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We know that compact truck resale value is one of the factors you have to consider when buying a new truck. It matters because you’re probably not going to keep your truck forever. The used truck market is certainly whacky right now, but there are two trucks that are expected to hold their value better than some others.

A higher resale value for your compact truck is certainly something you should consider, and be aware of, when you’re looking going to buy a new compact truck.

Your compact truck’s resale value is important

Two Ford Maverick small pickup trucks are driving on the road.
Two Ford Maverick small pickup trucks are driving on the road | Ford

Trucks don’t appreciate unless they’re collectible exotics. Some are buying and flipping trucks for massive profits.  But unless you put an early order in on a Rivian R1T or a GMC Hummer EV Truck, you’re out of luck if you’re looking to make a quick buck flipping.

Knowing that your compact truck is worth more should you encourage you to maintain it. Maintain your truck well, and it will be worth more when it comes time to sell it. So, show your compact truck some love. But don’t show it too many accessories. A lot of the custom accessories that you love probably won’t increase your truck’s value. So, skip adding $5,000 worth of rims.

According to the folks at Kelly Blue Book, however, some trucks hold their value better than others. The site estimates the resale value of compact trucks, and which are projected to retain the highest percentage of their original sticker price in five years.

These two compact trucks are expected to hold their value over the next five years better than others.

Toyota Tacoma will retain more value than any other compact truck

The 2022 Toyota Tacoma is a compact truck that has high resale value.
2022 Toyota Tacoma | Toyota

We’re not surprised., Toyota Tacoma trucks hold their value. Tacomas have been the best-selling smaller trucks for the last 17 years and are expected to retain 61.7% of their value according to Kelly Blue Book. The base price of a Tacoma is $26,700.

Tacomas are a nice size and offer great utility. Toyota Tacomas are smaller than a full-size Tundra, by quite a bit, which makes them easy to thread to your local tight Trader Joes parking lot. In TRD trims they offer tons of off-road capability. The base SR version is a great little work truck that can even get acceptable gas mileage with Toyota’s legendary reliability. You can order the Limited version that comes as a full luxury truck.

It doesn’t matter which Tacoma version you get, but you can expect it will keep most of its value in five years.

The Ford Maverick takes a different approach to truck stuff

An orange 2022 Ford Maverick Lariat compact pickup truck model parked near a forest lake with a canoe in its truck bed
2022 Ford Maverick Lariat | The Ford Motor Company

The Maverick was one of the most anticipated new trucks of 2022, and it’s easy to see why. The Maverick drives more like a car, it’s roomy inside, and can be ordered as a $19,995 special, and looks pretty good. It also gets astonishing gas mileage for a truck with its standard hybrid motor, at up to 42 mpg combined.

KBB Expects the Maverick to retain up to 59.5% of its value. We’re not surprised. Hyundai has its Santa Cruz competitor. There are also other compact trucks like the Nissan Frontier and the Chevy/GMC twins, none though come close to keeping this kind of resale value. While the base model is good, we really like the FX4 version which adds all-wheel drive, a suspension lift, and boosts towing capacity to 4,000 pounds.

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Writer - Sedans & Coupes

Dan Mayfield

Dan joined MotorBiscuit in 2022 with over 20 years of experience in journalism and a lifelong passion for anything related to the automotive industry. He grew up wrenching a 1949 Ford pickup truck and an MGB with his dad, learning how not to wire a fuel pump (he inadvertently set the MGB on fire).

After earning a bachelor’s degree in photojournalism from the University of New Mexico, Dan has contributed his expertise to a range of local outlets, including the City of Albuquerque, US Eagle, and the Alliance for Local Economic Prosperity.

On weekends, Dan spends Saturdays enjoying “cars and coffee” chats and, on Sundays, he’s watching the Route 66 Cruise roll through town. He also races motorcycles, and it’s not unusual to find him elbows-deep in his latest cafe racer build.

Taking advantage of the local desert terrain, Dan also enjoys exploring and driving off-road in his trusty Ram Rebel pickup truck, which provides personal insights into his contributions to our Trucks, SUVs, & Crossovers coverage. Dan strives to give our readers unique information about the dynamic automotive market, reading anything that has to do with cars, trucks, bikes, 4X4s, and, in his words, “everything with a motor.”

Dan has earned a number of accolades from the Public Relations Society of America, and is a University of Southern California, Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism Fellow.