CarsGuide’s data analytics team has crunched the numbers to find out how well popular mid-sized SUVs hold their value. This insight means you can buy a new car now knowing it’ll likely be a resale winner when the time comes to sell it.
Last month our CarsGuide and Autotrader data team performed the same analysis for utes. The results were not what you might expect with some of the best selling utes turning out to have the lowest resale values.
Now the data team has put another very popular type of vehicle under their microscopes — medium-sized SUVs.
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This type of intel is perfect for people looking to buy a new mid-sized SUV such as the Toyota RAV4, Mazda CX-5 and Kia Sportage, or any of the other excellent alternatives such as the Mitsubishi Outlander, Subaru Forester and Haval H6.
We decided to focus on the ten most popular new mid-sized SUVs in Australia.
Our data team extracted the median listing price for each model and for build years 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021 and 2020. The percentage difference in median listing price from one model year to the next model year is our retained value. We carried this study out in February 2025, and excluded 2025 listing prices due to a lack of a full year’s data.
Remember that we are talking about the prices the cars have been listed for sale, and we have taken the median. We also have to note there is no 2020 listing price data for the Haval H6 as it did not go on sale in Australia until 2021.
So here is our resale top 10 for mid-sized SUVs, from worst to best and because we know you love tables — there’s one of those, too.
10. MG HS
Long before the arrival of the multitude of other Chinese brands MG has been establishing itself as part of the Australian car landscape. The HS is a popular SUV but its value falls quickly, particularly in the first year of ownership. The 2020 model year median price is $19,590 or 53 per cent of the 2024 median listing price of $36,990. That’s disappointing for owners.
The new-generation HS recently arrived and it’ll be interesting to see if this pushes values of the older versions down further while helping retain the resale value of the new model.
9. Nissan X-Trail
Who would have thought the mid-sized SUV that pretty much started the whole mid-sized SUV thing would have such a hard time holding its value over time? Look, the data here doesn’t lie: the X-Trail’s value appears to vanish like a bag of chips entrusted to seagulls, but the new generation X-Trail came out in December 2022 and this may be making the resale value appear worse than it is.
We sense this because as we drill into the data more the real fall happens for 2022 models — in fact the 2023 X-Trail still retains 88.7 per cent of the 2024 price and then that drops to 66.8 for the 2022 model. The 2020 model retains 53.1 per cent of its 2024 value. So what could be happening here is people want the new one, but not the old one — makes sense right? We’ll have to revisit this again in a year or so and report back.
8. Hyundai Tucson
Hyundai’s Tucson is another long-time suburban family favourite, but this generation has been around since 2015, which in car years makes it eligible for a seniors card. Hyundai has made sure its styling and tech stays fresh but there’s only so much you can do with new screens and shiny black plastic. The lack of newness about the SUV could be why the value drops quickly with the median listing price of 2020 models being 54.9 per cent of the 2024 median listing price. Then again the poor resale could also be because word has got out that a new-gen Tucson is expected to arrive next year.
7. Mitsubishi Outlander
Mitsubishi’s Outlander is a slightly larger-than-average mid-sized SUV that offers seven seats. The model has been around forever and has always been popular but the new generation arrived in 2022 and it’s selling better than ever. Perhaps reflecting this new model’s arrival is the resale value. The median listing price for 2023 models is 85.1 per cent of the 2024 median listing price, then 75.8 per cent for 2022 before falling to 56.2 for 2020 model year cars.
6. Kia Sportage
Kia’s Sportage has been an Aussie favourite since it arrived as one of the brands first models to come here in 1997 and last year it was the tenth best-selling car overall for 2024. The 2020 model year retains 60.3 per cent of its 2024 model year’s median listings price, but from the data for each model year we can see the 2023 car holds firm at 81.5 per cent, the 2022 hardly slips at 79.1 per cent. Again this could be due to the new-gen model arriving in 2022.
5. Honda CR-V
Thousands of Australian families depend on the Honda CR-V to carry out the school run and work commute every day and it holds its value dependably as well, too. The median listing price of the 2020 CR-V is 60.3 per cent of the 2024 listing price. Second-hand CR-V’s are obviously still very much wanted.
4. Haval H6
Has Haval really been in Australia for a decade now? That went quickly. The H6 arrived in 2021 which means we don’t have a full year of data for the 2020 model year. But looking at what we do have we can see the H6 holds its value well and our data analysts extrapolate that a 2020 model would retain close to 65.5 per cent of its value. We can tell this looking at the 2023 median listing price which is $31,990 (85.3 per cent of the 2024 median listing price) followed by the 2022 price of $29,913 (79.8 per cent) , then the 2021 price of $26,500 (70.7 per cent).
3. Subaru Forester
Is there a brand with a more loyal following than Subaru? Toyota maybe, but Subaru’s fan base really love the brand and the appeal goes so wide that it appears people want old Subarus almost as much as they want new Subarus and the data for Forester prices back this up. The median listing price of the 2020 model year Forrester is 69.3 per cent of the 2024 model year Forester’s listing price. That’s outstanding.
2. Toyota RAV4
It’s good to see one of the original mid-sized SUVs from the 1990s not only be the second most popular car in 2024 (only the Ford Ranger beat it) but also have outstanding resale value. Toyota’s reputation for reliability and extremely long life cycles of each generation means your old 2018 RAV4 is essentially the same as the current 2025 model and that helps retain resale value enormously. Not being a prestige car and one for the more pragmatic buyer means those looking for a RAV4 aren’t too fussed if it’s last year's model, or the year before, or the year before.
The data shows that 2020 model year RAV4’s median listing price is $36,990, while the 2024 median listing price is $44,726 representing a 71.1 per cent retention in value.
1.Mazda CX-5
In first place for resale value is the Mazda CX-5. Data analysis shows the median listing price of the 2020 model is 73.3 per cent of the 2024 model median listing price. The current generation CX-5 has been in dealerships since 2016 and it’s kept much the same look and much of the tech over the years. But beware — a new-generation model is coming this year. Hint, hint. What we’re trying to say is if you’re thinking of selling your five-year old CX-5 then do it now or you’ll soon be selling the old gen.
| Vehicle | 2024 model median listing price | 2020 model median listing price | Retained value (%) | |
| 1. | Mazda CX-5 | $41,990 | $41,990 | 73.3 |
| 2. | Toyota RAV4 | $51,990 | $31,990 | 71.1 |
| 3. | Subaru Forester | $44,726 | $30,985 | 69.3 |
| 4. | Haval H6 | $37,485 | No data | 65.5 (estimate) |
| 5. | Honda CR-V | $48,600 | $29,950 | 61.6 |
| 6. | Kia Sportage | $42,950 | $25,994 | 60.3 |
| 7. | Mitsubisbhi Outlander | $46,990 | $26,410 | 56.2 |
| 8. | Hyundai Tucson | $48,990 | $26,888 | 54.9 |
| 9. | Nissan X-Trail | $46,990 | $24,955 | 53.1 |
| 10. | MG HS | $36,990 | $19,590 | 53 |
