J.D. Power Says These Cars Are The Kings Of Residual Value

These vehicles are projected to hold the highest percentage of their retail price at open auction after 3 years of ownership.

One important measure that helps determine the overall cost of vehicle ownership is how much residual value a given vehicle will have left over after its initial three years of ownership. That’s often when a car or truck that has been leased goes back to the dealership, and while it’s a key determining factor for lease rates, it’s also important to owners who purchased their vehicles and are looking to maximize the value of their automotive investments.

J.D. Power’s 2026 U.S. ALG Residual Value Awards are a useful tool customers can use to weigh the total cost of vehicle ownership. After 300 individual nameplates were analyzed, a total of 14 different brands received awards in 26 segments.

"Strong wholesale retention, solid brand value, and a disciplined approach on rental fleet and incentives propelled Toyota to the top spot among mainstream brands," said Danny Battaglia, managing director of ALG customer success at J.D. Power. "Toyota topped six segments for 2026, including a four-peat for GR Supra and a five-peat for Tundra.”

Joining Toyota at the top of the residual value charts is America’s startup electric car brand. “Tesla avoided the high incentives of other luxury battery electric vehicle brands in 2025,” said Battaglia. “That helped earn it the top rank among luxury brands with the highest performers in three segments–including the refreshed Model Y, which included the introduction of a lower-priced base version and additional content on midlevel trims.”

Last year, Honda won the mainstream award while Lexus took top honors in the premium category. Those two automakers had led the rankings for three consecutive years up until this latest award season.

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