It is said a vehicle loses 10-15% of its value as soon as it leaves the dealership. Over the course of years, the vehicle keeps on depreciating in value which itself depends on various factors. Now Toyota Kirloskar India is said to claim their Toyota cars hold up to 68% of their original value even after 5 years of usage. This means that the resale value of Toyota cars higher than the market average and its vehicles retain a high value even after years of ownership. So is this the case or not, Let’s find out. But before that, check out this TVC below where Toyota claims that its cars retain 68% of their value even after 5 years.

Coming to the Indian model lineup of Toyota, the most affordable car by the manufacturer here is the Etios hatchback while the range is capped by premium SUVs like the Land Cruiser. Toyota Innova Crysta is the largest selling vehicle of the Japanese manufacturer and is extremely popular in the Indian market. Here are a few examples of the best-selling Toyota cars that have retained near about claimed figure of resale value even after five years of ownership.

Also read Buyer’s Guide for Toyota Innova

Toyota Innova

The Innova is one of the most popular MPVs in India and the Crysta, which is the latest iteration of the car that has been on sale since 2005, is regarded as a premium people mover. In 2014, the base variant of the Toyota Innova was priced at approximately Rs. 12.6-13 lakh, ex-showroom. Here are three examples that are more than 68% of the original ex-showroom price. Example 1, Example 2, Example 3

Toyota Fortuner

Toyota Fortuner was launched in 2009 and was one of the first vehicles for which a manufacturer had to shut down bookings due to excessive demands. The top-selling full-size SUV is still popular in the Indian market. In 2014, the Fortuner was priced around between Rs. 24 lakhs and 27 lakhs (approximate) in the market. Here are three examples that show the current value in the used car market of the brand. Example 1, Example 2, Example 3

Toyota Corolla Altis

Next up is the Corolla Altis, a car that belongs to a series that has been the global top-selling car-series till date. In India too, the Corolla series has been quite popular and the current model, which is called Corolla Altis is no different.  In 2014, the price of the Toyota Corolla Altis was roughly around Rs. 12 lakhs to Rs. 16.5 lakhs. Here are three examples which are 5 years or older and retain a minimum of 68% value of the ex-showroom price. Example 1, Example 2, Example 3

Why Toyota vehicles have such a high resale value?

Now there are several factors involved here which are responsible for the high resale value of Toyota vehicles. Let’s take a look at the few major reasons why Toyota vehicles retain such a high value even after so many years of ownership.

Trust in the brand

The year 1997 marked the beginning of Toyota in India. Over the years, the care-free ownership stories of people have built trust in the brand. There are numerous Toyota vehicles in the country and around the world with lakhs of kilometres on the odometer and they are still working perfectly on the road. This is something that is a result of years of quality check and control and not a few months of marketing strategy. No doubt then that Toyota as a brand is trustworthy in India’s market.

Bulletproof engines and build quality

Toyota is known to make extremely reliable engines along with the best build quality, which is why most of the car fleet owners choose the Toyota vehicles. The 2.8-litre GD-Series diesel engine is one of the most efficient diesel engines in the world returning a high thermal efficiency of 44 %. The same engine is also offered in the Innova and the Fortuner on our shores. The build quality of Toyota’s vehicles is also excellent which is the reason even decade-old cars by the manufacturer run without much rattling.

Price of new vehicles

Toyota vehicles like the Innova Crysta and the Fortuner have high asking prices and are expected to rise even higher in future. As an example, the price of the brand-new base variant of the Innova Crysta is Rs. 14.93 lakh, ex-showroom, Delhi. The on-road price of the base variant in Delhi is even higher at Rs. 17.53 lakh which means that the total price is quite a lot to pay. Now this creates a major demand for used Toyota Innova in the market, which in turn increases the price of the used Innovas too.

Long ownership

Most of the people who buy a Toyota car keep it for a long time. This means that there is a low supply of Toyota models in the used car market. This, on the other hand, increases the overall price of a used vehicle by a substantial margin

Spare parts

The spare parts of Toyota vehicles, even if they are old and are replaced are not a major problem in India. The spare parts can be sourced without much problem, which makes the Toyota vehicles very easy to maintain even after years of ownership.

Reliable service network

For a brand to play long innings, a trusted service network is among the key areas to be worked upon. Toyota focused on the same and over the years, the Japanese manufacturer has built a trusted service network throughout the country. This gives a sense of trust to the buyers. Even while buying used vehicles, the wide service network and worry-free ownership experience induce confidence in the buyers.