5 cars that hold their value best in 2025
“Cars are money pits,” Seth Godwin starts off reminding his followers. He’s a personal finance consultant and content creator who often posts tips about cars. After all, they’re closely tied to most Americans’ financial health (or lack thereof). “Buying a car to retain value is a losing man’s game,” he says. Still, that doesn’t mean value retention shouldn’t play at least some part in your new car purchase. Here are five cars that retain their value best over 60 months of ownership, according to a guy in finance.
Five cars that retain the most value after five years of ownership
5. Chevrolet Camaro
The Camaro sheds about 24.2% of its original value after five years. This converts to $10,000 after all that time. Considering the average car, in general, squanders 39% of its owner’s cash, the Camaro’s already making this list an impressive bunch. The Camaro has a long history in the U.S. market, as Chevy debuted the muscle car back in 1966. Despite its discontinuation in the category after 2024 (and the remarkable demise of the vehicle class in general), we might see its value retention hold on at least temporarily with production ending. Consider buying it over other competitors, then, if you’re looking for thrills with the intent to resell.
4. Subaru BRZ
The BRZ drops 23.4% of its starting price over 60 months, or just $8,000 of the two-door sport car’s original market value. “Looks like Subaru got tired of all the head gasket jokes and said ‘Hold my beer, I’m joining some Best-Of lists,’” Godwin remarks.
3. The Honda Civic is one of the cars that holds value best in 2025
Shoppers might wonder why even used Civic listings seem high. Well, it’s because the compact sedan only loses 21.5% of its value over five years. This converts to $5,800 at the 60-month mark.
2. Porsche 718 Cayman
Despite its high price tag, which starts at a “cool” $72.8K, the 718 Cayman does an excellent job on value retention. It sheds just 17.6% over five years, or only $13,000.
The winner only loses 9.3% of its original market value after five years of ownership
And Godwin calls it “truly impressive.” Now, it actually has the highest dollar-figure loss of all five of these cars, but the number equates to less than 10% of its original market value. Owners can expect $18,000 cash to go “poof” after 60 months with a Porsche 911 in their driveway.
