If you’ve ever watched a brand-new luxury SUV roll off a dealer lot and wondered where all that money goes, depreciation data has a blunt answer. A new study from iSeeCars — one of the most reliable sources for pure automotive market math — tracked nearly a million used cars in the five-year-old range and confirmed something savvy shoppers have long suspected: the steepest new-car losses are a used buyer’s greatest opportunity. The numbers are striking, and knowing how to read them can put serious money back in your pocket.
For instance, the Porsche 718 Cayman is the slowest-depreciating vehicle on the market over five years, losing just 9.6% of its value in half a decade. Trucks and hybrids lose value more slowly than any other segment. And this isn’t just fun facts; you can use this information to secure an excellent deal on a used car.
EVs Depreciate Very Quickly, Hybrids Are Slow To Lose Value
2021 Nissan LeafNissan
Drawing data from more than 950,000 used cars between March 2025 and February 2026, iSeeCars turned up the following key findings:
- EVs lose around 57.2% of their value in the first five years of ownership
- Trucks only lose 34.2% of their value in five years
- Hybrids tend to lose around 35.4% of their value over five years
- Toyota holds its value very well, making up 10 of the top 25 slowest-depreciating vehicles
- Cars tend to retain more value in 2026 than in 2025, but the improvement is barely noticeable for EVs
- Cars saw an average five-year depreciation of 41.8% across all segments as of early 2026
The study suggests that peak used-car demand during the pandemic era pushed prices higher and slowed depreciation in the years immediately following. But prices have since bounced back, partly due to insufficient supply over the past 12 months, according to iSeeCars Executive Analyst Karl Brauer.
You Can Easily Turn This Data To Your Advantage
2019 Infiniti QX80Infiniti
This stuff is all pretty interesting if you’re a nerd about automotive market statistics, but, more than that, it’s relevant for used car buyers. Here’s what you need to consider:
- Some cars are losing as much as 63.1% of their MSRP value in just five years
- Luxury models are losing $50,000 and up in the first five years
- Rapid advancements in EV technology are driving used electric car prices to plummet year after year
- Used cars tend to see their biggest drop in value over the shortest period in those first five years
- Because these cars have already shed the largest chunk of their value, they offer the greatest opportunity for used buyers
So with that in mind, what cars should bargain-hunters be targeting?
The Infiniti QX80 Is The Quickest-Depreciating SUV On The Market
2021 Infiniti QX80 side angle in whiteInfiniti
Five years is usually the sweet spot — a car has shed a lot of value relative to its sticker price, yet it still has plenty of good miles left if you’ve kept up on maintenance. Here are the 10 fastest-depreciating cars, according to iSeeCars.
Rank
Model
Segment
Average 5-Year Depreciation
Average $ Difference From MSRP
1
Nissan Leaf
EV
63.1%
$17,743
2
Infiniti QX80
SUV
62.8%
$52,631
3
Volkswagen ID.4
EV
62.1%
$28,010
4
Tesla Model S
EV
62%
$58,907
5
Land Rover Range Rover
SUV
61.7%
$69,856
6
BMW 7 Series
Sedan
61.6%
$61,141
7
Tesla Model X
EV
61.2%
$61,216
8
Ford Mustang Mach-E
EV
60.8%
$22,976
9
BMW 5-Series (hybrid)
Hybrid
59.5%
$44,921
10
Infiniti QX60
SUV
58.3%
$30,099
It’s worth noting that the fastest-depreciating vehicles aren’t necessarily the models that lose the most money in absolute terms, since the statistic is measured against MSRP. For instance, a Nissan Leaf starts at $29,990, so 63.1% doesn’t even amount to $20,000. On the other hand, a $113,000 Land Rover Range Rover’s 61.7% loss amounts to more than you’d spend on two brand-new Nissans.
Breaking It Down By Segment
2019 Infiniti QX80Infiniti
Dividing iSeeCars’ broader findings by segment, here’s what we get for five-year depreciation rates by year.
Segment
2019
2023
2025
2026
Overall
49.6%
38.8%
45.6%
41.8%
Hybrids
56.7%
37.4%
40.7%
35.4%
EVs
67.1%
49.1%
58.8%
57.2%
SUVs
51.6%
41.2%
48.9%
44.9%
Trucks
42.7%
34.8%
40.4%
34.2%
Whatever you’re buying, the smart move is not to fixate solely on the cash saved at purchase. Waiting five years on a Range Rover can save you nearly $70,000, but it’ll cost you over $40,000 upfront, plus the considerable ongoing maintenance costs that come with owning one.
