When buying a new car, it’s always worth thinking about the potential resale value and how much it will depreciate over time.
Some cars can prove to be very worthy investments, with their value increasing over time, while others may drop quickly in value as soon as they leave the forecourt.
Elements such as age, condition, mileage and number of owners are all influencing factors, and there are many things that you can do to minimise the effects of depreciation, but choosing a vehicle that holds its value well is always a good place to start. Scrap Car Comparison‘s new analysis highlights the worst and best buys for your money.
Which Car Models Depreciate the Quickest?
With this in mind, we’ve looked at some of the UK’s top-selling vehicles and calculated their average depreciation over the average ownership period for a car in the UK (four –years) to try and help give an idea of how different car’s values can decline quicker than others.
The Renault Zoe tops the tables as the car with the highest average four-year depreciation rate, with the £31,195 average selling price dropping down to just £10,238 after four years, with 67% of the vehicle’s value lost as a result. The Peugeot 2008 follows in second with an average depreciation rate of 66%, with the Audi A3 rounding off the top three at 65%.
| Rank | Car Model | Base Price | Average value after 4 years | Value lost (after 4 years) | Average 4-year depreciation rate (%) |
| 1 | Renault Zoe | £31,195 | £10,238 | £20,957 | 67.20% |
| 2 | Peugeot 2008 | £23,005 | £7,768 | £15,237 | 66.20% |
| 3 | Audi A3 | £26,660 | £9,254 | £17,406 | 65.30% |
| 4 | LR Defender | £55,265 | £19,701 | £35,564 | 64.30% |
| 5 | BMW 7 Series | £102,990 | £41,462 | £61,528 | 59.70% |
| 6 | Audi A8 | £76,225 | £31,379 | £44,846 | 58.80% |
| 7 | Peugeot 5008 | £35,585 | £15,290 | £20,295 | 57% |
| 8 | Nissan Leaf | £28,495 | £12,499 | £15,996 | 56.10% |
| 9 | Peugeot 3008 | £31,620 | £13,870 | £17,750 | 56.10% |
| 10 | Peugeot 508 | £32,960 | £14,751 | £18,209 | 55.30% |
| 11 | MB E-Class | £54,185 | £24,730 | £29,455 | 54.40% |
| 12 | Kia Sportage | £27,950 | £13,003 | £14,947 | 53.50% |
| 13 | Audi A6 | £42,605 | £20,196 | £22,409 | 52.60% |
| 14 | Hyundai i30 | £22,700 | £10,760 | £11,940 | 52.60% |
| 15 | Ford S-Max | £38,565 | £18,618 | £19,947 | 51.70% |
| 16 | Kia Sorento | £43,205 | £20,858 | £22,347 | 51.70% |
| 17 | Vauxhall Astra | £25,795 | £12,453 | £13,342 | 51.70% |
| 18 | BMW X5 | £66,230 | £33,127 | £33,103 | 50% |
| 19 | Vauxhall Mokka | £23,495 | £11,752 | £11,743 | 50% |
| 20 | Audi Q5 | £45,425 | £23,113 | £22,312 | 49.10% |
Which Car Models Depreciate the Slowest?
For those looking for a vehicle that holds its value, the Volvo V90 fits the bill, as the car that depreciates the slowest according to our data.
With only 7.9% of the vehicle’s value lost after four years, this model is definitely a sounder investment than others. The Volvo XC60 follows closely in second place, losing just 11.5% of its value in four years.
The Mercedes Benz A-Class (14.4%), Jeep Wrangler (17.5%) and Volkswagen Polo (18.3%) complete the top five, with any one of them likely to hold their value well over the first few years of ownership.
| Rank | Car Model | Base model price | Average value after 4 years | Value lost (after 4 years) | Average 4 year depreciation rate (%) |
| 1 | Volvo V90 | £48,825 | £44,955 | £3,870 | 7.9% |
| 2 | Volvo XC60 | £45,675 | £40,425 | £5,250 | 11.5% |
| 3 | MBenz A-Class | £30,800 | £26,351 | £4,449 | 14.4% |
| 4 | Jeep Wrangler | £57,810 | £47,692 | £10,118 | 17.5% |
| 5 | VW Polo | £19,640 | £16,051 | £3,589 | 18.3% |
| 6 | Range Rover | £102,100 | £82,658 | £19,442 | 19% |
| 7 | Volkswagen Golf | £25,615 | £20,737 | £4,878 | 19% |
| 8 | MBenz C-Class | £44,060 | £35,330 | £8,730 | 19.8% |
| 9 | Porsche 718 | £51,800 | £41,536 | £10,264 | 19.8% |
| 10 | Toyota C-HR | £29,920 | £23,760 | £6,160 | 20.6% |
