One of the top considerations in buying a used car is reliability. On the other hand, if you’re shopping for a new car, it’s pretty motivating to look at a car that retains a good chunk of its value after three or four years. You’ll likely save thousands of dollars if or when you trade it in. The two brands that do this best are Toyota and Lexus.
Toyota’s Grip on Reliability and Value
It’s no secret that Toyota holds a pretty strong grip on reliability and value among all automakers. Lexus is its luxury brand and that just strengthens the automaker’s hold. Once again, both have scored top honors in Kelley Blue Book’s 2025 Best Resale Value Awards. Toyota was the best among regular car brands, while Lexus was the best among luxury brands.
According to KBB, it’s not a small thing that Toyota and Lexus keep claiming these awards. Seeing how these models retain their value is a big deal for customers and definitely a motivating factor when they decide to visit a Toyota or Lexus dealer.
Toyota performed strongly in several categories. For example, the Toyota 4Runner won the Off-Road SUV category for Best Resale Value, while the Tundra and Tacoma won their respective pickup truck categories. Meanwhile, the Toyota RAV4 Plug-In Hybrid ran away with its category.
A Winning Streak For Lexus
Lexus continued its domination in the luxury segment with these awards. The EX, UX, and LS all snagged top honors in their categories. The RZ even got the Best Resale Value among luxury electric SUVs. KBB’s Best Resale Value Awards are helpful guides for consumers when it comes to making smart decisions on vehicles. It provides strong insights into the vehicles that are likely to hold their value.
Even though Lexus and Toyota definitely stand out, there were other models and automakers that did well. For example, Honda snagged several awards, including for the Civic, Accord, and CR-V, which won the Compact Car, Midsize Car, and Compact SUV awards respectively. Honda’s luxury brand, Acura, also took home the Luxury Compact Award with the Integra.
Other Best Resale Value Winners
Did any domestic brands win the KBB Best Resale Value awards? In fact, there were more than a few. The Riviian R1S won the Electric SUV category and the Rivian R1T won the Electric Truck category. Rivian has been making waves for its increasingly popular truck and SUV models. Tesla also snagged a win in the Electric Car category for its Model 3. In non-electric categories, Ford won in the Compact Pickup Truck category with the Maverick, and Chevrolet won the Sports Car category with the Corvette.
Some other notable models that snagged wins include the Porsche Taycan for the Luxury Electric Car category, the Subaru Crosstrek for the Subcompact SUV category, and the Mercedes-Benz G-Class for the Luxury Full-Size SUV category. Toyota and Lexus pretty much dominated the other categories with Toyota leading the way.
Ultimately, buyers have a lot of different choices across the various segments. Even if Toyota and Lexus dominate, there are other quality choices as well.
