10 Vehicles That Lose Value Fastest In The First Five Years According To iSeeCars, And Why Buying Used Can Save Thousands

The moment you drive a new car off the lot, its price starts sliding, and some models slide a lot faster than others. After five years, a few of them are worth barely more than a third of what the first owner paid.

A black and white view of a row of sedans parked at a dealership.

The numbers come from an iSeeCars study published in 2026, which looked at more than 950,000 five-year-old cars sold between March 2025 and February 2026. As TFLcar reported on March 24, 2026, the average vehicle lost 41.8% of its new-car sticker price over five years, or about $16,571. The iSeeCars study page lists the 10 steepest drops below.

Every figure here is an average across many cars, and the study counts the loss against the original MSRP, not against what any one buyer actually paid. Condition, mileage and options change what any single vehicle is worth, but the pattern is clear.

Percentages tell one story and dollars tell another. A cheaper car can lose a bigger share of its price while costing its owner less cash, while a luxury model can lose a smaller share and still cost more. This list shows both, so read the two columns together.

1. Nissan Leaf Loses 63.1% In Five Years

The Nissan Leaf tops the list with 63.1% five-year depreciation, a loss of $17,743 from its original MSRP. That is the steepest percentage drop of any vehicle in the study, more than 21 points worse than the 41.8% average.

Because the Leaf started out cheaper than most others on this list, its dollar loss is the smallest of the group even though the percentage is the highest.

2. Infiniti QX80 Drops 62.8%, Or $52,631

The big Infiniti SUV is second at 62.8%, which iSeeCars translates to a loss of $52,631 against its original MSRP. That is more than three times the loss of the average car in the study.

3. Volkswagen ID.4 Falls 62.1%

The electric ID.4 comes in third at 62.1%, or $28,010. The percentage is within a point of the QX80’s, yet the dollar loss is roughly half as large because the sticker price started lower.

4. Tesla Model S Loses 62.0%, Or $58,907

The Tesla Model S sits fourth at 62.0%, a $58,907 drop. Despite the big badge and big sticker, the five-year average still falls by well over half.

5. Range Rover Sheds The Most Dollars, $69,856

The Land Rover Range Rover is fifth at 61.7%, but its dollar loss of $69,856 is the largest on the list. For a used shopper, that gap between price and value is exactly where a bargain can appear.

6. BMW 7 Series Loses 61.6%

The BMW 7 Series lands sixth at 61.6%, a $61,141 loss. The dollar figure shows how much sticker price a first owner gave up in five years.

7. Tesla Model X Falls 61.2%, Or $61,216

The Tesla Model X ranks seventh at 61.2%, or $61,216 below its MSRP. Two Teslas make the top seven in this study, and each lost more than $58,000.

8. Ford Mustang Mach-E Drops 60.8%

The Ford Mustang Mach-E is eighth at 60.8%, which iSeeCars puts at $22,976. Like the Leaf and the ID.4, it is an electric model, and with the two Teslas that makes five of the 10 on this list electric.

9. BMW 5 Series Hybrid Loses 59.5%

The hybrid version of the BMW 5 Series is ninth at 59.5%, a loss of $44,921. That is still far above the 41.8% average across all models.

10. Infiniti QX60 Falls 58.3%

The Infiniti QX60 closes out the top 10 at 58.3%, or $30,099. Two Infiniti SUVs show up on the list, the QX80 and this one.

Look at the average again: 41.8%, or about $16,571. Every vehicle above lost well beyond that in five years, and six of the 10 lost more than $40,000, which means the first owner absorbed thousands of dollars the second owner never has to.

That is why buying used can save so much. iSeeCars itself says a shopper looking for a used-car deal “might find an excellent candidate” among the highest-depreciating models.

Think of it as a simple trade. The first owner pays for the new-car smell and the warranty clock, and the second owner pays for the car. When the first owner loses $50,000 or more, as the QX80, Model S, Range Rover, 7 Series and Model X buyers did according to this study, the used price can look very friendly.

The savings come with homework. Ask for a vehicle history report, have an independent mechanic inspect it, and check battery health on any electric or hybrid. A low price is only a deal if the car underneath holds up.

If you are buying new, take the other lesson. Depreciation is a cost of ownership just like fuel and insurance, so compare resale value before you sign, not after. Whatever you drive, expect the first five years to take the biggest bite.

When you shop, work from the model’s real asking prices on used lots rather than the original sticker. Compare a five-year-old example against the same model one year newer and one year older, and let the difference tell you where the sweet spot sits.

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