There's one truck which has the lowest 5-year depreciation and it's not a Ford or a GM

When it comes to depreciation, the best truck in the US isn’t a Ford or a GM.

It isn’t the omnipresent Ford F-150 or the Chevrolet Silverado, and in fact it isn’t even made by an American brand.

But there are two very good reasons why that’s the case.

Including one that might surprise you.

This is still one of the best-selling trucks in the US

Everyone knows that the best-selling truck and best-selling vehicle of any kind in the US has been the Ford F-Series truck for decades.

In second place, we have the Chevy Silverado, and then we’ve got all the usual suspects, ranging from the Toyota RAV4 – which occasionally even beats the F-150 – and the Tesla Model Y.

However, when it comes to depreciation, the crown goes to a truck that’s so common we almost forgot it exists.

It’s like the sun in the sky: at some point you stop noticing it’s there because it’s a given.

You’ve probably seen the vehicle in question, also a truck, a dozen times this week alone: it is the Toyota Tacoma.

The Toyota Tacoma truck is king

The mid-sized Toyota Tacoma is the pickup truck with the lowest five-year depreciation rate, outperforming everything else, including the Ford F-150 and Chevrolet Silverado.

Data from iSeeCars shows the Toyota Tacoma only loses 19.9 percent of its original MSRP over five years, with an average value drop of just $6,426.

The Toyota Tacoma is the best truck when it comes to depreciation, but it ranks as the fourth-best vehicle overall for value retention across all categories, trailing only the Porsche 718 Cayman, the Porsche 911, and Chevrolet Corvette.

It even beats Toyota’s own GR Supra sports car.

Interestingly, the silver medal goes to the Tundra, another Toyota vehicle, which only loses around 21.2 percent over five years.

The reason is simple. There are two reasons, actually.

First, the Tacoma is made in North America, which means that even though it’s made by a Japanese brand, it is indeed an American vehicle.

This doesn’t just give it bonus marketing points, it’s also important because it means the initial MSRP is low.

And, in general, the best way to beat depreciation is to price the vehicle right.

The second reason has to do with Toyota’s image.

The Japanese automaker is universally praised as one of the most reliable brands in the world.

Toyotas are considered unkillable, which obviously helps.

And there’s also a third reason: it’s a truck.

Broadly speaking, trucks depreciate quite slowly.

The list of worst-depreciating vehicles, for example, includes no trucks at all.

However, it does include a few vehicles made in North America.

Also, this is probably not surprising, it features vehicles with very high MSRPs and a few electric cars.

Highest 5-year depreciation (worst value retention)

1. Maserati Quattroporte -64.5%
2. BMW 7 Series -61.8%
3. Maserati Ghibli -61.3%
4. BMW 5 Series Hybrid -58.8%
5. Cadillac Escalade ESV -58.5%
6. BMW X5 -55.7%, Mercedes-Benz S-Class -55.7%
7. Lincoln Navigator L -55.5%
8. Tesla Model S -55.5%
9. Jaguar XF -57.6%
10. Audi A7 -57.2%