Here's How Much A 2021 Chevy Corvette Has Depreciated In Just 5 Years

The story behind the Chevrolet Corvette is well known. It is one of the most famous and longest-running car nameplates in the world, having been around since 1953. In that time, it has received a ton of respect from a vast majority of the mass public for its strong performance, great handling, and head-turning styling. The current C8-generation Corvette, built since 2020, accentuates these inherent traits with added tech and the nameplate's first-ever mid-engine layout. However, as desirable as exotic sports cars may be, the Corvette still faces depreciation. 

CarEdge data suggests a new Corvette Stingray will lose up to 44% of its original value after five years of typical ownership. This projection is based on an assumed selling price of $82,220 for a new 'Vette and the car accumulating on average around 13,500 miles per year. But as any valuation expert will tell you, depreciation is not an exact science, and in complete contrast are iSeeCars' estimates, which indicate that the Corvette suffers much more modest drop in value. According to the data, the depreciation rate on a traditional gas-run Corvette coupe is about 26% over five years, with a hybrid coupe estimated to shed around 28% of its value after five years. 

Hybrid and non-hybrid convertibles are said to lose 36% and 33%, respectively. As for the 2021 Chevy Corvette, analysis by Kelley Blue Book (KBB) has suggested that its resale value as of January 2026 stood at $53,600. Considering the model arrived with a base price of $60,995, it means the 2021 Corvette five-year depreciation is 12%. Here's a look at how the supercar is doing in the market, as well as how its depreciation stacks up against those of its biggest rivals. 

A close look at Classic.com shows that 2021 Corvettes are indeed being listed above $53,000 five years after they first hit the scene brand-new. The lowest sale of a 2021 Corvette recorded on the site is $54,000, with upper-tier used examples topping out at $101,908. 

The Classic.com data also shows that 2021 Corvettes are averaging as high as $69,359, although CarGurus pricing trends reveal that the sports cars had an average selling price of $65,530 at the time of writing. Both indicate excellent value retention, especially when you consider that the six Chevrolet Corvette trims offered for 2021 collectively averaged $70,995 before options.  

Underpinning the impressive resale retention further still, KBB puts the fair purchase price of a 2021 Corvette Stingray Coupe at $56,000 while Stingray Convertibles are pegged at $60,100, against an original price tag of $68,495. When you do the math on that, the depreciation rate comes to around 8% for the coupe (given its starting price of $60,995) and 12% for the convertible. 

The Chevy Corvette falls into a hallowed segment with rivals such as the venerable Porsche 911, Mercedes-AMG GT, Lexus LC, Audi R8, and more. However, despite squaring up against some of the most universally admired opponents in the car world, a depreciation rate of 12% puts the 2021 'Vette firmly among the best performers in the class. However, the 2021 Porsche 911 is the best at holding its value. KBB lists the base-spec 911 2021 Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe as having a resale value of $102,000. When you factor the $102,150 Porsche charged for a new model when it first came out, you get a tiny depreciation of 0.15%.

Perhaps that's hardly surprising, given 992-generation 911s have a reputation for holding onto their value really well. Even more interesting, KBB listed the base 911's fair market value as $110,000, suggesting the car could even have increased in value over time. Another sports car you would expect to do well is the Lexus LC. But some might find its performance disappointing, by Corvette and 911 standards, at least. That's because its five-year depreciation works out to around 37%, thanks to its $94,075 starting price and current resale value of $59,700.

One rival that seems to hold its value exceptionally well by all measures, though, is the Audi R8. Its original price tag of $145,895 and going resale value of $123,000 puts its depreciation at an impressive 16%. Yet the Corvette is still one of the best in the business on this score, and that's yet another reason for Chevrolet to be proud of its awesome mid-engined coupe.