Two listings, same model, same year, thousands of dollars apart — the word doing all that work is the trim. We measured the real used-market premium between the cheapest and most expensive trim of seven popular 2023 model-year vehicles. On mainstream sedans and crossovers the top trim carries a 23–32% premium; on trucks and premium SUVs it can approach double.
The trim ladder, measured
| Model (MY2023) | Base trim | Top trim | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ford F-150 | XL Regular Cab — $35,622 | Raptor — $68,582 | +92.5% |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee | 4xe — $27,468 | Summit — $39,586 | +44.1% |
| Toyota RAV4 | LE — $28,878 | XSE — $37,970 | +31.5% |
| Honda Accord | LX — $24,158 | Touring — $30,406 | +25.9% |
| Honda CR-V | LX — $27,562 | Sport Touring — $34,293 | +24.4% |
| Subaru Outback | Premium — $24,341 | Touring — $30,004 | +23.3% |
| Toyota Camry | LE — $23,994 | XSE — $29,462 | +22.8% |
The mainstream cluster is remarkably tight: whether it’s a Camry, CR-V, or Outback, the top trim runs about a quarter more than the base. Trucks are a different market: an F-150 is really several vehicles sharing a name, from a steel-wheel work truck to a desert-racing halo model.
One number worth pausing on
The cheapest 2023 Grand Cherokee trim in our data is the plug-in hybrid 4xe at $27,468 — below every gas trim. A $60,000+ MSRP vehicle listing under the base gas model two years later is the EV-adjacent depreciation pattern from our EV vs gas study showing up inside a single model line — and one of the strongest used-car value plays in this dataset.
What this means if you’re buying
- The base trim is the value play on mainstream cars. A quarter more money buys leather and badges, not a different vehicle.
- On trucks, decide which vehicle you’re actually buying. The XL-to-Raptor spread is bigger than the price of a used Corolla.
- Depreciated top trims are the used market’s quiet bargain — yesterday’s $8,000 option package costs $4,000–$6,000 today, and plug-in variants can cost less than zero.
Methodology notes
Median asking prices by trim for 2023 model-year national listings, snapshot of August 4, 2026, minimum 25 listings per trim; the premium compares the cheapest and most expensive qualifying trims. Mileage mix within trims is not controlled. Three additional models we checked (Tacoma, Silverado 1500, Sierra 1500) lacked enough distinct qualifying trims and were excluded. See how we build these studies.