Used Toyota RAV4s are selling for more than new models. Here's why | Exclusive
Used Toyota RAV4s are selling for more than new models. Here's why | Exclusive
Olivia Evans, Louisville Courier JournalWed, October 28, 2026 at 9:00 AM UTC
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Most car shoppers heading to the used car lot are looking to strike a deal.
But for drivers seeking out the Toyota RAV4, historically one of the best-selling vehicles in the U.S., even a used model could come at a high price in today's market.
An analysis from Edmunds, an online automotive research and car-shopping platform, found that the average transaction price through the first eight months of 2026 for a new RAV4 ranged between $35,384 to a high of $42,096. Meanwhile, the analysis, shared with The Courier Journal, found for the same time period, the used model year 2026 RAV4 vehicles average transaction ranged between $41,509 and $47,274.
The used 2026 model year RAV4 entered the market in February with a peak average transaction price of $47,274, according to Edmunds. As the supply of the vehicle began to stabilize, the prices for the used vehicle remained strong at $42,706 in August, outpacing new RAV4 transaction prices of $40,784 in August.
"For it to be significant enough to show up in our data, it means it's happening all the time," Joseph Yoon, senior analyst at Edmunds, said of the high prices for used RAV4s. "That's how popular the RAV4 is right now for the American consumer."
The Edmunds analysis found the used 2026 RAV4s "command roughly a $9,000–$13,000 premium" in comparison to the used 2025 gas powered used RAV4s.
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"It's unusual in the sense that it's such a normal car ... it's very rare for a mass market product that sells 4- or 500,000 units per year to fall under this weird situation," Yoon said.
One factor influencing the RAV4 pricing stems from the COVID-19 pandemic, Yoon noted. In the immediate aftermath of the pandemic, the used car market saw demand spike which pushed up used car prices, "and in a lot of ways, the prices haven't really recovered from that and have stayed elevated since," Yoon added.
"Where the RAV4 fits into this is even before the pandemic, the RAV4 was one of the best-selling crossovers in the country," Yoon said. "...That kind of outsized demand is being directly reflected in the used prices of 2026 model year cars that have maybe a couple thousand miles on it."
Additionally, in early 2026, Toyota released its highly anticipated newest model year of the RAV4. The crossover vehicle, made in Georgetown Ky., at Toyota's massive manufacturing plant, moved from having gas and hybrid vehicle offerings to being solely hybrid. A Toyota spokesperson noted that during the model year changeover vehicle production of the RAV4 at plants in Kentucky and Canada were lower but by spring 2026 full production pace had resumed.
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And as new 2026 RAV4s came to dealer lots, they did not sit long. A Toyota spokesperson told The Courier Journal that at the end of September, the RAV4 supply was 1.7 days with a 94% turn rate, meaning it took less than two days to sell nearly the entire available RAV4 supply at dealerships. Currently, the RAV4 supply is roughly four days.
Many new RAV4 vehicles are ordered for a specific buyer who is willing to wait weeks to months for the new vehicle to arrive, Yoon said. But for consumers who are interested in purchasing a vehicle right away, the used market for RAV4 offers the ability for buyers to drive away in the vehicle same day.
"The RAV4 continues to attract strong customer interest," a Toyota spokesperson said. "... We're working to get more vehicles to dealers, and we expect RAV4 wholesales to increase in the fourth quarter."
The Edmunds analysis noted that the redesigned new model rollout for the RAV4 led to a supply constraint for buyers with consumer demand continuing to outpace vehicle availability — pushing used vehicle prices to a premium.
As buyers looked to quickly get behind the wheel of a RAV4, a vehicle with a reputation for quality, dependability, and reliability, consumers were more readily willing to pay a higher price to get a used vehicle.
"It is very much kind of the RAV4 is kind of alone in the sheer scale of this happening," Yoon said.
And Toyota knows its customers want to get into RAV4s as quickly as possible. The automaker has seen sales of the RAV4 steadily increase for nearly a decade with substantial annual sales growth coming between 2022 to 2025. In 2025, Toyota peaked with more than 479,000 RAV4s sold in the U.S., a roughly 36% increase in sales since 2016.
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"Our manufacturing plant in Canada has used overtime and some Saturday shifts to help meet demand, while our plant in Kentucky is operating at full RAV4 capacity," the automakers spokesperson said. "We're also working to move vehicles through logistics and to dealers more quickly."
But for now, as car buyers hunt for their perfect RAV4 to bring home, they should anticipate paying a little more for a used vehicle or waiting a little longer to get their hands on a new model.
"I think this pattern might continue for a little longer, just because Toyota has basically maintained their current kind of production levels for the past couple of years now," Yoon said. "... If that continues, and really the demand for the car itself continues, then you know it's econ 101."
Contact Business Reporter Olivia Evans at oevans@usatodayco.com or at 502-582-4144.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Used Toyota RAV4s are selling for more than new models. Here's why | Exclusive
Source: “AOL Money”
