In the investment world, we tend to look for undervalued assets, hidden “gems” or exponential growth trends. However, in the automotive world, logic often defies financial gravity.
If I told you that the best investment on four wheels in Brazil, in 2025, is not a state-of-the-art SUV or a revolutionary electric car, but rather a hatchback that the manufacturer itself decided to withdraw from the line last year, would you believe it? Well, welcome to the fascinating paradox of Toyota Yaris Hatch.
In our column today, we dissect the data revealed by Megadealer’s latest Used Vehicle Performance (PVU) study, which has brought to light a reality that would make any fund manager envious of a used car salesman.
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The Toyota Yaris, even with its industrial death certificate signed in 2024, has resurrected in the secondary market as the undisputed champion of profitability and liquidity.
The alchemy of profitability: margin and turnover
For those who analyze cars from the perspective of “CarInvest”, two metrics are paramount: profit margin and sales speed (the so-called “turnover”). An asset that generates a lot of profit but takes months to be liquidated is a “dead weight” in cash flow. An asset that sells quickly but leaves no margin is just a “vanity move”.
The Yaris Hatch has reached financial “Nirvana”. According to the data collected, this model presents an average profit margin of 11.3% for retailers and dealerships.
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In a market where margins are often crushed by competition and depreciation, breaking the double-digit barrier is a remarkable feat.
But the data that truly impresses is liquidity. The average storage time for this model is just 25 days. To put this into perspective: in a sector where a month and a half is considered an acceptable deadline, the Yaris “flies” from the physical and digital yards.
It is the equivalent, in the stock market, of a blue chip share with the trading volume of a meme stock. The average transaction price is R$98,000, a perfect balance point that attracts both the middle class looking for reliability and those looking for a robust second car.
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How to explain this phenomenon? Why does a discontinued, theoretically obsolete car outperform its peers still in production? The answer lies in the psychology of the Brazilian consumer and the titanic strength of the Toyota brand. The discontinuation of the Yaris in 2024 did not generate the usual devaluation panic: the feared “myco effect”.
On the contrary, it generated a shortage of a good perceived as essential. The consumer looks at the Yaris and does not see an “off-the-line car”; sees the last opportunity to acquire a vehicle with predictable maintenance, unbreakable mechanics and, above all, a “bearer check” at the time of resale.
The buyer’s rationality speaks louder: between betting on an untested Chinese novelty or a Japanese veteran that will never leave you on the road, the smart money has chosen the second option.
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The study does not place the Yaris on an isolated pedestal. It is just the tip of the iceberg of Toyota’s dominance in the used car market in 2025. The profitability podium is, essentially, a monologue from the Japanese brand.
In second position, we find the eternal Corolla. With an average price of R$142 thousand, the average sedan maintains a margin of 10.2% and a turnover of 29 days. It is the definition of “cash in cash”. Close behind, the Corolla Cross closes the podium, transacting for an average of R$ 157 thousand, with margins close to 10% and a liquidity similar to that of its sedan brother.
What do these numbers tell us as investors? We are told that the “sticker” on the front grille is worth as much or more than the technology on board.
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In a year in which the used car market sees the average ticket rising for the second consecutive month, reaching R$89,654 in October, and with a sales volume that grew 4% compared to September, being positioned in “safe” assets is the winning strategy.
The Boiling Market: 2025 on the way to a record
We cannot analyze the Yaris case without looking at the macro environment. The year 2025 is shaping up to be a historic year for the used and used car sector in Brazil. According to Fenauto, in October alone, more than 1.7 million vehicles changed hands.
In the year to date, we have already surpassed the barrier of 15.2 million units. Projections indicate that we could be heading towards a historic record of 18 million units transacted by the end of December. This global warming of the sector pushes prices up (+1% in October), creating a scenario where depreciation, the biggest enemy of those who see cars as an investment, is mitigated, or in rare cases like the Yaris, reversed into exceptional value retention.
For CarInvest readers, the lesson from this episode is clear: the obvious often pays the best dividends. We are often tempted to buy the “fashionable” car, the one with the futuristic design and the dashboard full of screens.
However, the secondary market is a ruthless judge that values trust above all else. The Yaris Hatch, even “dead” for the factory, is more alive than ever for the market.
If you are thinking about changing your car and want to protect your assets, look at the numbers. Yaris’s 25-day liquidity is an indicator of security that few financial assets offer with such consistency. In a volatile Brazil, having an asset in your garage that converts into money (almost) at the speed of a click, and still preserves its value, is the true definition of a good business.
So, if you see a well-maintained pre-owned Yaris for sale, don’t just see it as a means of transportation. See it as it really is in 2025: a fixed income security on four wheels, with the guarantee that, when it comes time to sell, there will be a queue at your door.
