Invest Wisely: These 5 Jeeps Have The Best Resale Value

There's an old saying that a new car loses a significant amount of its value the moment you drive it out of the dealer's lot, and it's true. New cars depreciate faster than used cars by way of how much value "new" carries, and there are a bunch of different factors that determine how much a vehicle will or won't depreciate beyond that point. Everything from obvious factors like how much maintenance you've done or have done to more surprising ones like the color of the car can factor into how much resale value it will retain over time.

One brand that makes vehicles that tend to hold value better than most is Jeep. With a long track record of durability and a strong fanbase, there are both practical and sentimental reasons why you can trust that, at least as automobiles go, they're decent investments. So, with that in mind, which Jeep models hold their value best?

The Jeep Wrangler is probably the most well-known of Jeep's offerings. It's the vehicle that everyone pictures in their mind's eye when they hear the name "Jeep." According to data from iSeeCars, not only does the Wrangler hold its value better than anything else Jeep makes, but it also holds its value better than any other vehicle on the market, according to iSeeCars. The average motor vehicle depreciates about 40% after five years, but in that same period, a Jeep Wrangler only depreciates about 9%, closer to how the average car depreciates in just its first year. 

Why is this? "Jeep Wranglers are known for retaining their value due to their enthusiastic fanbase, as well as their durability and performance across all terrains, especially off-road."Karl Brauer, iSeeCars Executive Analyst, told MotorBiscuit in November 2021. "Jeep Wranglers also have maintained their iconic design, so even older models don't appear dated." The Wrangler Unlimited holds up similarly well, with approximately 10% depreciation over five years, while the hybrid version of the Unlimited follows at a steeper but still impressive 17%.

It's not for everyone, but if it's the right fit for you, the Wrangler is an excellent long-term value.

After the various Wranglers are out of the way, iSeeCars pegs the Gladiator pickup truck as the model with the second-lowest depreciation, losing about 23% of its value after five years. They're not alone in that assessment, as CarEdge pegged it at 22%, while Motor Trend named the Gladiator one of its best resale value trucks of the year, albeit pegging its five-year depreciation level at closer to 30%.

Vincentric also rates it as the best certified pre-owned pick among 2023 model-year pickup trucks, citing its "5.9% below expected ownership costs" while noting that it "Outperformed 6 Competitor Models." Vincentric Vice President David Wuster told MotorBiscuit that its overall ownership costs beyond just the purchase price are much lower than that of the competition in its class.

Four Wheel Trends, meanwhile, noted in March of 2022 that another contributing factor is that the Gladiator had a high demand met with supply chain issues. On top of that, the price of a new Gladiator has increased significantly in the last few years, which has had a runoff effect on older models, helping them keep much of their value over time. According to the aforementioned CarEdge depreciation calculations, a Gladiator would take about eight years to reach the roughly 40% depreciation that most cars reach in five years.

Next in line is the Jeep Renegade subcompact SUV, which iSeeCars says has an approximate 34% depreciation in five years, while CarEdge is slightly more optimistic at 32%. According to CarEdge's longer-term projections, the Renegade would take about six to seven years to hit the 40% depreciation mark that the average car hits in five.

In October 2022, RydeShopper cited the Renegade's low starting retail price and Jeep's reputation for durability as significant factors as to how it holds its value better than most cars. That said, while CarEdge praises how the Renegade stands up to depreciation, the same site also notes that its other ownership costs are steep enough to give it a middling C grade by that metric.

Using 2020 models, AutoPadre forecasted the depreciation rate of the Renegade and other vehicles in the same class, and by that metric, Jeep's subcompact SUV did quite well. Keeping in mind that SUVs depreciate faster than Wranglers and trucks, the Renegade was pegged at 40% depreciation in five years, just behind the Chevrolet Tahoe, which topped the list at 38%.

The Jeep Cherokee series of SUVs comes next, with iSeeCars putting the Grand Cherokee L at about 35% depreciation in five years, the basic Cherokee at roughly 42% (37% per CarEdge), and the basic Grand Cherokee at approximately 43% (38% by CarEdge's estimates). AutoPadre, meanwhile, gives the Cherokee a middling depreciation grade, a C. 

JeepModified has noted that the Cherokee does better with depreciation than its chief rival, the Ford Explorer, but behind others like the Toyota Land Cruiser. One possible reason is that it's not seen as a "Jeep" as much as other vehicles that the company produces because it has much less of a "Jeep" look and more the appearance of a "family-friendly" SUV. So after you get away from the more popular Jeep models with the greatest brand recognition, there's a noticeable drop off in terms of how much more they depreciate in five years.

The $100,000+ luxury SUV Jeep Wagoneer, is widely considered the brand's flagship vehicle. The Wrangler may be what's most commonly referred to as a "Jeep," but the Wagoneer is the automaker's showpiece vehicle. The iSeeCars data has it losing about 43% of its value in five years, which applies to both the regular Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer models.

It gets better than that, though. In November 2022, Jeep parent company Stellantis issued a press release revealing that J.D. Power ALG (the former J.D. Power and Associates), the data analytics firm that has long been a trusted name in the automotive world, had named the Wagoneer the best large SUV in their annual J.D. Power 2023 U.S. ALG Residual Value Awards. The previous year, its first of eligibility, the Grand Wagoneer took first place in J.D. Power's "full-size luxury utility" category.

"Cutting-edge technology and refinement paired with Jeep heritage and capability places the Wagoneer atop the highly competitive large SUV segment for the 2023 Residual Value Awards," said Eric Lyman, ALG's vice president, in the 2022 press release. "Wagoneer is a breakthrough vehicle if ever there was one," added Jim Morrison, senior vice president and head of Jeep North America. "The market was waiting for a product with its unique blend of prestige, capability, and comfort. Like the original, Wagoneer has filled a significant void, and it's done so with genuine flair, demonstrating our commitment to redefining American premium and a unique customer experience."