Car Depreciation Calculator

The steepest drop happens in year one specifically, often 20 to 30% of the original purchase price gone within the first twelve months, before the annual percentage decline starts leveling off in subsequent years. That first-year cliff is exactly why buying a car one or two years old, letting someone else absorb that initial drop, is a common strategy for getting meaningfully more value per dollar.

Mileage accelerates the curve beyond the standard age-based drop too. A vehicle driven well above the typical annual average shows more wear and depreciates faster in resale value than a comparable low-mileage vehicle of the identical model year, which matters if you're estimating future resale value based on your actual driving habits.

Enter your vehicle's purchase price or current value, its age, and your expected mileage or depreciation rate. The calculator projects its value across future years, showing the cumulative decline clearly.

You can't stop depreciation, but you can slow it somewhat, careful maintenance records, keeping the car clean inside and out, prompt minor repairs, and lower-than-average mileage all help preserve resale value relative to a comparable neglected vehicle. Luxury and sports cars tend to depreciate faster than economy models too, since their specialized parts and higher upkeep costs shrink the pool of buyers for a used one. Your vehicle values stay entirely private, calculated locally.