Ford F-150 Depreciation & Resale Value

The 2021 F-150 is our best all-around search starting point. It begins the current generation and its listings average about 11,676 fewer miles than 2020 for a year-level median that is $4,930 more than 2020. That premium can be reasonable for buyers who value the redesigned cabin, available PowerBoost, and newer technology. It is not a universal answer. Match engine, cab, bed, drivetrain, axle, packages, trim, mileage, use history, and condition before comparing price.

Start with a 2016 XL or XLT. Its current all-trim median is about $18,410, with average mileage near 125,227. XL is the simpler work baseline and XLT adds common daily-use equipment. At this age and mileage, maintenance, frame and underbody condition, body-repair quality, towing history, tires, and inspection findings matter more than cosmetic options. Keep cash available for immediate service instead of buying at the top of the budget.

The 2020 has the stronger numbers in this dataset. Its median ask is only $2,762 more than 2019 while average mileage is about 8,284 miles lower. Both are updated 13th-generation trucks, so the comparison stays within one architecture. The average still mixes engines, cabs, beds, drivetrains, and Raptors. Match the full configuration and original equipment first. Use 2020 as the preferred search year, then let records, inspection, actual capability, and negotiated out-the-door price decide the truck.

Choose 2020 when you want the mature previous generation and the lower purchase price. Choose 2021 when the current-generation cabin, available PowerBoost hybrid, Pro Power Onboard, or newer connected features justify a median premium of $4,930 more than 2020 in this snapshot. The 2021 sample also averages about 11,676 fewer miles. Compare the same engine, cab, bed, drivetrain, and trim, then verify payload and tow equipment. A cleaner 2020 can still beat a poorly configured or overpriced 2021.

This dataset cannot answer that from a blended cross-year average. PowerBoost begins with the 2021 generation, so those trucks are newer and often differently equipped than the gas inventory. A raw retention comparison would mix age, trim, engine, original price, cab, mileage, and options. Compare same-year PowerBoost and gas trucks with similar configuration and condition. Then value fuel use, Pro Power Onboard, battery warranty timing, towing needs, and purchase premium. That use-case calculation is more defensible than calling either powertrain the resale winner.

Build a configuration sheet before comparing prices. Record model year, engine, transmission, cab, bed length, two- or four-wheel drive, axle ratio, payload from the yellow door label, towing packages, trim, major options, mileage, accident history, owner and use history, tires, and modifications. Then obtain the original window sticker or build data and compare each asking price with similarly equipped trucks, not the nameplate median. Separate Raptors and Tremors from ordinary XL, XLT, or Lariat inventory. For PowerBoost, record the Pro Power Onboard output and warranty timing. Finally, inspect the hitch, bed, frame, underbody, suspension, leaks, body repair, and tire wear, and convert immediate needs into dollars. If one truck lacks the payload, cab, bed, or towing equipment your use requires, it is not cheaper in any meaningful sense. Compare financing and dealer fees only after the physical trucks have been reduced to a genuinely like-for-like shortlist. Missing build data is itself a sound reason to keep shopping rather than guess about capability.

35.9% of F-150 listings in this dataset exceed 100,000 miles, while trucks at 120,000 miles or more have a median ask around $18,952. That is inventory prevalence, not a survival rate. A high-mileage truck can make sense with complete records, a clean frame and structural inspection, and enough discount for tires, brakes, suspension, fluids, leaks, and drivetrain work. The inspector should also look for hard towing, payload, off-road, and modification evidence.

Our mileage-adjusted fitted curve estimates about 32.5% depreciation after five years, leaving roughly 67.5% of original value. The estimate uses 2,463 current listings and a common asking-to-sale adjustment. It is a nameplate-level trajectory, not a quote for one truck. Original price and resale depend heavily on engine, cab, bed, drivetrain, axle, packages, trim, mileage, condition, prior use, and local demand. Calculate expected dollar loss from the exact configuration and price you negotiate.