In today’s market, shoppers are looking closer than ever at the value, monthly payments, and long-term costs of owning a vehicle. And yet, one of the biggest factors that affects the true cost of ownership is glazed over: depreciation.
Depreciation is the loss of a vehicle’s sell value over time.
Interestingly, the arch of depreciation doesn’t happen slowly. Most of a vehicle’s value is lost instantly – in the moment a new vehicle is driven off the lot.
That’s why more and more shoppers are turning to like-new vehicles. They offer the same modern features, technology, and experience of ‘new’ – all without paying for the steepest part of the depreciation curve.
Let’s break down why this is such a smart move.
New Vehicles Lose Thousands in Instant Depreciation
Every new vehicle begins to lose value the moment it leaves the lot, sometimes before it’s even titled.
Industry research shows:
- New vehicles can lose around 20% of their value in the first year.
- After two years, depreciation often reaches 30% or more.
- The largest drop happens immediately, simply because the vehicle is no longer considered new.
That’s thousands of dollars gone! And it’s not because of wear, not because of mileage, but because of new-car status disappearing.
Buying new means absorbing the biggest hit in a vehicle’s value cycle, even though nothing about the vehicle’s quality changes the moment you drive away.
Like-New Lets You Skip the Big Drop — but Keep the Experience
This is where like-new vehicles shine. When you shop like-new:
- Someone else has already taken care of the biggest depreciation drop.
- You get a vehicle that’s still modern, still high-quality, still loaded with features.
- You pay significantly less than the original sticker price.
It all comes down to value retention. Like-new vehicles tend to depreciate more slowly because the steepest portion of their value loss has already occurred. That means:
- Lower monthly payments
- More stable long-term value
- A smarter financial decision overall
You’re getting nearly the same experience as new, but you save thousands just by choosing like-new over new.
How CarShop Helps You Beat Depreciation From Day One
At CarShop, like-new isn’t just a category, it’s our specialty. Each CarShop Certified vehicle goes through an extensive inspection and reconditioning process, ensuring it delivers new-vehicle quality without new-vehicle depreciation. You get:
- Like-new quality
- No-hassle, no-pressure pricing
- A smarter financial decision — without sacrificing the experience
When you shop like-new, you’re not compromising. You’re simply choosing a smarter way to buy. You get all the “new” you need (and want!), without paying for that moment-it-leaves-the-lot price drop.