Slowest depreciating cars: the cars that hold their value best
Car depreciation is a fact of life with car ownership. But these are the cars that lose the least over time
When you buy a new car, you don't need a calculator to know that depreciation will set in as soon as you drive it off a dealer's forecourt. Even if you're buying a car on finance, depreciation data is vital because the amount of money the car is predicted to be worth at the end of the finance agreement impacts how much you pay per month. It all means that getting a car that depreciates slowly will have a very positive effect on your overall running costs, so here are the UK’s slowest depreciating cars.
In simple terms, depreciation is the difference between what a buyer paid for the car and what it’s currently worth, otherwise known as its residual value. Place a new car’s depreciation in a graph, and the line will start at a high point and fall over time. Cars that depreciate slowly will be worth more than fast depreciating cars and will work out cheaper to own overall.
Unless you're buying a highly sought after limited-run performance car, then the new car you buy will probably suffer from depreciation at some level. It's just a fact of life, as a car that has been used by a previous owner isn't as attractive as a brand-new one. There are obviously older classic cars that appreciate in value as they become rare and more desirable over time, but with most modern vehicles the residual value is only going one way. There are cars out there, however, that can limit your losses.
We've listed the best depreciation performers on the market below using the latest depreciation data based on models three-years old with 36,000 miles on the clock. This irons out any initial spikes in desirability as a new car comes to market, and gives a good indication of how much a car will be worth over the lifetime of a typical finance deal.
The 10 slowest depreciating cars in the UK
Our expert market analysis data shows that these are the models that hold their value best after three years and 36,000 miles of use, read on to find them listed below..
10. MINI Countryman
- Variant: 1.5 Cooper C
- Retained value: 61.43%
- Average new price: £29,100
- Average retained value: £17,875
The MINI Countryman might have got a little bigger with each generation, but it’s still relatively compact by SUV standards at just over 4.4 metres long. Yet it has the appearance and quality of a larger car, which makes the £29,100 price for a mild-hybrid Cooper C version look like great value. It’s even better value when you consider that it’ll hold onto more than 61 per cent of that after three years and 36,000 miles.
Notably, the model that retains the most value is the most basic Countryman you can get, which is a bit of a spec tip if you want to minimise depreciation: spending extra when you buy doesn’t necessarily mean making that money back when you come to sell
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9. Kia Sorento
- Variant: 2.2 CRDi ‘2’
- Retained value: 61.79%
- Average new price: £43,375
- Average retained value: £26,800
Kia isn’t the first brand you might think of when it comes to retained value, but the Sorento has a few things in its favour. Firstly it’s well-priced from new given its size and utility, secondly it’s one of increasingly few diesel options available in its segment, and thirdly, these big Korean SUVs are often popular with those who need to tow: the diesel here has a 2,600kg braked trailer rating, more even than you’d get from a Land Rover Discovery Sport. Having used buyers ready to snap up a useful SUV like the Sorento really helps its long-term values
8. Toyota Land Cruiser
- Variant: 2.8D Invincible
- Retained value: 62.85%
- Average new price: £77,845
- Average retained value: £48,925
A nearly unsurpassed reputation for longevity and reliability means Toyota Land Cruisers tend to shed their value at a glacial rate, and the forecast is good for the very latest model, too. It no doubt helps that Toyota has stated it doesn’t plan to bring many into the country; as we write this, the UK’s allocation has already sold out, and Toyota can’t provide any details on future availability. New models are currently selling well over list as a result, but after three years, once the hype has died down a bit, our experts reckon it’ll still hold nearly 63 per cent of its new value
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7. Volkswagen Multivan
- Variant: 1.5 TSI eHybrid 4Motion Life
- Retained value: 63.64%
- Average new price: £54,525
- Average retained value: £34,700
The fashionable Volkswagen ID. Buzz electric MPV finishes just outside the top ten, holding onto 61.32% of its value in seven-seat form, but the more conventional hybrid-powered Multivan goes a few percentage points better. Being more affordable probably helps it, as will the ease of use of this hybrid version. It’s not as stylish as its electric counterpart but the market has spoken: the Multivan’s utility and hybrid powertrain are apparently that bit more beneficial when it comes to slow depreciation
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6. Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS
- Variant: GT4 RS
- Retained value: 65.22%
- Average new price: £128,300
- Average retained value: £83,675
The Cayman GT4 RS and 911 GT3 have swapped places since the last time we updated this list. The GT4 RS was previously our slowest-depreciating car, holding 69.64% of its value, and while that’s dropped to just over 65% now, it’s still shedding money pretty slowly. It has all the hallmarks of a slow-depreciating car: limited availability, the right badge, and it’s the most special variant of a car already in demand among motivated, enthusiastic buyers.
