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These 2020 Cars Are Plunging In Value

It is amazing that picking the right car or truck will get you more money once you sell it than others. There are certain cars that just take a huge drop even a year after their purchase new.  So why not soldier on with the heap you’re driving and wait until the car of your …

It is amazing that picking the right car or truck will get you more money once you sell it than others. There are certain cars that just take a huge drop even a year after their purchase new.  So why not soldier on with the heap you’re driving and wait until the car of your dreams becomes two- or three-years-old? To help you toward that end we have these 2020 cars that are plunging in value the most.

The day you drive your brand-new car off of the dealer’s lot it drops 10% in value. New cars will average a 15-25% depreciation for each year over the next four. At five years your new-car purchase is worth at least 60% less than when you bought it. But there are others that drop even farther than that. Let’s see which ones you should consider used.

Smart ForTwo

Smart ForTwo | MB

The Smart car has always had a bit of a slide in value. Transmission woes and a cramped interior make this a love or hate vehicle. That is why it loses 36% of its value in the first year. That amounts to $14,000. So whatever you gain from buying a car like this you should consider the depreciation to determine if it pencils out.

Chevy Impala

2018 Chevrolet Impala GM

Let’s get real. Impalas are built for rental companies. They gobble up almost every one that Chevy makes. So this creates a problem. Few want them but there are many available due to the rental fleets. That equates to more Impalas on the market than there is demand. That also equates to a 33.4% drop after one year. And, that equates to a $27,000 drop in value after just one year. 

GMC Yukon

A white 2020 GMC Yukon XL parked in the city
2020 GMC Yukon XL | GMC

SUVs are all the rage. But buyers are crunching the numbers and finding that financing a Yukon for five years makes your purchase a $70,000 purchase rather than the MSRP of $47,000. Financing and interest add up quickly. So you can figure that SUVs like the Yukon depreciate by a third each year. 

Mini Cooper 

2020 Mini Cooper SE Electric
2020 Mini Cooper SE | Sjoerd van der Wal/Getty Images

The Mini Cooper has a strong following and besides they’re fun to toss around. But the Mini depreciates more than anything else in its class. After five years your Mini will be worth 30% less. Hopefully, that ability to fling it around corners makes it worth that much of a drop.

Ford Mustang

A yellow 2006 Ford Mustang on display at an auto show
A 2006 Ford Mustang | STAN HONDA/AFP via Getty Images

The Ford Mustang is an American icon. But the thing about the Mustang is that once an all-new model is introduced the last generation is forgotten. That means that a lot of the current Mustang’s features are also found in the previous generation’s. And that previous version gets knocked down a few rungs. So figure your $35,000 Mustang is now worth a tad over $10,000.

Nissan Leaf 

Nissan Leaf compact five-door hatchback battery electric vehicle on display at Brussels Expo
The Nissan Leaf | Sjoerd van der Wal/Getty Images

There are a lot of Leaf EVs that are leased. Along with the tax credits the dealerships have factory incentives and outright discounts. All of that swirls around to mean used Nissan Leafs are quite inexpensive. Check with your local Nissan dealer to see how this affects warranties and prices.

Chevy Camaro

Chevrolet Camaro | Getty

We all love the Camaro. But when the value is factored into the equation we’re on the fence. According to Unpuzzle Finance, a new Camaro will lose 40% of its value in the first year. Wait, what? 40% is just too much for this brand to continue.