Purchasing a new vehicle isn’t just about selecting a car you enjoy driving. While a vehicle may come equipped with numerous convenience features that enhance the driving experience, that alone doesn’t guarantee it will be a good long-term investment.
Vehicles are more than just products they are assets that, much like stocks, can either retain or lose their value over time.
Some vehicles hold their worth better than others, which becomes particularly important when it’s time to sell your current ride in favor of a new one.
When it comes to pickup trucks, this decision-making process can be even more complex. While they may appear to be the most rugged and durable vehicles at first glance, not all pickups maintain their value as well as expected.
During my high school years, I knew I wanted a pickup truck and had certain ideas about which ones were the coolest. However, I had to learn some crucial lessons about investment and reliability before ultimately deciding on my first truck.
Those lessons have served me well, as I still drive that same vehicle 14 years later. Moreover, I am confident that if I chose to sell it today, I could do so for a great price.
By researching various publications, evaluating reliability scores from institutions, analyzing truck reviews, and observing the used vehicle market, I have been able to keep track of which trucks tend to hold their value best.
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Here are seven models that have proven to be excellent investments.
1. Toyota Tacoma
The first pickup truck I purchased in high school was a Toyota Tacoma. Among all the pickup trucks available, this particular model from the Japanese automaker stands out as one of the best in terms of long-term value retention.
A Toyota Tacoma typically retains around 67% of its original price after five years and remains above 50% even after nine years.
Even earlier models from before 2014 still maintained strong ratings in the high 80s.A major reason why the Toyota Tacoma remains so valuable in the used market is its exceptional reliability.
Toyota, as a brand, has long been known for producing dependable vehicles, and the Tacoma is no exception.
While the Tacoma’s scores may not quite match Toyota’s smaller cars, such as the Camry, this is expected, as pickup trucks inherently face greater demands due to their size and power.
Speaking from personal experience, my 2010 Tacoma has surpassed 150,000 miles and still performs nearly as well as it did when I first bought it 14 years ago.
2. Toyota Tundra
If one Toyota model stands out as the top pickup truck for resale value, it makes perfect sense that the company’s other major truck would also be a solid investment.
The Toyota Tundra serves as the full-size alternative to the mid-size Tacoma, and impressively, it has steadily improved its resale value over the past few years.
Consider the 2021 models of both trucks: we rated the Tacoma’s resale value at 94 out of 100, while the Tundra received a score of 87, having previously remained in the 80s.
However, since 2022, the Tundra has pushed its rating into the 90s, putting it on par with its smaller counterpart.
Over at Consumer Reports, the Tundra’s reliability scores have remained remarkably consistent over the years. However, no specific model year has reached the peak 5 out of 5 reliability rating that the 2021 Tacoma achieved.
Toyota continues to prove that it manufactures vehicles built to last, and the Tundra is no exception. However, despite its reliability, the Tundra may not be quite as strong of a resale bet as the Tacoma.
This is primarily due to popularity while the Tacoma ranked as the 11th best-selling vehicle last year, the Tundra didn’t even break into the top 25.
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3. Jeep Gladiator
Both the Toyota Tacoma and Tundra have earned their reputations over time as dependable vehicles, which has allowed them to consistently rank among the best pickup trucks in terms of resale value.
However, not every truck on the market benefits from decades of proven reliability to bolster its desirability in the used vehicle market.
Some models must rely on other factors to establish themselves as valuable assets. This is precisely the case with the Jeep Gladiator.
Introduced for the 2020 model year, the Gladiator is a pickup truck designed with the iconic Jeep Wrangler as its foundation. Its strong resale performance can largely be attributed to two key factors: aesthetics and novelty.
The Jeep Wrangler already maintains impressive resale value, and because the Gladiator essentially offers the same experience only with the added functionality of a truck bed it benefits from that legacy.
In addition to its Wrangler-like appeal, the Gladiator’s newness plays a significant role in its desirability. As a vehicle that has only been on the market for a few years, it still carries a certain fresh factor that attracts buyers.
