Deprecation Value

[Snowflee17]

The Mustang has made the top 10 list of cars that hold their value, check out this article:

https://www.motor1.com/news/754580/cars-least-depreciation-2025/

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[Crew4991]

Good read! Thanks for sharing.

Noticing some trends with this list.
Some higher end Porsche sports cars that blend the lines between performance and luxury.

Reliable Japanese makes like Toyota and Honda that typically produce well made, affordable, and long lasting models for families and general public.

American muscle/sports cars like the Mustang, Corvette and now non-existent Camaro. Typically these icons deliver great value for performance and are darlings of American car culture.

 

[GrabThatBlue]

It's all mindset that makes people crazy about depreciation.

I don't care about what the car will be worth in a few months or few years.

I view my car just as all other stuff I buy, like a television, fridge, washing machine etc.

I buy it because I need it and I don't think about what it will be worth after I don't need it anymore.

 

[kagemusha2662]

It's all mindset that makes people crazy about depreciation.

I don't care about what the car will be worth in a few months or few years.

I view my car just as all other stuff I buy, like a television, fridge, washing machine etc.

I buy it because I need it and I don't think about what it will be worth after I don't need it anymore.

I blame it on the hustle mindset that tech bros have introduced where you have to have every single penny work for you in the future

 

[broncoboy22]

I keep my cars for waaay too long to really worry about depreciation. But this is good info as one day I may be in the market for a used DH if the new special edition Mustang is auto only or if the refresh doesn’t impress

 

[VileKnight]

I think to some degree it's a coping mechanism, but there are some nice advantages for a car keeping value. Your car get burned to the ground, stolen, or smashed in a wreck? How much is the insurance company going to give you? Need to sell to get a different car because your family life has changed a bit? How much can you get for it? Are you upside down on your loan? Stuff like that can impact people a lot.

To be fair, it's something I am hoping to use to my advantage. Right now, my 7 year old Z is still worth about 28k (only paid 33k) on a trade in, so the retention of value is very helpful when looking at trading up.

 

[Pony2015]

Not clear if the quoted depreciation numbers are inflation adjusted (prices up ~23% over the last 5 years). With high inflation, tangible assets (eg, cars) will look like they are holding value much better than they actually are. When I bought my 2017 Mustang GT last year, it was only a few $1,000 below what it cost brand new per the window sticker -- I was like . . . WTF . . . until I factored in inflation (~27% from 2017 to 2024).

Bottom line:

2017 Mustang GT with PP with 17,300 miles
2017 Window sticker=$37,090 ($36,190 + $900 destination) - before taxes & fees
What car would have cost in 2017 based on 2024 dollars: $37,090 x 1.27 = $47,104.
What I paid: $29,427 - before taxes and fees

7 year depreciation:
$7,663 (not accounting for inflation)- WTF?
$18,000 (after accounting for inflation) - a little more palatable.

 

[roket]

i have no plans to sell or trade in my Mustang, so resale value has no weight to me, but for fun a couple weeks ago i did a KBB value on it and its lost 37% of its value so far (70k > 44k). granted, in not even 2 years it now has 27k miles and its modified, but still

 

[SmoothButter]

Nice! I’ve only kept my last few cars for about three years. I plan to keep this one longer though as it’s what I’ve always wanted

But if they release a C9 with adaptive cruise control, or a S650 refresh with blue cruise, I may be very tempted

 

[8LAKK8UNSHINE]

I believe the resale value figures for the S550 are as high as they are bc not only is it a good car, the S650 is priced so highly that the S550 becomes more desirable. Add tunability to the equation and the S550 will hold it's value well. I don't see that happening for the S650. That said, I bought my S650 to mod and boost. I'm killing it's value and the plan is to roll with it until it dies or I do.

 

[Wiley Marmot]

i have no plans to sell or trade in my Mustang, so resale value has no weight to me, but for fun a couple weeks ago i did a KBB value on it and its lost 37% of its value so far (70k > 44k). granted, in not even 2 years it now has 27k miles and its modified, but still

Yea; couple of months ago I was toying with the idea of a '21 C8 that was apparently optioned out by me (exactly the way I "would have" ordered it and................the right color too!). So I ran my GT up the flag pole at KBB and Carvana. 33% depredation ...................................oops; meant depreciation on mine.

I'm still driving the GT and liking it!

 

[MegaMan]

Depreciation is important to consider particularly in higher ticket purchases such as a new car or home, but there is some nuance. Whatever you do, do not believe that your car or home are your 2 biggest "investments" like the media always says.

Cars and homes do not put money into your bank account every month, like a true investment would and should. Therefore they are liabilities in every sense of the word, they take money OUT of your bank account lol. You can absolutely be upside down in a car loan or a home mortgage.

Personally, I don't really care. Cars are 100% emotional fun toys for me personally. Im not buying them to make money! I keep everything within logical budgeting and financial reason. Buy that Mustang, Corvette, Ferrari, Lamborghini and go have some wicked fun!

 

[The Ghost]

I drove my 2006 Mustang V6 for 18 years, and I still made a quarter of what I paid for it it back. (Granted, it would have cost a lot more in 2023 dollars when I sold it.)

 

[24RapidRed]

I'm 73 soon to be 74. Paid cash, don't plan on selling it. It will be someone else's problem what it's worth.

 

[8LAKK8UNSHINE]

Hey, get what makes you happy! You earned it and may as well get what you enjoy! Sometimes I kick myself bc if I would have bought the C7Z06 I probably could have riven it for a year and got my money back out of it - THEN bought the used S650 for 10k less and moddify it, but that is a question everyone has to wrestle with on their own according to their own plans.

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