Car Depreciation Calculator

Estimate your car's current value based on purchase price and years owned using the standard depreciation curve.

USD
years
%

Estimated Current Value

$15,530

Total Depreciation$19,470
Value Retained44.4 %

Estimated Current Value vs Years Owned

Car Depreciation Curve

Cars depreciate fastest in the first few years, then the rate of loss slows. A declining balance model captures this pattern.

Formula

Current Value = Purchase Price x (1 - Depreciation Rate)^Years

The average car loses 20% in the first year, then about 15% per year after that. After 5 years, a typical car retains about 37% of its original value.

Example Calculation

A $35,000 car owned for 5 years at 15% annual depreciation.

  1. 01Current value = $35,000 x (0.85)^5 = $35,000 x 0.4437 = $15,530
  2. 02Total depreciation = $35,000 - $15,530 = $19,470
  3. 03Value retained = 44.4%

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