Money shedding motors: These are the 10 fastest depreciating new cars you can buy in showrooms today
- All 10 cars lose around 75% of the original value after 3 years and 36,000 miles
- Models range from high-performance saloons to budget-friendly city cars
- The fastest depreciating motor retains just over one fifth of its original price There are so many details to take into account when buying a new car. Is it practical enough for your daily needs? How efficient is it? What's the reliability track record like?
But one of the most important things to consider is how rapidly it will depreciate, because a significant drop in value could be costlier than poor fuel economy and a stack of repair bills.
It could also mean higher monthly payments if you're taking out finance, because charges are based on the depreciation of the vehicle over the duration you have it.
These are the 10 new mainstream cars that top the list of models estimated to lose their value the quickest after three years of ownership and 36,000 miles, according to What Car?'s own data. While it might not be good for new car buyers, all 10 will be great value second-hand purchases.
The Citroen C3 loses almost 73% of its value after 3 years and average annual mileage, says What Car?
10. Citroen C3 - 72.6% depreciation
Model: 1.5 Blue HDi 100 Feel
Price new: £18,600
Value after 3yrs/36k miles: £5,100
Value lost: £13,500
Citroen's C3 has very popular rivals. It goes up against the might of the supermini class, which includes the UK's most popular car - the Ford Fiesta - as well as the Vauxhall Corsa and VW Polo.
While it wins over fans with quirky looks, limited driving performance and practicality make it less attractive than the examples previously mentioned.
After three years, expect to see almost three quarters of the original value wiped from a C3.
The Fiat Panda is getting long in the tooth, having been launched in this guise in 2011. No wonder they lose value so quickly
9. Fiat Panda - 72.7% deprecation
Model: 1.2 Pop
Price new: £10,255
Value after 3yrs/36k miles: 2,800
Value lost: 7,455
The Panda is by no means new. Fiat has barely updated the third generation model since it was first launched to market in 2011, meaning it has been on sale for the best part of a decade.
In 2018 it became the first car to score zero stars in Euro NCAP's crash test ratings due to it lacking the modern technology as standard that the safety body wants to see.
This poor reputation means depreciation hits hard, with it retaining just 27.3 per cent of its original value after 36 months of ownership.
The Mercedes-Benz S-Class Cabriolet might be stylish but if you do pay the high price for one don't expect to get much of it back by the time you want to sell it
8. Mercedes S-Class Cabriolet - 72.3% depreciation
Model: S560 Grand Edition
Price new: £124,975
Value after 3yrs/36k miles: £33,400
Value lost: £91,575
The Mercedes-Benz S-Class isn't like the cars already featured here - certainly not the S460 Cabriolet in question. Priced at £125,000, it costs the same as 12 new Fiat Pandas.
But while it might be packed with performance and elegance, it still suffers from similar levels of catastrophic depreciation.
The value you lose over three years (£91,575) is enough to buy a new Porsche 911 Carrera 4.
Another hot Mercedes is the AMG E53. While it might be fast, it depreciates almost as quickly as it accelerates
7. Mercedes-AMG E53 - 73.4% depreciation
Model: Premium Plus 4dr
Price new: £68,250
Value after 3yrs/36k miles: £68,250
Value lost: £50,075
Another high-powered Mercedes to lose value at an alarming rate is the AMG E53 saloon.
It's no slouch, using a 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine and a mild hybrid system to produce 435bhp - good for a 4.4-second sprint from zero to 62mph and a limited top speed of 155mph.
Unfortunately it depreciates almost as quickly as it accelerates, shedding over 74 per cent of its original value - £50,000 - in the first three years.
Far from the world of fast Mercedes-Benz is the Citroen C1 - a budget-friendly city car that's ideal for new drivers. It might be at the lower end of the price standings but still loses value
6. Citroen C1 - 73.7% depreciation
Model: 1.0 VTi 72 Feel 3dr
Price new: £12,375
Value after 3yrs/36k miles: £3,250
Value lost: £9,125
Here's proof that bruising depreciation can impact all types of cars. The budget-friendly Citroen C1 is a model that depreciates slightly faster than a £100,000-plus Merc.
