There’s a little-known and often-appreciated fact of life for many used American cars: big depreciation. Sacrifice a handful of model years and some tens of thousands of miles on the odometer, and a massive discount over the as-new MSRP can be your reward. For pony car lovers and would-be truck drivers, it’s a great state of affairs.
Except when it isn’t.
Sometimes, often inexplicably, models from domestic manufacturers start high, and stay high. You might think, for instance, that a big old symbol of the 2000s might be fun to stuff in your garage, only to discover that a Hummer H2 is still quite pricey to buy and own. Why? That’s harder to say… But in that vein, here’s a group of ‘Murican metal whose eBay listing might have you scratching your head.
2000 Plymouth Prowler
Suggested Retail: $22,222
From the minute it left the factory, the Plymouth Prowler was destined to be an instant classic. As such, it retains that classic price tag. With a starting price of $44,625 when new, KBB estimates that a Plymouth Prowler with 67,000 miles is still worth $22,222. But examples on eBay are going for even more than that. This one in particular has just 5,300 original miles and a price tag of $26,100.
2006 Chevrolet SSR
Suggested Retail: $25,798
Though it didn’t exactly invoke the same spirit of the classic El Camino, the Chevy SSR made a valiant effort to be unique when it was introduced in 2006. Brand new, the SSR had a starting price of $41,995, but KBB estimates that with just over 47,000 miles on the clock, it still holds its value at $19,392.This particular example with 26,000 miles is up for grabs on eBay for $28,999.
2008 Lincoln Mark LT
Suggested Retail: $20,812
Lincoln sold more than 30,000 units of the Mark LT pickup in its first three years of production, which in itself is a shock. Today, the luxury pickup still holds its value surprisingly well. An LT with almost 100,000 miles is worth $20,812, says KBB. You might be able to find them a bit cheaper on eBay.
2009 Hummer H2
Suggested retail: $38,032
The Hummer H2 may be dead, but that doesn’t mean it’s cheap. According to KBB, the suggested retail on a used Hummer with an average of just over 80,000 miles is $33,032. Considering the price new in 2008 was $53,286, that’s a pretty insignificant drop. Low-mileage, original examples could even bring in as much as $60,000... at least this seller thinks so.
2009 Pontiac G8 / GXP
Suggested Retail: $12,165 / $30,144
The Pontiac G8 lived a short but relatively successful life. Production lasted from 2008 to 2009 and saw almost 40,000 units sold. Today, estimates suggest a used G8 with just over 70,000 miles will still bring in $12,165 – but it’s the GXP model that’s the real cash cow. With a 402-horsepower (299-kilowatt) 6.2-liter V8, it holds its value at $30,144, and used pricing reflects that.
2009 Pontiac Solstice Coupe
Suggested Retail: $9,349
From 2009 to 2010, Pontiac produced just 1,266 examples of the Solstice Coupe before manufacturing at the Wilmington, Delaware plant came to an end. Though KBB estimates a well-equipped coupe with 60,000 is only worth $9,349, it’s rarity that keeps the price of this American sports car up. Examples on the used market are going for as much as $25,000, which is just above the original MSRP of $24,275.
2013 Chevrolet Avalanche
Suggest Retail: $25,016
The second-gen Chevy Avalanche was a surprisingly good truck for the money. For less than $30,000, it was well equipped, and came with a 5.3-liter V8 good for 320 horsepower (238 kilowatts) and 335 pound-feet (454 Newton-meters) of torque. Even more surprising is how expensive they still are. KBB estimates that a 2013 example with 58,000 miles is worth $25,016. More well-equipped examples with similar mileage could go for almost $35,000 on the used market.
More American cars:
Gallery: 7 Used American Cars
