Rule #1: a truck is not an investment. Rule #2? See rule #1. Nissans, Chevys, and Fords… oh my! Trucks in America are way more popular than cars, and it’s easy to see why! They can handle everything you throw at them, they’re your best friend in the snow, and they can take you and all your friends on the roads less traveled.
But buying a new truck is a guaranteed way to lose a ton of money, so I’m going to show you 9 trucks that lose the most money in 5 years, starting with the biggest loser, and ending with the least depreciated. And the good news is that the last truck on this list lost only 25% of its value in the first 60 months of ownership! That’s crazy when you consider that most trucks lose more than that in just the first year, especially when you mod them!
Ford F-150 – 46.9%
Wow! What? America’s most popular pickup is also America’s biggest loser? The F-150’s proudest achievement is also it’s biggest down fall. That’s why this higher-than-average depreciation actually makes sense. Since it’s America’s best selling pickup, there are a ton of options on the used market, so they don’t hold value as well. Too much competition! Either way, it’s Built Ford Tough and easy to see why the F-150 has such a loyal fan base!
As you can see, a truck you bought for $50,000 back in 2015 would now be worth about $26,800, or 46.9% less!
Ram 1500 – 44.7%
Ram Trucks! Specifically, the half-ton Ram 1500, which is Built To Serve, and can do pretty much everything well! It’ll haul ass when you need to if you opt for the Hemi, and that turbocharged EcoDiesel workhorse will haul just about anything you want with that low end grunt. Yet, overall, these rigs see heavy depreciation in the first 5 years.
Not far behind the F-150, these puppies are depreciating 44.7% in the first 60 months of ownership! Not an ideal deal to buy these new!
Chevrolet Silverado – 38%
These heavy duty pickup trucks manufactured by General Motors are some of the best in the business. They’re just extremely likable and Chevy sells a lot of them! One of the main reasons: Silverados are very dependable, which is good if you’re going to use a truck like a truck and Find New Roads!
You can also depend on them depreciating 38% if you buy it new, which isn’t bad for the bow tie brand!
Nissan Titan – 37.3%
Nissan doesn’t have a good reputation right now with their former CEO being an international fugitive, but the Nissan Titan might be worth a look if you like a truck that drives like it’s much smaller than it actually is. Plus, it’s a hard working, upscale truck that doesn’t cost a fortune to get into, especially if you’re going to handle the big jobs.
Outperforming many of its domestic competitors, Titans are losing only 37.3% over the first few years of ownership!
GMC Sierra – 36.9%
The Sierra depreciates a little bit slower than its sibling from Chevrolet, the Silverado. This truck is professional grade, and that 6-function MultiPro tailgate is just next level! You got the main tailgate, then you got a load stop for hauling wood or whatever, the easy-to-reach function, and last but not least, the step! Now, that must’ve taken some geniuses to come up with that engineering feat. And, of course, they have the high-end Denali trim level if you’re looking for a heavy, luxurious truck to rock like a pro.
The Sierra may be a smarter buy than its Silverado brethren, as it loses just 36.9% in value over five years.
Honda Ridgeline – 36.1%
If you like car-like driving experiences, look no further than the Honda Ridgeline. No, it doesn’t have the exceptional towing capacitiy of its foes. And no, the off-roading prowess this thing has is, well, about as good as running down a hill without shoes on. That’s going to hurt! The Honda is a New Truck to Love, and one of the things you’ll love about it is how much you’ll be able to sell it for in 5 years.
Yeah… not bad at all… losing 36.1% over 5 years!
Nissan Frontier – 33.7%
There’s no denying that Nissan’s design language is 100% early 2000’s, and it won’t be winning any awards for creature comforts or aesthetic beauty, but it still could be the muscle that you need. It’s just a no-nonsense mid-size pickup truck that just gets the job done. Plain and simple. It’s the truck that takes us back to the time when people bought trucks to use them as, well, trucks! And not the high end, heavy luxury multi-purpose rigs we’re seeing sold today!
The Frontier isn’t that heavy on depreciation, just 33.7% in 5 years of ownership!
Toyota Tundra – 27.9%
Of course, Toyota, a brand synonymous with long-lasting sale values, is going to pepper the best of this list. The Toyota Tundra is the truck that’s changing it all! It’s a full-size Japanese-built powerhouse that has looks and reliability that are hard to beat. It’s not as much of a workhorse as other options on this list, but if you’re looking to daily drive it during the week and tow your boat on the weekend, you’d be hard pressed to find a more capable unit. And since it’s such a well-rounded rig, it’s one of the least depreciating trucks you can buy today.
We’ve finally dipped into the 20% range with the Tundra depreciating 27.9%. Not bad… but it gets better!
Toyota Tacoma – 25.5%
Okay, so nowadays, if you don’t like losing money, buying a Toyota truck is obviously the way to go! And the Toyota Tacoma has been calling all adrenaline junkies for decades! If you’re looking for top tier reliability and legendary off-road prowess, the Taco is the one to own right now! People hang onto these for years or even decades because they are just that good! I love these trucks so much.
I convinced my best bud Pete to grab a blazing blue pearl off-road 6-speed, and after 35,000 trouble-free miles, he’s still loving it! And since he’s a finance guy, he’s loving the insane depreciation, or lack thereof, of just 25.5% in 5 years!
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