WASHINGTON — If you’re driving a late-model Wrangler, your vehicle is holding onto its value. If you’re driving a late-model BMW 7-Series (or being driven in one) you don’t have a very good investment, at least based on resales.
Used car search site iSeeCars.com says the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited has the lowest average five-year depreciation rate of any vehicle in the D.C. metro area, losing an average 28.7 percent of its value over five years.
A 2013 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited 4-door Sport had a base price of $25,995, according to Auto Trader data. Based on iSeeCars’ report, it would still be worth $18,535 on today’s used car market. (A 2018 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport has a base price of $31,445, according to Jeep’s website.)
At the other end of the scale is the elegant BMW 7-Series, BMW’s largest sedan.
See the lowest and highest depreciating vehicles in the D.C. metro area in the gallery below:
Average five-year depreciation: 45.8 percent In this Thursday, Aug. 30, 2018, photograph, a long line of unsold 2018 CR-V sports utility vehicles sits at a Honda dealership in Highlands Ranch, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
AP Photo/David Zalubowski
Average five-year depreciation: 44.5 percent FILE- This Jan. 15, 2018, file photo shows the 2019 Ram 1500 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Ram shook up the truck world a decade ago with a new rear suspension design that delivered sedan-like ride comfort without sacrificing capability. The rivals have since caught up, but the new Ram, thoroughly overhauled for 2019 and now on sale, continues to innovate. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, File)
AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, File
Average five-year depreciation: 44.2 percent FILE – This Wednesday, March 23, 2016, file photo shows the 2017 Toyota Highlander Hybrid at the New York International Auto Show, in New York. The Toyota Highlander is the top midsize SUV in Consumer Reports’ annual rankings, released Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2017. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)
AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File
Average five-year depreciation: 43.9 percent The 2019 Toyota Rav4 is shown Wednesday, March 28, 2018, at the New York Auto Show. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
AP Photo/Mark Lennihan
Average five-year depreciation: 42.9 percent In this Sunday, June 24, 2018, photograph, unsold 2018 Corolla sedans sit at a Toyota dealership in Englewood, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
AP Photo/David Zalubowski
Average five-year depreciation: 42.6 percent People look over a 2015 Honda Fit vehicle on display at the Washington Auto Show, Friday, Jan. 30, 2015, in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais )
AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais
AP Photo/Keith Srakocic, File
Average five-year depreciation: 38.7 percent This is the Toyota logo on the grill of a 2018 Toyota 4Runner on display at the Pittsburgh Auto Show Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar
Average five-year depreciation: 35.9 percent This is a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 truck on display at the Pittsburgh Auto Show Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar
Average five-year depreciation: 28.7 percent Media enjoy a free ride with a 2014 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon edition during the media preview of the Chicago Auto Show at McCormick Place in Chicago on Friday, Feb. 7, 2014. Chicago Auto Show will be open to the public February 8 through February 17. (AP photo/Nam Y. Huh)
AP photo/Nam Y. Huh
Average five-year depreciation: 64.9 percent In this Thursday, Aug. 30, 2018, photograph, a long line of 3 series sedans sits at a BMW dealership in Highlands Ranch, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
AP Photo/David Zalubowski
Average five-year depreciation: 65.3 percent FILE- In this July 8, 2018, file photo a rainbow illuminates the sky as 2018 MKZ sedans MKX as they sit outside a Lincoln dealership in Englewood, Colo. On Wednesday, Aug 15, the Commerce Department releases U.S. retail sales data for July. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)
AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File
Average five-year depreciation: 65.7 percent In this Thursday, Aug. 30, 2018, photograph, the nose of a an unsold 2018 X3 sports utility vehicle is shown at a BMW dealership in Highlands Ranch, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
AP Photo/David Zalubowski
Average five-year depreciation: 66.1 percent A 2018 Cadillac ATS-V coupe shown on the floor of the North American International Auto Show, Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
AP Photo/Carlos Osorio
Average five-year depreciation: 67.4 percent Visitors stand besides the new BMW 5 Series Touring during the World presentation at the AMI Leipzig Car Fair 2010 in Leipzig, Germany, Saturday, April 10, 2010. As the only international car show being held in Germany in 2010, AMI is one of the leading European get-togethers for the motor vehicle industry. The organisers expect over 500 exhibitors at the 20th edition of the Auto Mobil International (AMI). The AMI opens its doors to the public April 10 through April 18. (AP Photo/Jens Meyer)
AP Photo/Jens Meyer
Average five-year depreciation: 67.9 percent The logo of Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe is photographed prior to the annual balance news conference at the company’s headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany, Thursday, Feb. 2, 2017. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
AP Photo/Matthias Schrader
Average five-year depreciation: 68.8 percent In this Sunday, June 24, 2018, photograph, an unsold 2018 Volt sits in front of a Chevrolet dealership in Englewood, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
AP Photo/David Zalubowski
Average five-year depreciation: 70.6 percent The 2018 Nissan Leaf is displayed at the North American International Auto Show, Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
AP Photo/Carlos Osorio
Average five-year depreciation: 70.7 percent In this Jan. 28, 2015 picture an employee of the Mercedes-Benz AG checks a S-Class model at the plant in Sindelfingen, Germany. Daimler will present its second quarter earning Thursday, July 23, 2015. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
AP Photo/Matthias Schrader
Average five-year depreciation: 72.4 percent In this photo released on Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2015, shows a BMW 7 Series which has had high customer demand since becoming available at the end of October. In October BMW sales were higher than ever. (BMW Group/obs via AP Images)
BMW Group/obs via AP Images
A 7-Series in the D.C. market (and a popular market for the car) has an average five-year depreciation rate of a whopping 72.4 percent.
That means a 7-Series bought at its 2013 base price of $73,600 would be worth just over $20,314 on today’s Washington used car market. (A 2018 7-Series sedan has a starting base price of $83,650, according to BMW’s website.)
The five-year Washington area depreciation rate for all vehicles is an average 50 percent, according to iSeeCars.com
Nationwide, new vehicles that retain the most value after five years are SUVs and trucks, while electric vehicles and luxury sedans depreciate the most.
