What cars hold their value best?

What are the best and worse cars for depreciation in Ireland, by car sector?

Ruadhan Neeson (Dublin)

Feb 2014 Filed under: used car values

---

Expert answer

Hi Ruadhan,

That, I'm afraid, is a question with too many variable answers. Second-hand vehicle values are like stock market values - they go up and down and often rather unpredictably. There are a few rules of thumb, though...

1. It's got to be diesel. Yes, we (and others) have tried to educate the motoring populace that diesel power doesn't automatically mean better economy or lower running costs, but right now the market is diesel-crazy and if it doesn't sip from the black pump, it's not going to hold on to its value.

2. The lowest depreciating cars are, obviously, the most popular models. So the likes of the Ford Focus, Volkswagen Golf, Nissan Qashqai, Hyundai Santa Fe, BMW 3 Series, Audi A4 and so on will always hold on to their value the best. Check the list of the top-ten best-selling cars on the market - these are your depreciation heroes.

3. What about depreciation villains? Anything that the market doesn't trust, really. Estates tend to fare especially poorly, anything with a French badge is suspect and if it's Italian, forget it. You'll lose your shirt on any of these.

4. Spec is king. You can have the most in-demand car going but if it's painted bright yellow and has green seats, you're never going to shift it. So, to keep depreciation at bay, stick with dark metallics and subtle interior tones. Pale cabin colours tend to fare less well when it comes to wear and tear, so the market prefers blacks and greys on the inside too. If it's an executive car, it has to have an automatic gearbox. Anything with factory-fit air conditioning and Bluetooth telephony is looking good, leather is always helpful but other expensive toys don't always help a car hang on to its value.

Hope that's all of interest

Neil Briscoe - Complete Car Adviser
@neilmbriscoe