Car Depreciation Calculator

This car depreciation calculator estimates how much value your vehicle has lost since purchase and what it is worth today. Enter the purchase price, age, mileage, type, and condition, and you instantly see the current value, total depreciation, and a curve of how the car loses value over time.

Cars are depreciating assets — they shed value with age, wear, and shifting demand. The calculator uses declining-balance depreciation rates tuned to six vehicle types, so trucks and sedans that hold value are treated differently from luxury and electric models that drop faster in their early years. It is useful whether you are selling, buying used, planning a budget, or checking that insurance reflects real worth.

Private by design: every calculation runs entirely in your browser. No vehicle details or financial figures are ever uploaded to a server or stored anywhere.

How to Use the Calculator

Enter the purchase price

Type the original price you paid (or the MSRP for a new car) into the Purchase Price field, or drag the slider for a quick adjustment. Switch the currency from the picker and every value reformats automatically.

Set age and annual mileage

Choose the Vehicle Age from 0 (brand new) to 25 years, then set Annual Mileage — type a figure or tap a preset of 5,000, 12,000, 20,000, or 30,000 miles per year.

Pick type and condition

Select a Vehicle Type (Sedan, SUV, Truck, Luxury, Electric, or Sports) and a Condition (Excellent, Good, Fair, or Poor). Each choice shifts the estimate up or down.

Read the results

Results update instantly: Current Value, Total Depreciation, Depreciation %, Avg. Annual Loss, and Value Retained. Hover the curve to read any year, or open the Year-by-Year Breakdown for a full table.

Features

Six Vehicle Types

Sedan, SUV, Truck, Luxury, Electric, and Sports each use their own depreciation curve, from a ~18% first-year drop for trucks to ~27% for electric cars.

Four Condition Levels

Excellent, Good, Fair, or Poor adjust the estimate up or down, since a well-kept car is worth more than one needing repairs.

Mileage Adjustment

Value is adjusted against a 12,000 miles-per-year baseline, so high-mileage cars depreciate faster and low-mileage cars hold more worth. Presets cover common driving patterns.

Multi-Currency Support

Pick your currency and the sliders, inputs, and every result reformat with the correct symbol and number style.

Interactive Depreciation Curve

A chart plots the full 0–25 year value trajectory with your current year highlighted; hover any point to read the exact value for that year.

Year-by-Year Breakdown

Expand a table showing the value, annual loss, total loss, and retention percentage for every year from new to 25 years old.

Real-Time Sliders

Sliders and number inputs stay in sync, and the estimate recalculates the moment you change any input.

Runs Locally

All math happens in your browser with nothing uploaded, so your numbers stay completely private.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a car depreciate per year?

It varies by year and vehicle type. The steepest drop is in the first year — roughly 18% to 27% depending on type — then the yearly rate eases off. A typical car loses much of its value in the first three to five years. The Avg. Annual Loss figure and the year-by-year table show this for your exact inputs.

How much value does a car lose in the first year?

The largest single-year drop usually happens in year one. This calculator applies a first-year rate of about 18% for trucks, around 20–22% for sedans and SUVs, and up to roughly 25–27% for luxury and electric models. A car bought new also loses some value the moment it leaves the lot.

How much is a car worth after 5 years?

Many cars retain somewhere around 40–55% of their original price after five years, though it depends heavily on type, mileage, and condition. Set the Vehicle Age to 5 to see the estimated value and the Value Retained percentage for your specific car.

How is car depreciation calculated here?

The calculator uses a declining-balance method: each year removes a percentage of the remaining value, with type-specific rates that are highest early and taper over time. It then adjusts for your mileage versus a 12,000 mi/yr baseline and for the condition you select. Values never fall below a 5% floor of the purchase price.

Why do electric cars depreciate faster?

Electric vehicles tend to have the steepest early depreciation because battery and range technology improves quickly — newer models often offer much better specs at similar prices, which softens demand for older ones. This is reflected in the highest first-year rate (about 27%). The gap is narrowing as the EV market matures.

Why do trucks hold their value best?

Trucks generally retain value thanks to strong commercial and personal demand, limited supply of some models, and practical utility that does not fade quickly with age. That is why trucks carry the lowest first-year rate (about 18%) in this calculator.

Does mileage really affect the value that much?

Yes. Higher mileage means more wear on the engine, transmission, and suspension. The calculator adjusts value against a 12,000 miles-per-year average, so cars driven well above that lose value faster, while low-mileage examples retain more. Use the presets to compare driving patterns.

How accurate is this calculator?

It uses industry-average rates to give a general estimate. Real values also depend on make, model, trim, market demand, location, and accident history. For a precise figure, consult a professional appraisal or compare listings for similar vehicles in your area. All your inputs stay in your browser.