Just go to a car show, especially a classic car show, and you’re quickly reminded of the emotional attachment we can have to our cars: The one that brought our babies home from the hospital, the one that we remember watching our dad work on in the garage, the post-parenting car that made you feel like a teenager again. It’s an investment that delivers happiness and returns dividends year after year, perhaps even netting a tidy sum when you decide to sell it.
Cars are usually the opposite of an investment, but not always.
This story is 100% human researched and written based on actual first-person knowledge, extensive experience and expertise on the subject of cars and trucks.
Modern Cars as an Investment? Surprisingly, Yes!
While most cars depreciate the minute it’s purchased, some depreciate less than others. That’s thanks to timeless design that evolves rather than declines, to looks that are distinct and fulfill a promise and a performance that blends thrills with reliability.
Here are 12 of the best cars that can be a good investment, are fun to own and not always a pricey proposition.
Read: What Makes Toyota So Reliable? We found Out, Plus The Best Models That’ll Go the Distance
Mercedes Benz C-Class May Be the Best Car Investment, Period
Timeless design is an principle that defines Mercedes-Benz, and it’s almost ironic considering the company’s penchant for innovation, continual improvement and leading design. However, all those ideas fit neatly into the overall design language of the brand’s sedans and SUVs, which carry the familiar look and feel inside and out. Mercedes-Benz is always distinct, always a cut above and always sought after.
Our pick in the Mercedes family?The brand’s C Class sedans, SUVs and convertibles. These offer entry-level luxury with lots of comforts and spoilers but don’t feel ‘entry’ at all.
Read: Buy This Not That: The Best Used Cars That Are Just as Good As New
Reclaim Your Youth in the Mazda Miata
My dad was a die-hard Miata fan and for good reason. Even in his 80’s he felt like a kid again behind the wheel of his Miata. And, so do I. Its diminutive size forces you to tune out the rest of the world and focus on the road around you. Put the top down and feel the sun on your face and wind in your hair. Bring someone special along and they’ll get that feeling, too.
We particularly love that all this fun isn’t all that expensive; the Miata is reasonably priced new and very affordable used. And if it’s vintage and restored all the better; you might actually make money on it by garaging it and only taking it out in good weather.
Read: Car Love: It’s Real for Mazda Miata Owners
Forever Timeless: Lexus GX
The Lexus GX has been a classic investible model for years, reliable in its performance, comfort and off-road capability. With a long-awaited redesign it’s even more desirable, thanks to modern new proportions and subtle lines, better visibility and updated technology. And, a new trim lineup that allows customers to go with less expensive and more capable or all-out luxury, making it still one of the best cars on the road.
Read: Rebelle Rally: Empowering Women Off Road
Ford Mustang Maybe the Most Classic Modern Car on the Road
Who doesn’t look at the Ford Mustang and feel a pang of nostalgia? For the car your dad drove, that the hottest guy in high school tooled around in, or broke your heart due to its impractical nature for trips back and forth to campus.
For years, Ford has been refining the Mustang with more power, subtle style iterations and better performance, but at its foundation, it’s still a Mustang: irrefutably, inarguably one of the most classic cars on the road. Ever.
Read: Performance Driving on a Track: You Simply MUST DO THIS!
Porsche 911 is Forever a Fan Favorite, And For Good Reason
New or vintage, the Porsche 911 is a no-lose proposition. Yes, they can be pricey when new but offer a lot of opportunity: They can be found used for a good price and when well cared for, can also command a pretty penny.
But new or vintage, the delight they offer behind the wheel and on the road is hard to match. Venture down this path and you’ll know why Porsche fans are so devoted and you might even find yourself among them.
Read: Should I Own My Dad’s Cherished Car, a Porsche 911? The Vintage Car Conundrum
Kia Telluride Shows the Best Cars Can Be New Designs, Too
This one gave us true hope when it made its debut a few years ago: A brand new SUV can be classic, comfortable and reliable, and it can look like a much more expensive (ahem… Land Rover) SUV. Since then, Kia Telluride has leaned into its boxy shape, capable performance and off-roady vibes, even enhancing them with more 4-wheeler like features, and added subtle changes without disturbing its most endearing features: Its size, shape and interior comforts.
Jeep Wrangler May Be the Most Iconic Classic SUV
If you’ve ever shopped Jeep Wranglers you know one thing: They get older but they don’t get much cheaper. Year after year used Wranglers sell for more than equally aged cars and SUVs, often within a stone’s throw of the price of a similar new model. They are classic, fun to drive and promise adventure at every turn, even if that adventure is a bumpy ride on a cold day in a cloth-top convertible. You’ll gladly make that sacrifice for all the days ahead on the trail soaking up the sun.
Honda Accord Is a Classic Best Car, Year After Year
One of the most awarded cars on the road, the Honda Accord has defined affordable elegance practically since its introduction in 1976. With classic proportions and flowing lines, it stands between discretion and style, not overly flashy but not overly modest.
And inside it promises all the things we need plus a little more: comfort, conveniences and a fun drive experience.
VW ID. Buzz Is the New Classic Car Everyone Wants
One of the most awaited cars on the road, the VW ID. Buzz is finally here and it’s spectacular: Its silhouette is heritage iconography, but inside its loaded with luxury features even in the entry-level model.
Cut from classic cloth to fill the size, proportions and promise of its predecessor, the all-electric ID. Buzz has three rows of ample seating, lots of flexible cargo space and upright seating positions that make everyone feel special. Bring it home in a candy color with a white roof and it’ll lend a classic modern to your driveway and neighborhood, too.
Mini Cooper Retains Its Classic Car Appeal Design After Design
If there’s one compliment you can give a car designer, it’s that they compliment the original by making it even more so. That’s what Mini’s design team, led by accomplishment of Mini’s design team, led by Oliver Heilmer, did: gave the 2025 Mini a new look inside, subtle new details on the outside and more trim options for buyers who crave the classic but need the reality of size, space and performance for modern driving. The result is the most fun lineup of Mini models ever, from a larger Countryman to an all electric S.
Always Iconic Chevrolet Tahoe (and Suburban)
There is a reason that the Chevy Tahoe, it’s slightly larger sibling the Chevrolet Suburban and its cousin the GMC Yukon represent more than half of large SUV sales: They have been the standard for decades. With powerful engines, true 4WD and space for people and things, they both command the road and comfort the people inside.
For 2025, Tahoe got a makeover with new tech, safety and systems, but in the looks department, it wasn’t a big departure, which is a good thing; Tahoe keeps its iconic look and feel even while taking on a new modernity.
The Classic SUV That Inspires Legions of Others: Audi Q7
This is the OG modern SUV that while being refined and updated year after year, also provides the underpinnings for so many others, from the Audi Q6 e-tron to the Porsche Cayenne, Lamborghini Urus and Bentley Bentayga. That’s not to say they’re all the same by any means, but it does illustrate how this classic size and shape enable designers to both outfit interiors with world-class design and materials and add top-performing engines and suspensions within its frame.
The Audi Q7, for its part, delivers an elegant baseline of luxury year after year and one redesign after another, always evolving its look and feel but never abandoning its design principles. Which is the true mark of a fine design and what makes it a best car to invest in year after year.
