10 Minivans with the Best Resale Value

As is the case with all kinds of vehicles, you have to take into account many different factors if you want to identify the minivans with the best resale value. Age, condition, mileage, and features are among the most important things to consider, and needless to say, values are higher when your minivan has fewer miles, fewer dents and dings, and more popular options. Vehicle popularity also plays a part, both in terms of a minivan’s value as compared to another type of vehicle, and when it comes to different values within the minivan segment. Along with the usual suspects, we’ve added one smaller “van” to our list, so we can appeal to more customers.

Backed by a long track record of popularity and dependability — plus plenty of standard and available features — the 2017 Toyota Sienna leads our list of minivans with the best resale value. The new model year, in particular, brings value-enhancing new content, as the Sienna’s upgraded 3.5-liter V6 engine carries the automaker’s latest “D-4S” fuel-injection technology and a high-tech eight-speed automatic transmission. As a result, the Sienna is both more powerful and more fuel-efficient than the V6-equipped model from last year, and yes, it’s still the only minivan to offer all-wheel drive. The Swagger Wagon also swallows up to 150 cubic feet of cargo or seats up to seven occupants in impressive comfort.

The 2018 Honda Odyssey made an early debut by launching in June of 2017, and frankly, that means it’s still a little early to gauge its rate of depreciation. On the other hand, with so much new content available, it’s certainly a strong candidate among the minivans with the best resale value. For example, the next-generation Odyssey showcases an optional mobile Wi-Fi hotspot and an exclusive video monitor system to keep an eye on rear-seat occupants. For occupant protection, the minivan also furnishes a complete bundle of Honda Sensing driver-assistance technologies that includes collision-mitigation braking, lane-keeping assistance, road-departure mitigation, and adaptive cruise control. Naturally, a blind-spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert is available separately, and a multi-angle rearview camera is standard.

Honda’s timing then allows the automaker to claim two minivans with the best resale value for this year: Even as production and deliveries for the all-new model ramp up, the 2017 Honda Odyssey will still be responsible for tens of thousands of sales by itself. Moreover, this previous-generation Odyssey — which led the segment in retail sales in 2016 — offers a broad array of thoughtful features that used-vehicle customers will be eager to see in the secondary market. For instance, it was the Odyssey with the first modern-day in-vehicle vacuum system, complete with an extendable hose and removable debris canister, and additional family-friendly equipment offered for the vehicle includes a forward-collision warning, lane-departure warning, a rearview camera, and a rear-seat entertainment system.

Here’s the thing about the 2017 Dodge Grand Caravan: Even though it may not be up to par with the minivans with the best resale value, it does boast a lot of initial value. It all starts with the Grand Caravan’s MSRP, which opens at $25,995. Not only is that the lowest starting price in the segment, it’s $4,000 less than the least expensive Honda or Toyota minivans. The Grand Caravan isn’t short on standard content, however, and the entry-level trim comes with a rearview camera, a 6.5-inch touchscreen, a six-speaker sound system with a 28-gigabyte hard drive, premium cloth seating, and third-row Stow ’n Go seating that easily folds flat into the minivan’s floor.

The all-new 2017 Chrysler Pacifica is shaking up the segment with its modern style and innovative content — as detailed below — but its predecessor also remains on the market. Now, these new 2016 Chrysler Town & Country models are only available in limited numbers, and they don’t rank quite as high as the Pacifica on our leaderboard for the minivans with the best resale value. Yet due to their more premium positioning, they’re likely to hold onto more value than the budget-oriented choices here. In fact, Town & Country trims can be found with rearview cameras, blind-spot monitors, heated first- and second-row seats, and heated steering wheels. And with its own Stow ’n Go seating, the Town & Country is no slouch in the versatility department.

The all-new 2017 Chrysler Pacifica, is a highly competitive rival for the more established minivans with the best resale value. That’s not just our opinion, either, as the Pacifica has received many industry honors. Also helping pump up the value here are the many next-gen technologies in the mix, from a comprehensive Uconnect Theater rear-seat infotainment center to the most powerful in-vehicle vacuum system in the segment to handsfree power-opening side doors. And Chrysler hasn't forgotten about driver-assistance measures: The Pacifica can be ordered with adaptive cruise control, automatic braking, parking assistance, a 360-degree camera system, forward-collision alert, and more.

Next, the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid has an obvious and exclusive advantage over the other minivans with the best resale value: The segment’s first and only plug-in hybrid propulsion system. With this technology on board, the Pacifica supplies an all-electric, zero-emissions driving range of 33 miles, which is perfect for dropping the kids off at school or practice and handling all kinds of daily routines. But the Pacifica Hybrid also has you covered when you need long-distance efficiency. In those cases, its “regular” hybrid system, leveraging a high-efficiency V6 engine, enables an extra 537 miles of range with an EPA rating of 32 mpg combined. Drivers also get to enjoy confident acceleration with the hybrid's 260 horsepower engine.

The flipside of shopping for the minivans with the best resale value is that, generally speaking, you’ll have to pay more up front if you want your vehicle to be worth more when you sell it. With that in mind, the 2017 Nissan Quest may be worth a look. The Quest offers many popular technologies and it’s surprisingly stylish, and it serves up a variety of surprisingly helpful benefits. Take the Quest’s unique door-rail system, which enables a lower step-in height at the side doors, to make it easier for smaller passengers to get in and out. Yet because Nissan is taking the Quest out of its lineup entirely after 2017, customers should find some good deals before it goes.

A strong alternative to the expected minivans with the best resale value is the 2017 Kia Sedona. Like many Kia products, the Sedona delivers a strong value proposition right off the lot, in an athletic, attractive package that welcomes a further round of new technologies for 2017. The list includes the latest Android Auto or Apple CarPlay smartphone integration, and with the newly available automatic emergency braking, the Sedona is a Top Safety Pick of the IIHS. Of course, the Sedona also carries over all of its previous high-value features, such as an optional hands-free rear liftgate, “First Class” second-row lounge seating with retractable leg rests, and super-supple, chromium-free Nappa leather seating surfaces — on climate-controlled seats.

Finally, one of the minivans with best resale value isn’t a traditional minivan at all. It’s the 2017 Ford Transit Connect. To be sure, the Transit Connect is a mini-sized van. After all, with a length of 189.7 inches, the long-wheelbase, seven-seat version is about a foot shorter than a typical minivan. But it still offers Blue Oval hallmarks like the BLIS blind-spot information system and next-gen SYNC 3 technology, now backed by Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone integration. The Transit Connect “Passenger Wagon” also has an exclusive advantage that can be ideal for certain customers: A two-row configuration with the same nimble dimensions as a compact hatchback, seating for five, and 46.9 cubic feet of storage behind the rear seats.