These Two Japanese Car Brands Top Kelley Blue Book's Best Resale Value Rankings

Resale value is usually important to new car buyers; most people don't want to see thousands of dollars fly out their garage door in a few years. Along with the outlet's surveys regarding reliability and customer satisfaction, Kelley Blue Book's best resale value rankings can help you decide which cars are the smartest buys. KBB reports that the average new car is only worth 44.6% of its original value after five years, which means a loss of almost $19,000 on a car with a $35,000 original price. 

Among 2025 models, Japanese brands performed better than competitors from elsewhere, including the U.S. and Europe. Five of the top 10 models were Toyotas, by far the most of any manufacturer. Chevrolet, Ford, Mercedes, Porsche, and Honda scored one spot each, and two other Hondas topped their respective categories. 

The five Toyota models that made the top 10 were the Tacoma and Tundra pickup trucks, 4Runner and RAV4 SUVs, and GR Supra sport coupe. The first four listed also scored best in their respective categories: mid-size and full-size truck, off-road SUV, and mid-size SUV. The RAV4 PHEV was tops among all plug-in hybrid vehicles, and other category wins came in the mid-size SUV class for the Grand Highlander and the full-sized SUV category for the Sequoia.

Toyota's five models in the top 10 all should be worth at least half their original price at the five-year mark. Some of the best Toyota models hold nearly 2/3 of their value through 60 months; this goes hand-in-hand with the brand's reputation for reliability. Toyota offers a comprehensive model lineup with sedans, SUVs and trucks in various sizes, plenty of hybrid options, and the fully-electric bZ. Toyota's vehicles range in cost from just over $26,000 with destination charge for the Corolla Cross to $66,000-plus for the hybrid Sequoia SUV, so there's something for every need and budget.

Honda only placed one vehicle in the top 10 overall for resale value, but two other models topped their individual categories. The 2025 Honda CR-V compact SUV landed in seventh place with a 54.4% resale value, just ahead of Toyota's RAV4. In the words of KBB, "The 2026 Honda CR-V remains a benchmark among compact SUVs, masterfully combining practicality, efficiency, and easy driving manners." SlashGear's review of the 2025 Honda CR-V hybrid found the Sport Touring version to be capable but lacking a bit for fuel economy.

Two Honda models ranked first in different car classes. The 2025 Civic kept 51.5% of its value after five years of ownership, a figure that was matched exactly by the 2025 Accord. Road Genius ranks Honda as the world's third-best selling brand behind Toyota and Volkswagen, and the Civic and Accord accounted for almost 30% of Honda's U.S. sales in 2025. The Accord and Civic were tops in KBB's mid-size and compact car categories respectively, although neither was the highest-ranked car overall. The Chevrolet Corvette keeps 61% of its value after five years but is ranked separately from the two Hondas as a sports car.