first hybrid car 25 years ago, and that was the Prius. Although the first couple of Prius generations were lumpy and slow cars, and the butt of many jokes, this hybrid was still good enough to survive and thrive. In the early ’20s, the new generation Prius was launched, bringing really sharp good looks to decent performance, and excellent fuel economy. Starting at $28,550, it will still be worth $17,000 when you sell it in 2031.
It has good acceleration that makes it easy to get up to highway speeds and even gives you a little extra power when you need it for passing slower vehicles.
– Nicole Wakelin, TopSpeed Journalist
Many drivers choose hybrid drives because they cost less to drive and tend to last longer than conventional ICE cars, and those are very good reasons. But the 2026 Toyota Prius goes back further than that. It was the poster child for environmental responsibility, and that label still holds currency, making a used Prius a popular used car.
Honda Civic Sedan Hybrid
Residual Value After Five Years: 61-Percent
The 2026 Honda Civic Hybrid takes all the appeal of the ICE Civic and improves it with the benefits of the hybrid system. The Civic hybrid has more power and much better fuel consumption than the ICE version, and at only $29,395, it represents seriously good value. After five years, you can expect to sell it for $18,000.
The Civic is a known and respected name in motoring, combining looks, performance, and reliability. The hybrid used in the Civic is based on mature technology, while the excellent fuel efficiency brings strong appeal in times of high gas prices.
How Much A Fully Loaded Honda Civic Hybrid Costs
There are two ways to go about your range-topping and fully loaded Honda Civic Hybrid, and here’s how much it’ll cost you.
Toyota Corolla Sedan Hybrid
Residual Value After Five Years: 62-Percent
The Toyota Corolla Hybrid is a strong competitor in the top-ten best-selling list of cars, and the hybrid version underlines Toyota’s philosophy of making popular models better with this more efficient and powerful technology. At only $24,775, the Corolla Hybrid is not that much more than the ICE version, and if you combine fuel savings over five years, as well as a value of $15,351, it will save significant money over that time.
Times are tough, and new cars are expensive to buy and to run. The Toyota Corolla hybrid is the exception, giving buyers a known and trusted brand with great fuel economy and reliability, at a great price. And that is the reason why the Corolla Hybrid keeps its value so well.
Sources: Various manufacturers, iSeeCars