Not Every Cheap Car Is Worth Owning
2020-2022 BMW 7 Series Side ProfileBMW
What we really want when shopping for a used car is a good deal. This is why used luxury cars are usually difficult to recommend as five-year used buys. Maybe you’d save some money on the purchase price, but with the vehicle out of warranty, you’re paying for every $300 oil change and $700 spark plug out of pocket.
Rounding up the quickest-depreciating models and tallying annual maintenance costs, fuel economy, and typical insurance costs, here’s what we find:
Rank
Model
Maintenance
Fuel
Insurance
Annual Ownership Estimate
1
Nissan Leaf
$748
$700
$2,370
$3,818
2
Infiniti QX80
$718
$4,800
$2,691
$8,209
3
Volkswagen ID.4
$676
$800
$2,401
$3,877
4
Tesla Model S
$1,047
$650
$4,821
$7,518
5
Land Rover Range Rover
$1,258
$4,300
$5,079
$10,637
6
BMW 7 Series
$1,061
$3,100
$6,871
$11,032
7
Tesla Model X
$832
$700
$4,991
$6,523
8
Ford Mustang Mach-E
$775
$800
$2,518
$4,093
9
BMW 5-Series (hybrid)
$620
$2,100
$3,516
$6,236
10
Infiniti QX60
$639
$3,500
$2,466
$6,605
The maintenance costs for this table come from RepairPal. Insurance estimates come courtesy of CarEdge, assuming a 40-year-old driver buying full coverage with a clean record and good credit. Fuel costs are provided by FuelEconomy.gov, assuming 15,000 miles driven each year, split 45/55 between highway and city driving, selecting the most fuel-efficient five-year-old model.
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Based on these numbers, the Infiniti QX80 may save you a lot of money at the point of purchase, but the cost of ownership is higher than most, given its status as a full-size luxury SUV. It’s thirstier than several other models on this list simply because it’s large and combustion-powered. On the other hand, it’s actually cheaper to maintain than the Nissan Leaf, which is otherwise the most affordable car on the list to own.
What Does An Infiniti QX80 Cost 5 Years Later?
2021 Infiniti QX80 front angle in whiteInfiniti
2021 Infiniti QX80
Engine
5.6-liter V8
Horsepower
400 hp
Torque
413 lb-ft
Drivetrain
RWD
Transmission
7-Speed Automatic
The largest of the Infiniti SUV lineup, the QX80 came standard with a V8 engine, making it distinctive among competitors like the BMW X7. Seating seven or eight passengers, the QX80 is large and spacious. As new, buyers were paying upwards of $70,000 — but price trends five years down the line show you can spend less than half that today and get your hands on a solid used example. The used market shows prices as low as $15,000, but as high as $40,000, and for the most luxurious trims, as high as $55,000.
The QX80 Is Cheap To Fix, But Pricey To Refuel
2021 Infiniti QX80 interior view of the gear shifterInfiniti
Going down the list of the most expensive common fixes for the QX80, according to RepairPal, here’s what we get.
- AC evaporator replacement $2,091 – $2,561
- Fuel tank replacement $1,766 – $1,944
- AC compressor replacement $1,455 – $1,583
- Brake caliper replacement $1,318 – $1,418
- Window switch replacement $808 – $858
Typical repair costs for a Nissan Leaf are very low, as is generally the case with EVs. But the Leaf’s average annual maintenance cost is driven up by the potential expense of a $21,111 traction battery replacement. Of course, if you’ve driven an EV or hybrid long enough to need a high-voltage battery swap, you’re almost always better off selling it.
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The QX60 Is Also A Good Used Buy (If You’re Not Interested In Electric)
2019 Infiniti QX60Infiniti
At a glance, it’s clear that electric vehicles like the Nissan Leaf, the Volkswagen ID.4, and the Ford Mustang Mach-E offer the best return on a five-year-old used car purchase. EVs depreciate quickly, they’re cheap to maintain, and they’re cheap to recharge. Some, like the Tesla Model S, are more expensive to insure, but the savings more than make up the difference.
If you’re not ready to make the jump to electric, the Infiniti QX60 is the best deal you’re going to find on this list. Our price tracking tool puts an entry-level 2020 Infiniti QX60 (there was no 2021 model) at around $19,066, well under its MSRP of $44,350. It’s cheap to fix, and while it’s not the cheapest SUV to refuel, being a three-row mid-size, it’s cheaper to fill up than its big sibling, the QX80, by a cool $1,300 each year.
Of course, these gas prices just put into perspective the fact that it’s never been smarter to switch to an EV.
Source: iSeeCars, RepairPal, CarEdge, FuelEconomy.gov.
