Anytime JD Power gives an award for something, the automakers love to use it in their advertising, but ask any consumer what that award really means, and they probably couldn’t tell you. It just sounds so important. With the most recent 2025 ALG Resale Value Awards, JD Power has made interesting predictions about what cars will retain their value the most.
JD Power has been doing this for a long time, the firm has clearly has invested a lot of money into industry experts and data models. This is why some of the choices for highest predicted resale in the most recent list seem so puzzling, especially when they are formulating these conclusions using the following criteria (emphasis mine – ) “The 2025 award process consisted of evaluating 311 models through analysis of used-vehicle performance, brand outlook and product competitiveness.”
Here are the winners for the 2025 ALG Residual Value Awards
Model-Level Residual Value Awards
Lexus receives the most model-level awards with five, followed by Toyota with four. GMC, Honda and Subaru each receive three model-level awards. Model award recipients include:
- Lexus: IS, LS, NX, RX and TX
- Toyota: GR Supra, Camry, Land Cruiser and Tundra
- GMC: Sierra 3500 HD, Hummer EV SUT and Hummer EV SUV
- Honda: Civic, Passport and OdysseyÂ
- Subaru: WRX, Crosstrek and ForesterÂ
- BMW: 5 Series and X1
- Jeep: Wagoneer and Gladiator
- Acura: Integra
- Cadillac: EscaladeÂ
- Chevrolet: CorvetteÂ
- Dodge: Charger DaytonaÂ
- Hyundai: Kona EV
- Kia: TellurideÂ
- Mercedes-Benz: SprinterÂ
- Nissan: Kicks
- Tesla: Model 3
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What is most surprising is the number of EVs on this list. Electric vehicles have not faired well when it comes to resale. First up, is the GMC Hummer EV SUT and SUV. There are fewer than 300 used units for sale in either body style nationwide, so perhaps there isn’t a ton of data yet when it comes to resale in the secondhand market. A surprising number of them have branded titles from Lemon Law buybacks. But even ones with a clean history are dropping upwards of $40,000 from the original MSRP of almost $115,000 with price data charts from Cars.com indicating continuous reductions over time.
Next on the EV list is the Dodge Charger Daytona. An electrified version of a popular muscle car that is now way more expensive compared to the previous V8-powered model. Dodge has decided to fast-track the gas versions, presumably because the automaker is worried about a limited buyer pool for the EV muscle car. When you combine what seems to be a tepid reception from MOPAR fans for this new electric model, the overall trends in the EV market, and the fact that non-special edition (Demon, Hellcat) gas-powered Challenger/Charger models have had typical depreciation curves, it’s hard to see how the Charger EV isn’t going to suffer the same fate.
Lastly, there is the Tesla Model. Right now Hertz is trying to offload thousands of used Model 3s which are flooding the market and driving down prices. Another data set has concluded that the Model 3 loses value three times faster than a Maserati. Also, take into account that Elon Musk, with his amplified political involvement, is a more polarizing figure than ever, and therefore driving most of your typical EV buyers away to competing brands. That probably won’t bode well for Model 3 resale value down the road.
Even a quick scan of some of the gas models, it seems odd which ones are predicted to hold value the best. In the Toyota list, the Sienna is not on the list despite the fact that it is one of the hardest-to-source minivans in the current market with some of the highest average transaction prices. Jeep Wagoneer and Gladiator values have taken a nosedive, and the Stellantis corporate portfolio is currently in crisis mode.
Automakers use these predicted resale figures to formulate leases. Generally, the higher the resale the more competitive the lease program because the bulk of the payments are comprised based on the difference between the sale price and predicted residual. Even if these awards are not accurate predictors of real market conditions, it still may result in some great lease deals for buyers in the next year. However, if you are planning on purchasing some of these models, I would caution against relying on this data when predicting your future trade-in value.
Tom McParland is a contributing writer for Jalopnik and runs AutomatchConsulting.com. He takes the hassle out of buying or leasing a car. Got a car buying question? Send it to [email protected]
