Fiat Palio 2008 appreciates 15% in 12 months in the used market; see other old models on the rise

Buying an old car is no longer synonymous with guaranteed loss at resale. A survey by Data OLX Autos points out that most versions of models with 13 to 20 years of use monitored by the platform became more expensive between May 2025 and May 2026 — some with an appreciation of almost 15% in just 12 months.

The cut considers the median price announced on OLX for the five most relevant vehicles of each body (hatchback, sedan and SUV) in the Used Vehicle Index (IVU), calculated in partnership with Fenauto. These are ad values, not actual sales.

The high champion is the Fiat Palio 1.8 from 2008, which went from R$ 25.900 to R$ 29.700 — an increase of 14.67%. Next come the Volkswagen Voyage 1.6 from 2009 (+13.33%, from R$ 25.500 to R$ 28.900) and the Fiat Uno 1.0 from 2009 (+13.16%). Among the most valued are also the Honda Civic 1.8 manual from 2013 (+12.73%) and the Chevrolet Corsa 1.4 from 2010 (+12%) (check the full ranking at the end of the article).

The older you are, the greater the appreciation

The most curious data of the study contradicts the logic that new cars lose less value: among the models analyzed, the oldest examples rose more than the relatively recent ones. A good part of the 2013 harvest — the youngest of the cut — even retreated. The Volkswagen Gol 2013 fell 5.1% (from R$ 29,499 to R$ 28,000) and the Ford EcoSport 2013 recorded the biggest drop in the entire report, of 8.82% (from R$ 49,900 to R$ 45,500).

Manual transmission costs more than automatic

Another inversion draws attention: in several cases, the manual version is worth more than the automatic version of the same year. In the Renault Duster 2012, the manual transmission (R$ 45.000) surpasses the automatic (R$ 42.950); in the Ford EcoSport, manuals tend to lead the prices. Manual transmissions also concentrated the most consistent rises in the survey.

“The data show that consumers value more vehicles with simple maintenance, reliable mechanics and attractive cost-benefit. The expressive appreciation of older manual models reflects a search for economy, challenging the preference for automatics seen in newer cars”, says Flávio Passos, vice president of Autos at the OLX Group.

1.6 and 1.8 engines pull the queue

By the engine cut, the intermediate engines showed more vigor: the three biggest increases in the report — Palio 1.8, Voyage 1.6 and Civic 1.8 — belong to this group. The 1.0 engines had a mixed performance, with the Fiat Uno 1.0 of 2009 rising 13.16% while the Gol 1.0 of 2013 fell 5.1%.

Among the most expensive in the study are two Honda SUVs: the CR-V 2013 (R$ 74,900) and the CR-V 2012 (R$ 71,945), both, however, falling in the period. In the lead of each IVU category appear the Volkswagen Gol (hatches), the Honda Civic (sedans) and the Ford EcoSport (SUVs). The full report is available on the Data OLX Autos page.

Table — Ranking of the highest valuations