Top 10 New Vehicles Most Often Resold After a Year
Buying a vehicle is a long-term investment, right? Otherwise, leasing is generally a better option. However, some buyers quickly regret their decision and choose to get rid of the vehicle, even if it means losing a significant amount of money in the process.
That’s actually the topic of a recent study by the U.S. automotive research firm iSeeCars. They analyzed sales of more than 18 million new vehicles in 2023 and 2024 in order to identify the models that are most often resold in the first year. As you will see below, luxury vehicles make up the entire top 10 and their early resale rate is 4-8 times higher than the industry average (3.6%).
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“Multiple factors can contribute to why a new car is resold so quickly,” iSeeCars Executive Analyst Karl Brauer says. “Owner dissatisfaction is the most obvious cause, but financial hardship and even creative dealer accounting can also drive this number up, with some retailers registering demonstration vehicles as sold to increase sales numbers for their stores and the manufacturer.”
As for the fact that the 10 new vehicles most often resold in the first year all come from luxury brands, Brauer believes that these buyers “are either not doing enough research before buying, are overextending themselves financially, or are just incredibly fickle when it comes to their new car purchases.”
Rank |
Model |
Early Resale Rate |
|
1 |
28.3% |
|
|
2 |
22.2% |
|
|
3 |
21.2% |
|
|
4 |
20.4% |
|
|
5 |
16.7% |
|
|
6 |
16.4% |
|
|
7 |
14% |
|
|
8 |
13.6% |
|
|
9 |
13.4% |
|
|
10 |
13.3% |
Although three Land Rovers and four Mercedes-Benzes are included in the top 10, Porsche is surprisingly the most resold brand after a year with a rate of 16%. In addition to the Macan, the Cayenne also ranks in the top 20.
Now, what about non-luxury vehicles? Here's what the top 10 looks like, again according to the iSeeCars study:
Rank |
Model |
Early Resale Rate |
|
1 |
11.4% |
|
|
2 |
Mitsubishi Mirage (Sedan) |
8.6% |
|
3 |
7.2% |
|
|
4 |
6.7% |
|
|
5 |
6.4% |
|
|
6 |
6.4% |
|
|
7 |
6.4% |
|
|
8 |
6.3% |
|
|
9 |
6.3% |
|
|
10 |
6.3% |
On that note, take a look back at the 10 best vehicles of 2025 according to Consumer Reports as well as the top 10 vehicles with the slowest 5-year depreciation, also based on iSeeCars data.
