Some Brands Tops for Value Retention

Toyota and Tesla lead their segments for off-lease residual value in an era when that and general affordability are increasingly important to consumers.

Hannah Mitchell・Executive Editor

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January 21, 2026

Some Brands Tops for Value Retention — **Toyota's Tundra won its fifth model-level nod for residual value.**
Credit:
*Toyota*

2 min to read

Toyota apparently holds a few more secrets to vehicle values over time, dominating J.D. Power’s latest residual value awards for off-lease autos.

Six of the Japanese automaker’s models bested their segments for retaining the most value at the end of lease terms, which J.D. Power marks as a sign of long-term resale values and affordability.

The awards, based on 2026 models, are more relevant than ever because of today’s consumer cost concerns as vehicle prices keep creeping up. The average price paid for a new vehicle in December hit a new record of $50,326, surpassing the old high set in September.

The GR Supra, GR86, Camry, Sequoia, Tacoma and Tundra were tops for Toyota in value retention, the most model-level awards of any of the 14 brands honored this year. J.D. Power evaluated a total of 300 models to arrive at the winners. The Supra award is the model’s fourth, and the Tundra’s its fifth.

"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 J.D. Power Managing Director of ALG Customer Success Danny Battaglia.

Tesla came out ahead of its luxury segment counterparts, not only with three model-level awards for the Cybertruck and models 3 and Y, but also its segment performance and total sales volume.

“Tesla avoided the high incentives of other luxury battery electric vehicle brands in 2025,” said Battaglia, who pointed out that the brand refreshed Model Y, including debuting a less-expensive base version and more features on midlevel trims.

J.D. Power analyzed used-vehicle performance, brand outlook and product competitiveness. To qualify for awards, brands needed to have model-line entries in at least two vehicle segments, each with a minimum of four model lines.

Other brands winning three model-level awards this year are BMW and Lexus, BMW for the 3 and 4 series and X1, and Lexus for the NX, RX and LX.

Other vehicles winning model-level awards are: