The full-electric Nissan Leaf has reportedly lost a whopping 63.1% of its original value after five years on the road

Nissan USA

In a recent post, Kelley Blue Book named the vehicles from the 2026 model year that its valuation experts predict will retain the most of their original values after a typical five-year ownership period. But what about the models at other end of the ledger – those that cost their original owners the most in terms of depreciation over time?

To be sure, those looking for a new car, truck or SUV should certainly consider a given model’s depreciation – after all it is a vehicle’s largest single ownership cost. Having a higher resale value means an owner will be able to pocket additional cash down the road or make a larger down payment on his or her next vehicle. It’s also a critical factor in new-vehicle leasing, as monthly payments are based on the difference between the transaction price and what the leasing company predicts the vehicle will be worth the end of the term.

However, one person’s loss can be another person’s gain. Shoppers seeking the most bang for the proverbial buck among pre-owned models can come out ahead by choosing one that, for one reason or another, has lost a greater percentage of its original value to depreciation since it was first driven off the lot.

In addition to a given used vehicle’s condition and mileage, resale values are affected by local supply and demand issues, and especially a how deep the discounts or generous the automakers’ incentives were in place – bigger cash-back rebates, big dealer discounts and other incentives tend to accelerate a model’s rate of depreciation.

A study conducted by the online vehicle marketplace iSeeCars.com examined the transaction prices of over 950,000 five-year-old used vehicles sold from March 2025 to February 2026 to determine how much of their original values evaporated over a half-decade on the road. Among all vehicle types studied, full-electric models were found to have lost the biggest percentage of their original transaction prices at the five-year mark at a whopping average 57.2%.

The Nissan Leaf leads all comers in this regard at a 63.1% loss. That amounts to a $17,443 devaluation, which is tempered by the fact that the Leaf was not especially expensive to begin with and was sold subject to a since-expired $7,500 federal tax credit/rebate.

Also prominently represented at 18 out of the 25 biggest losers are top-shelf luxury models, with the full-size Infiniti QX80 SUV leading pack at an average 62.8% drop in value. That translates into a painful $52,631 consumed by depreciation.

“Electric vehicles consistently cost more than the equivalent gasoline or hybrid model,” iSeeCars Executive Analyst Karl Brauer. “That high upfront cost comes back to haunt electric cars on the used market, where buyers aren’t willing to pay the premium.”