Being in the auto finance business, I can tell you resale on most vehicles are pretty low right now and have been for the last 18 months. You take your biggest hits in the first two years of ownership due to the break down of your amortization schedule in that period being mostly interest. In other words, you don't reduce the balance you owe (principal) as much as you will after 24 months or so. Also, when you get a quote on trade in, you have to consider the tax credit you get when you trade. For example, a 31k trade value is a state that has a 5% vehicle tax, will actually be worth 32,550 off of the bottom line of the car. Lastly, another thing that affects resale values is the location. SUV's maintain there value a little better in areas in which they sell better like here in Texas.