If you’re after a quick snapshot of the marketplace in 2026, here it is: used hybrid sales are up 34% year‑to‑date, and prices are rising across the board. The average new vehicle now sits at $50,900, the price of a new Honda Pilot Trailsport or Ford Explorer ST‑Line. That figure is up 3.3% since December 2025.
The average used vehicle has crossed the $30,000 threshold, and the average price of a used hybrid has reached an all‑time high of $38,800, all while EV resale values continue to tank.
2021 Toyota Camry HybridToyota
As Lexus seems to have known all along, demand for gas‑electric hybrids has remained strong as early EV offerings quickly transition into last‑year’s technology and see their resale values deflate. But here’s the twist nobody’s talking about: the hottest used hybrids selling the fastest and commanding near-MSRP money might just be the worst deals for shoppers who actually run the numbers.
Setting the Stage: Winners, Losers, and the Hybrid Market Reality in 2026
2021 Honda CR-V HybridHonda
This year’s sales data makes the trend impossible to ignore. Camry Hybrid sales are up 306%, a figure boosted considerably by the recent launch of an all-new, all-hybrid lineup. Honda CR‑V Hybrid sales are up 78%, and RAV4 Hybrid sales are up 27%. As we’ll see in detail below, it’s Toyota and Honda hybrids that routinely command near‑MSRP money on low‑mileage used examples. Specifically, the RAV4 Hybrid retains 74.8% of its value after five years, while overlooked alternatives like the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid have slipped in residual value by thousands more.
2019 – 2025 Toyota RAV4 & RAV4 Hybrid exteriorToyota
Though the 34% increase in used hybrid sales is a major signal, the story goes much deeper than that single metric. Used hybrid sales and prices are up, but the key beneficiaries tend to be well‑established hybrid brands, including Honda and Toyota. That leaves other hybrid models like the Fusion and Sonata as the market’s lower‑demand, lower‑cost alternatives, which could save buyers many thousands.
If you’re looking for something five or six years old in a mainstream hybrid SUV or sedan, the math shakes out very differently depending on which alternative you’re considering.
2022 Honda CR-V Hybrid frontHonda
To help get a lay of the land in 2026, we’ll focus on what key example models are worth today at around five years old, and what they’re predicted to be worth five years later, once they’ve hit the 10-year mark. We’ll be dealing with the Honda Accord Hybrid, Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, Ford Fusion Hybrid, Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, and Honda CR‑V Hybrid, each a mainstream conventional hybrid that can be widely serviced across the country and operates with no plugging in possible. Just put gas in the tank and drive; all of these hybrids operate just like any other car from the driver’s seat.
2022 Honda CR-V Hybrid powertrain engineHonda
2021 Toyota Camry Hybrid LE
Engine
2.5-liter four-cylinder gas/electric hybrid
Power
208 hp (combined system output)
Torque
163 lb-ft @ 3,600 rpm (gas engine only)
Compression Ratio
14.0:1
Fuel Requirement
regular grade
0-60 mph (approx)
7.8 seconds
2021 Toyota Camry HybridToyota
Within that group, some models have become high‑retention benchmarks, while others have settled into low‑retention territory. The Camry Hybrid, RAV4 Hybrid, and Accord Hybrid consistently rank among the strongest value‑holders in the segment, often retaining well above average value at both the three‑year and five‑year marks. Today, it’s not uncommon to see second‑hand pricing at or near new MSRP levels, with some models shielded from depreciation more than others. Meanwhile, models such as the Sonata Hybrid and the now‑discontinued Fusion Hybrid tend to fall on the opposite end of the spectrum, depreciating more quickly and offering lower residual values once they reach a few years old.
The Used Hybrid Market Is Splitting And You Could Save Big
2021 Toyota Camry HybridToyota
When it comes to the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, the original owner of a 2021 model year unit probably paid about $34,000 in 2021. Today, after five years, depreciation of 25.2 percent has dropped its resale value to $24,578, giving it one of the strongest retained‑value profiles in the hybrid segment.
Base Trim Engine
2.0L Inline-4 Hybrid
Base Trim Transmission
Continuously Variable Automatic (CVT)
Base Trim Drivetrain
Front-Wheel Drive
Base Trim Horsepower
188 hp
Base Trim Torque
129 lb-ft @ 4000 rpm
Fuel Economy
43/41 MPG
Infotainment & Features
9 /10
A Honda Accord Hybrid from 2021 probably cost its original owner about $34,000 as well, and at five years old, that same machine has depreciated 36.5 percent to $21,471, a result that aligns closely with the Accord Hybrid’s long‑running reputation for above‑average resale strength. The Toyota Camry Hybrid tells a similar story. Five years ago, you’d likely have paid about $29,100 for one, and today, depreciation of 34.3 percent results in a resale value of $19,108.
2019 – 2025 Toyota RAV4 & RAV4 Hybrid front 3/4 angle in gray while parkedToyota
It’s a similar story for the CR‑V Hybrid. In 2021, it probably cost its original owner about $36,200. Today, five years on, it’s depreciated 33.7 percent to $24,000, giving it a retained‑value profile of 66.3 percent, which places it just ahead of the Accord Hybrid and solidly among the segment’s strongest performers.
2021 Honda CR-V HybridHonda
Five years ago, you probably paid $29,200 or so for a 2021 model year Sonata Hybrid. Today, data from iSeeCars.com says that model has depreciated 46.2 percent after five years, resulting in a resale value of $15,702.
