Is the resale value retention rate of Chinese cars high? Do Chinese cars hold their value well? These are questions many people ask before deciding to buy a Chinese car. To some extent, a car’s resale value retention rate reflects information about the brand’s strength, quality, performance, and market share. Additionally, since many people may purchase a car for temporary needs and plan to resell it later, the resale value retention rate becomes even more critical. Below is a detailed analysis of the resale value retention rate of Chinese cars, which we hope will be helpful.

I. Chinese Pure Electric Vehicles Closely Trail Tesla

The latest data from July 2025 shows that the resale value retention rate rankings for pure electric vehicles have undergone a reshuffle:

• Tesla Model 3 holds firmly to the top spot with an 86.93% retention rate, up 1.94% month-on-month
• Model Y follows closely behind, with an increase of 2.63%
• BYD Seagull jumps to third place (84.88%), becoming the biggest dark horse
• Xiaomi SU7 falls to fourth place (82.76%)
• XPeng MONA M03 debuts on the list and secures fifth place (80.58%)

This landscape highlights two major trends: the brand barriers of high-end electric vehicles remain strong, but Chinese cars are narrowing the gap through rapid iteration and localized services. What was once seen as a weakness of electric vehicles—resale value—has now seen top models approach or even surpass that of fuel-powered cars.

II. Fuel & Hybrid Segment: Japanese Domination, Luxury Hybrids Rise

In the traditional fuel and hybrid vehicle segment, the joint brand resale value rankings for May 2025 reveal the dominance of Japanese cars:

• Toyota and Honda tie with a three-year retention rate of 57.6%
• Volkswagen (52.7%) becomes the sole German representative
• Mazda (52.2%) and Ford (52%) rank fourth and fifth, respectively

Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) show remarkable resilience in the luxury market:

• Bentley Flying Spur PHEV has a three-year retention rate of 79.2%
• Porsche Panamera New Energy reaches 65.2%
• Li Auto L8 confirms at 65.7% that range-extender technology has gained family user recognition

III. SUV Arena: Rugged Off-Roaders Become “Value Fortresses”

The 2025 SUV resale value rankings reaffirm an ironclad rule: reliability is hard currency. Rugged off-road models emerge as the biggest winners:

• Toyota Prado (82.26%)
• Isuzu mu-X (66%)
• Ford Bronco (66.29%)

The family SUV market, however, is dominated by Japanese brands:

• Crown Kluger (66.48%)
• Highlander (64.24%)
• Honda CR-V (63.14%)

In the luxury segment, only the BMW X5 (65.95%) breaks into the top ten, suggesting that electrification is having a more severe impact on traditional luxury SUVs.

IV. How Technological Revolution Reshapes Resale Value Logic

Multiple technological innovations are rewriting the resale value equation:

• 800V high-voltage platform adoption exceeds 40%, enabling 10-minute charging for 400 km range
• Semi-solid-state battery commercialization accelerates (SAIC MG4 to deliver Qing Tao’s second-gen product this year, with electrolyte content at just 5%)
• Level 3 autonomous driving adoption surpasses 65%, with active accident warning accuracy reaching 98.7%

These advances directly address the pain points of EV resale value—replenishment efficiency and battery longevity. As technology matures, the long-term ownership costs and residual value expectations of electric vehicles are being systematically optimized.

V. The Global Resale Value Battle

A cross-market comparison reveals stark contrasts:

• China’s EV resale value growth rate leads the world; Model 3’s three-year retention rate at 59.9% (2025 Q1 data) is nearing fuel-car levels
• Japan’s market still regards fuel cars as the value benchmark, with the Toyota Prius maintaining a stable three-year residual value of 65%-70%
• Germany’s market sees strong performance in premium EVs; Porsche Taycan holds 58% over three years (2025 Q1), but Volkswagen’s ID series lingers around 45%
• U.S. market pickups dominate the value rankings; Ford F-150 retains 68% over three years, while Tesla Cybertruck’s first-year rate soars to 99% (driven by scarcity)

The uniqueness of China’s market lies in: electrification penetration (over 45% in H1 2025) and technological iteration speed, which together boost EV acceptance and rapidly close the resale value gap with traditional models.