1 American Sports Car Has Some of the Worst Depreciation on the Market
Depreciation is an inescapable reality among new and used cars. It could be a blessing for bargain hunters or value lost for new car buyers. Still, when it comes to American sports cars, one model depreciates more than any other: the Chevrolet Corvette. Whether you consider the C8 Corvette a sports car or a bona fide supercar, the ‘Vette has some of the worst depreciation of any star-spangled performance nameplate.
Of all the popular American sports car nameplates, the Chevrolet Corvette depreciates the most in five years
The Chevrolet Corvette, America’s original sports car, has some of the worst average depreciation of any domestic performance nameplate. Specifically, a Corvette depreciates an average of 27.5% over five years, per the latest data in an iSeeCars value study. As a result, a Corvette could be worth as much as $22,713 less than MSRP in half a decade.
Of course, the five-year data includes a shift from the nameplate’s seventh-generation (C7) model to its current eighth-gen lineup. As such, the C7 and C8 models depreciate differently.
For instance, the 2019 Chevrolet Corvette, the last of the front-engine Corvettes, has a much lower average value than the 2020 C8 model. The 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray has an average used value of around $62,861, whereas the 2019 Stingray is closer to $44,618. That’s a difference of nearly $18,000 for a single model year.
The Chevrolet Corvette depreciates more than the Ford Mustang and the Chevrolet Camaro
Admittedly, the Chevrolet Corvette isn’t much of a competitor for what constitutes an American sports car in 2024. See, the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro are two-door, front-engine, 2+2 platforms. On the other hand, the Corvette is a lighter, mid-engine, two-seater application.
Still, the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro depreciated 24.4% and 24.2%, respectively. While that’s not far off from the Corvette’s 27.5%, the Corvette’s average difference from its MSRP is around $12,000 more than the Mustang and Camaro.
| Model | Average 5-Year Depreciation | Average difference from MSRP |
|---|---|---|
| Chevrolet Corvette | 27.5% | $22,713 |
| Chevrolet Camaro | 24.2% | $10,161 |
| Ford Mustang | 24.5% | $10,035 |
Of course, the Corvette starts at a higher price point than the Mustang and the Camaro. On average, a 2024 Chevrolet Corvette costs more than twice as much as the entry-level versions of the two pony cars.