The Ford Fusion Hybrid is trickier to nail down a number for, partially since it left the market after 2020, making it a year older than anything else on this list. Data from Edmunds.com shows a similar trend, with five‑year‑old units expected to be priced in the low-to-mid teens, consistent with the Sonata Hybrid and the Fusion Hybrid’s typical 45–50 percent five‑year depreciation range.
2019 – 2025 Toyota RAV4 & RAV4 Hybrid interiorToyota
To summarize, from best to worst, retained value in these mainstream hybrids looks like this: RAV4 Hybrid (74.8%), CR‑V Hybrid (66.3%), Camry Hybrid (65.7%), Accord Hybrid (63.5%), Sonata Hybrid (53.8%), and Fusion Hybrid (about 50%). This spread is sometimes called a value‑retention gradient, and it demonstrates how strongly brand equity and long‑term reliability expectations are valued by shoppers in the used hybrid market.
In straight‑up dollars and cents, that means you’ll be paying about $25,000 for a five‑year‑old RAV4 Hybrid, directly in line with its reputation as the segment’s resale champ. A CR‑V Hybrid of the same age lands at roughly $24,000, a hair behind the RAV4 and still a top‑tier value retainer. The Accord Hybrid comes next at about $21,500, with strong but not class‑leading resale strength.
2022 Honda CR-V Hybrid engineHonda
The Camry Hybrid slots in at about $19,000, a middle‑of‑the‑pack price that reflects its balanced depreciation curve and broad appeal. Things get more affordable with the Sonata Hybrid, which now sells for around $16,000, a meaningful drop that makes it one of the cheaper ways into a five‑year‑old hybrid. And at the bottom of the pack sits the Fusion Hybrid, where five‑year‑old units typically trade in the low‑to‑mid‑teens, making it the budget pick of the group.
On the surface, the Sonata Hybrid and Fusion Hybrid might appear to be great ways to save money on a five-year-old gas-electric hybrid, but the additional depreciation costs to the ten-year mark still need to be considered.
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Here’s What Another 5 Years Of Depreciation Will Cost You
All resale values and depreciation figures are approximate and rounded to the nearest $500 for readability. Actual market prices will vary by mileage, condition, equipment, and local demand.
2021 Hyundai Sonata HybridHyundai
If you buy any of the vehicles above at five or six years old and drive them to the ten‑year mark, here’s how an additional half‑decade of depreciation might affect your costs.
At 10 years old in 2031, iSeeCars.com data shows the Sonata Hybrid worth about $9,000. The Camry Hybrid becomes a $12,000 car by the time it hits the same ten‑year mark. The CR‑V Hybrid is projected to be worth $13,000 at a decade old, and the RAV4 Hybrid lands in the same neighborhood at $13,000 as well.
!!!TRIM TAG!!! Price Chart 2021 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid LE AWD
The Accord Hybrid follows closely, with decade‑old units typically settling around $12,000, reflecting Honda’s strong long‑term resale curve. The Fusion Hybrid doesn’t have good ten‑year data, but given its steeper depreciation and the fact it left the market after 2020, we can assume it will be the lowest of the group at around $7,000.
2021 Hyundai Sonata HybridHyundai
From the five‑year mark to the ten‑year mark, that means you’ll lose about $11,500 more in depreciation on a RAV4 Hybrid (from $24,578 down to $13,000). The CR‑V Hybrid drops another $11,000 (from $24,000 to $13,000).
The Accord Hybrid sheds roughly $9,500 (from $21,471 to about $12,000), while the Camry Hybrid loses about $7,000 (from $19,108 to $12,000). The Sonata Hybrid takes a lighter ten-year hit, dropping another $6,500 (from $15,500 to $9,000). And at the bottom, the Fusion Hybrid likely loses about $7,500 over that same five‑year stretch, falling from the low‑to‑mid teens at age five to roughly $7,000 at age ten.
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What’s A Shopper To Do?
2019 – 2025 Toyota RAV4 & RAV4 Hybrid exteriorToyota
Based on the data above, we can point to a few key takeaways. The RAV4 Hybrid retains 74.8% of its value at five years, is still worth $13,000 at ten years, and loses only about $11,500 from years 5–10. This makes it the strongest value in the hybrid market today, and it is well shielded from depreciation.
The Honda CR-V Hybrid is hot on the RAV4 Hybrid’s tail, making it a top-tier pick without the premium price of the Toyota Hybrid above it. That leaves the Camry Hybrid as the standout in the middle ground, with modest five-year pricing and strong ten-year stability. It’s the lowest long-term depreciation hit in the segment.
2021 Toyota Camry HybridToyota
For a bargain, the Sonata Hybrid is worthy of consideration. It’s part of a big hybrid push into the US market by the automaker, though steep initial depreciation has created a modest entry point today. The Sonata’s second five years will cost less in depreciation than the Toyota or Honda models compared here. Buying this one is a strong value play if you’re looking to cut costs.
2021 Hyundai Sonata HybridHyundai
For a deeper discount, the Fusion Hybrid is discontinued, heavily depreciated, and ideal for those seeking hybrid efficiency at the lowest possible price of entry. In a market where five‑year‑old Toyotas and Hondas are selling at near-new prices, the smartest move is simple: buy the hybrid the crowd isn’t competing for.
Sources: CarEdge.com, iSeeCars, KBB.com, forbes.com, businessinsider.com, autoweek.com
