New cars lose 75% of value in three years

Some new cars could lose three-quarters of their value within three years, Which? magazine says today. It said even the least-depreciating models will shed about half their value.

Some new cars could lose three-quarters of their value within three years, Which? magazine says today. It said even the least-depreciating models will shed about half their value.

Two vehicles - the Perodua Kenari EZi 1.0 and the Proton Wira 1.5 LXi - will lose 77 per cent of value over three years. Other vehicles losing around three-quarters of their value include the Nissan Primera 1.8 SX and the Suzuki Alto 1.1 GL.

One of the vehicles to hold its value best is the BMW 1 Series 116i SE, which is expected to lose only 49 per cent of its value over three years - the same figure as the Mercedes-Benz C Class C180 SE Sports in the large car sector. The Mini Cooper 1.6 is the best value-retaining supermini, depreciating by only 50 per cent over three years.

The editor of Which?, Malcolm Coles said: "Some cars lose value hand over fist. If you're buying a new car, look at the amount you're going to lose in hard cash. Can you really afford to throw away that much money?

"It can be worth paying up front for a more desirable car that holds its value well. Buying a cheaper car that depreciates rapidly is a false economy."