One thing often overlooked about Toyotas when talking about pricing is that pricing goes both ways. It may cost me $2,000 more to buy but I'll also be able to sell it for $2,000 more. Are you more likely to buy a 20 year old F-150 or a 20 year old Toyota? Why? Those same reasons are going to hold up 20 years from now too.
Not really economically true, depreciation falls from the purchase price as a %, some more than others certainly, but to say the same $2,000 is returned isn't really true, you may get back $800/1200/1500 of it back depending on the total amount depreciated. And, then again, you're betting that that model will remain in high demand and not be replaced by alternatives. Your location has a lot to do with resale value as well, you'll do better in an area where the imports are popular, but they aren't everywhere.
You also get to a point where your vehicle is worth more to you or costs more to replace than what you can get for it. My 99 F-150, slick as goose crap at 7x,xxx miles would cost me at least 14/15K to replace it, similar ones sell for 8,500/9,500, I was offered 10K two weeks ago and turned it down. You get stuck in the utility cost spread of your market. The marginal propensity of consumption as that additional unit or newer model is no longer worth to you the difference in price.
Then, 20, 25 years later the market changes, by that time you're considering a collector's vehicle or lower utility. A 65 Mustang in great shape sells for 5 times or more of it's original sale price, same with a 55 three window ford, that's a different market. Just about any vehicle from the 60s, 70s, or even 80s that was popular then, in good shape, will sell today for as much or more than its new price.
If you are say 30 and buy a new vehicle that is popular and keep it for 20, 30 or 40 years, you'll likely be making (saving) money....but that's not the American way...LOL