It might be small and cheap to run, but it will still shed plenty of its original price in the first 36 months of ownership.
Almost three quarters of the £12,375 purchase price will disappear, meaning an owner will get just over £3,000 when it comes time to sell.
Another Fiat that's been around for some time is the 500. A Cabriolet city car isn't high on many drivers' wish lists, especially in the UK. Hence why the 500C is high on this list
5. Fiat 500C - 74% depreciation
Model: 1.0 Mild Hybrid Pop
Price new: £15,315
Value after 3yrs/36k miles: £3,975
Value lost: £11,340
Like the Panda, Fiat's efforts to update the 500 have been minimal. Bar a small tweak here and there, it has remained almost unchanged since 2007. The same can be said for the 500C cabriolet, which comes in at number five in this list.
What Car? puts the chronic depreciation down to the fact there are so many available on the used market, though it can also be argued that not many people are hunting for convertible city cars.
After three years, buyers of the 1.0-litre Mild Hybrid Pop will be left with a car that's worth just 26 per cent of what they originally paid for it.
Badge kudos suggests the Citroen C1 is slightly more in demand than the Peugeot 108, despite the two cars being mechanically the same
4. Peugeot 108 - 74.9% depreciation
Model: 1.0 72 Allure 3dr
Price new: £13,670
Value after 3yrs/36k miles: £3,425
Value lost: £10,245
The 108 is the sister car to the Citroen C1 that is at number 6 in this list. It suggests badge power doesn't do Peugeot any favours.
Cheap and cheerful to run it might be, but three quarters of the original value goes missing after three years averaging 12,000 miles annually.
That means a car costing just over £13,000 new loses over £10,000 in just three years.
The Quattroporte is Maserati's answer to a BMW 5 Series or Mercedes-Benz E-Class. The question is, does there need to be an answer to two such dominant models in a class?
3. Maserati Quattroporte - 76.4% depreciation
Model: V6d
Price new: £75,700
Value after 3yrs/36k miles: £17,875
Value lost: £57,825
We're back up to the other end of the market now with a pricey and stylish luxury saloon from Maserati - a brand that's synonymous with depreciation.
The Quattroporte is an alternative to hard-hitting German powerhouses - the likes of the BMW 5 Series, Audi A6 and Mercedes-Benz E-Class.
Horrific depreciation hammers this diesel example, which has a fairly poor ride and feels dated against its slick competition. It's easy to see why it loses value at an alarming pace.
The Fiat Tipo was launched to take on the Ford Focus and Vauxhall Astra. It hasn't proved popular or capable of holding its value
2. Fiat Tipo - 77.3% depreciation
Model: 1.6 Multijet Mirror
Price new: £20,385
Value after 3yrs/36k miles: £4,625
Value lost: £15,760
Fiat's attempt to relaunch the Tipo name to go up against the popular Ford Focus, Kia Ceed and Vauxhall Astra has backfired in a big way, with dealers having to offer huge discounts to move their stock of the family hatchback.
While it might be well kitted out with standard equipment, it severely lacks when it comes to driving performance - and value retention.
More than three quarters of a Tipo price is lost in three years.
The fastest-depreciating mainstream new model, according to What Car?, is the Peugeot 308. It does away with almost four fifths of its value after 3 years
1. Peugeot 308 - 78.1% depreciation
Model: 1.5 Blue HDi 100 Active
Price new: £21,765
Value after 3yrs/36k miles: £4,775
Value lost: £16,990
The Fiat Tipo has been narrowly edged out in the order by one of its rivals in the same family hatchback class, the Peugeot 308.
Anyone who has been inside a 308 might be surprised by its inclusion, given the interior is classy and it has a decent size boot.
However, a lack of driving performance and cramped back seats have seen it fall down buyers' shopping lists. Buy the 1.5 Blue HDi 100 Active diesel new and it will hold around only a fraction over a fifth of its original value.
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