Notably, its launch coincided with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, meaning consumers haven’t had as many opportunities to experience and admire it firsthand.
The truck is still in what could be considered its honeymoon phase, and buyers are willing to pay for that exclusivity even if the Gladiator itself is not necessarily among the highest-rated pickups.
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4. Ford F-150
When discussing pickup trucks that don’t always receive the best reviews or ratings, the Ford F-150 inevitably comes up.
For vehicles that the publication favors, it awards a “CR Recommended” stamp of approval. Yet, not a single F-150 model, dating all the way back to 2000, has received that endorsement.
The owner satisfaction ratings are just as lackluster as its reliability scores. So, why does this truck make a list of pickups with strong resale value?
The answer lies in its sheer popularity. The Ford F-150 is the best-selling vehicle in the United States by a wide margin. This has been the case for decades, with no signs of change on the horizon.
The F-150 has cemented itself as an American icon, and when most people think of a pickup truck, this is likely the image that comes to mind.
Back when I was considering my first pickup, the F-150 was naturally my top choice until I took its reliability into account and decided to look elsewhere.
However, its immense popularity has allowed it to maintain strong resale value despite its shortcomings.
An F-150 retains about 76% of its original value after five years. This truck has become a cultural staple, and people are willing to pay to be part of that legacy.
5. Ford Maverick
The F-150 isn’t the only Ford truck that holds its resale value well. Unlike its larger counterpart, though, this particular model has the advantage of solid reliability and performance.
Enter the Ford Maverick, the brand’s latest compact pickup. As a smaller truck, the Maverick is less likely to endure the same level of heavy-duty use as larger pickups, meaning it doesn’t experience wear and tear as quickly.
Another reason for the Maverick’s high resale value estimated, it will retain about 65.6% of its value after five years is its novelty factor, much like the Jeep Gladiator.
This pickup has only been on the market since the 2022 model year. Given Ford’s long-standing reputation as a leader in the truck segment, the introduction of a brand-new pickup naturally generates significant interest.
That demand, in turn, helps sustain higher resale prices for the Maverick.That said, its newness also makes it a somewhat risky investment.
While the Maverick is currently experiencing strong demand, it’s uncertain whether that enthusiasm will persist long-term.
Fortunately, its reliability gives it an added advantage so even if the initial hype fades, the truck should still hold substantial value on the used market.
6. Chevrolet Silverado HD
All of the pickup trucks discussed so far are not particularly massive. While the F-150 is classified as a full-size pickup, it still falls on the more moderate side of that category.
However, there are larger trucks on the market that also manage to retain their resale value quite well. One such example is the heavy-duty variant of the second best-selling vehicle in the United States the Chevrolet Silverado HD.
If the F-150 is the most iconic American pickup, the Silverado is arguably the runner-up, and its HD models have proven to hold their resale value impressively.
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7. GMC Sierra HD
Given the Chevrolet Silverado HD’s presence on this list, it only makes sense for its sibling, the GMC Sierra HD, to be included as well.
For those unfamiliar, the Sierra and Silverado are essentially the same truck beneath the surface, as both Chevrolet and GMC operate under General Motors. Built on the same platform, the two models share nearly identical mechanics.
However, each features distinct design and material elements, making it worthwhile for GM to continue producing both vehicles separately rather than merging them into one.
With the Sierra ranking among the top 10 best-selling vehicles in the United States, plenty of buyers opt for it over the Silverado.
Due to its mechanical similarities to the Silverado HD, the GMC Sierra HD has also earned solid reliability ratings for both the 2500HD and 3500HD models over the past decade, as noted by Consumer Reports and J.D. Power.
However, when it comes to resale value, the Sierra HD falls slightly behind the Silverado HD.
The primary reason for this minor gap in resale value comes down to popularity the Silverado HD is simply the more mainstream and widely recognized option.
Being the second best-selling vehicle in the country gives it an advantage over the Sierra HD, which ranks seventh.
While the Sierra HD may not be quite as strong of an investment as the Silverado HD, it still holds considerable value and remains a solid choice.