According to a July 2026 report on which used cars to buy, the Toyota Tacoma holds its value better than any other vehicle on the market. Auto experts from Rerev looked at the most popular cars from five years ago to find the models that are still worth buying today.
Five years after purchase, the 2021 Toyota Tacoma still keeps nearly 80% of its original asking price. The 2021 Ford Ranger is the only American-made truck in the top five, still selling for around $34K on the resale market. At roughly $20K, the Honda Civic is one of the cheapest cars to own long-term, losing only $7,800 over five years.
Here are the headline findings from the study:
- The Toyota Tacoma is the best used car to buy in 2026, keeping 79% of its value
- The Toyota 4Runner ranks second at 75.6% residual value
- The Toyota RAV4 holds nearly 75% of its original price after five years
- The Ford Ranger is the only American-made vehicle in the top five
- The Honda Civic is one of the most affordable long-term used buys at ~$20K
- See the full top 10 rankings table
The Toyota Tacoma is the best used car to buy in 2026
The Toyota Tacoma (2021) is the best used car to buy in 2026. After five years on the road, it has only lost 21% of its original price. In hard cash, that’s just $9,344 gone — less than any other car in the study. It now still sells for around $35K, making the Tacoma a strong buy for long-term use, especially given that more than 4 million buyers still look up the model every month.
For buyers weighing specific model years, see Toyota Tacoma years to avoid and most common problems.
The Toyota 4Runner ranks second at 75.6% residual value
The 4Runner takes second place, still selling for $40K+ after five years on the road. The model lost $13,098 over that stretch — only 24.4% of its original price. That makes the 4Runner another strong pick for American buyers who plan to drive it for years and still want to resell it at a good price. Finding a buyer won’t be hard either, as nearly 7 million people still search for it today.
The Toyota RAV4 holds nearly 75% of its original price after five years
The RAV4 is another in-demand used car, with 6.8 million people looking up its listings on the resale market. This compact SUV holds value well, keeping nearly 75% of its original price tag after five years. The RAV4 can now be purchased for around $27.6K, and remains a practical option for buyers who want something versatile rather than a truck or a rugged off-roader.
See Toyota RAV4 years to avoid before you shop.
The Ford Ranger is the only American-made vehicle in the top five
The 2021 Ranger is the only American-made vehicle that made the top five. After five years, it still sells for about $33,900, shedding only 27.6% of its original value — just one percentage point behind the RAV4. Similar to other top-ranked vehicles, the Ford Ranger also remains in demand, being looked up by roughly 1.5 million potential buyers on the resale market every month.
For model-year guidance, see Ford Ranger years to avoid.
The Honda Civic is one of the most affordable long-term used buys
The Civic rounds out the top five used cars to buy in 2026. It dropped just $7,769 in price over the past five years, and resells for about $19,700. That makes the Civic one of the most affordable vehicles to buy for long-term use. With only a 28% depreciation rate, the model stays one of the most popular options on the used car market, with over 9.3 million monthly lookups.
What the data says about gas vs. electric on the used market
Automotive industry experts from Rerev commented on the study:
There are plenty of good options on the used car market right now, but if you’re buying secondhand in 2026, a gas vehicle is the smarter financial call over an EV. Battery technology is moving so quickly that a five-year-old electric car can already feel outdated in a way a five-year-old Tacoma simply doesn’t. On top of that, buyers are taking on real uncertainty about battery health and replacement costs, which can run into the thousands. That combination keeps used EV prices low and makes it much harder to get your money back when you eventually sell.
Toyota and Honda account for seven of the ten best value holders in the study. The Ford Ranger is the sole Detroit-brand representative in the top five, underscoring how truck demand and limited supply have helped mid-size pickups retain value.
Full top 10 rankings
The remaining models in the top 10 show how Japanese brands dominate value retention on the 2021-model-year used market:
Honda CR-V (71.7% residual) — Honda’s compact SUV lost $10,779 over five years and now resells for around $27,350. See Honda CR-V years to avoid for model-year guidance.
Honda HR-V (70.8% residual) — The subcompact HR-V shed $8,843 and still commands about $21,500 on the used market.
Toyota Corolla (68.2% residual) — Toyota’s sedan lost $8,782 over five years and remains one of the most searched models in the study, with resale prices around $18,800.
Subaru Forester (65.6% residual) — The Forester lost $13,440 but still sells for roughly $25,600, reflecting steady demand for all-wheel-drive crossovers.
Lexus ES 350 (65.6% residual) — The only luxury sedan in the top 10, the ES 350 lost $16,929 — the largest dollar drop in the ranking — yet still resells for about $32,300.
| Car | Depreciation after 5 years | Residual value % | Depreciation % | Resale value | Google search volume per 1M |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toyota Tacoma | $9,344 | 79.0 | 21.0 | $35,051 | 12,015 |
| Toyota 4Runner | $13,098 | 75.6 | 24.4 | $40,519 | 20,125 |
| Toyota RAV4 | $10,111 | 73.2 | 26.8 | $27,580 | 19,741 |
| Ford Ranger | $12,965 | 72.4 | 27.6 | $33,932 | 4,427 |
| Honda Civic | $7,769 | 71.8 | 28.2 | $19,732 | 27,385 |
| Honda CR-V | $10,779 | 71.7 | 28.3 | $27,352 | 8,496 |
| Honda HR-V | $8,843 | 70.8 | 29.2 | $21,464 | 5,254 |
| Toyota Corolla | $8,782 | 68.2 | 31.8 | $18,812 | 15,493 |
| Subaru Forester | $13,440 | 65.6 | 34.4 | $25,621 | 5,414 |
| Lexus ES 350 | $16,929 | 65.6 | 34.4 | $32,273 | 4,562 |
Methodology
This July 2026 study by Rerev examined popular vehicles from the 2021 model year — now five years old — to find which ones are worth buying on the used market in 2026. Each car was evaluated on how much of its original value it still holds and what it sells for today.
The main ranking factor was depreciation percentage: how much of the original price has disappeared over five years. To round out the picture, the study also tracked Google search volume per million population, giving a sense of which vehicles stay in demand among used-car shoppers.
Original asking prices and current resale values reflect market data for 2021-model-year vehicles as of July 2026. Resale figures can vary with mileage, trim, condition, and region.
Why you can trust Rerev’s automotive research: our team cross-checks market pricing, search trends, and industry data before publishing study results. Find out more about our editorial standards.