It’s hugely exciting to drive too, though its slight drop here shows that the market can also be fickle; the GT4 RS is no longer the new hotness, and most of those who desperately wanted one initially may now have been satiated, letting the market cool down a little
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5. Dacia Jogger
- Variant: 1.6 Hybrid Expression
- Retained value: 65.59%
- Average new price: £21,270
- Average retained value: £13,950
The first of two Dacias here, which shows that one factor behind depreciation is how little a car costs to begin with. With the desirable hybrid version in entry-level (but well-equipped) Expression trim starting at little more than £21,000 – less than most basic superminis – it falls relatively little by the time it’s three years old, still holding onto nearly two thirds of its value. If previous Dacias are anything to go by, the depreciation curve should still be relatively gentle as it gets older too, so even used buyers are unlikely to see their Jogger suddenly fall off a cliff in value
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4. Dacia Bigster
- Variant: 1.8 Hybrid 155 Extreme
- Retained value: 66.19%
- Average new price: £29,990
- Average retained value: £19,850
Everybody wins with the Dacia Bigster, it seems. It’s easily the best value for money car in the family SUV segment with a sub-£30k starting price – the Hybrid in Extreme trim here is the absolute most you can spend on a Bigster – and as it turns out, one of the UK’s slowest depreciating cars, so you don’t lose much money on it either.
Even as a used buyer, a three-year old Bigster for under £20k sounds like a steal, especially when that first buyer has gone for the highest trim level and an engine capable of 60mpg
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3. Porsche 911 GT3
- Variant: GT3 manual
- Retained value: 69.17%
- Average new price: £149,060
- Average retained value: £103,100
The data marks out that it’s the manual transmission-equipped model in particular that is the value-retention champ in the 911 GT3 range, and indeed the 911 range as a whole. PDK might be appealing for the new car buyer, but there’s a ravenous market of enthusiasts out there waiting to grab manuals whenever they filter onto the used market, which probably contributes to the GT3 manual holding onto more than 69 per cent of its value three years and 36,000 miles down the line (though few GT3s are likely to have this many miles after three years). In the meantime, GT3 owners will enjoy one of the best engine and gearbox combinations in any new car
2. Land Rover Defender 90
- Variant: D250 X-Dynamic SE
- Retained value: 69.37%
- Average new price: £59,790
- Average retained value: £41,475
The Defender is a regular here, and indeed a regular in second place. The 110 briefly held this spot last time we checked, but now it’s back to the shorter-wheelbase 90 again. The “D250” engine is the Defender’s mild-hybrid 3-litre turbodiesel unit, which suggests keeping things fairly simple and not spending too much initially is the key to your Defender being in demand and commanding high values after three years. Our example’s £59,790 asking price is only a few grand more than the absolute minimum you can spend on a Defender, and X-Dynamic SE trim is only one step up from the most basic model, too
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1. Mercedes-Benz G-Class Electric
- Variant: G580 AMG Line Premium Plus
- Retained value: 70.09%
- Average new price: £154,870
- Average retained value: £108,550
It’s a new entrant at number one, with the Mercedes-Benz G-Class Electric. Remember what we said about the Cayman GT4 RS being the “new hotness”? Well the G-Class has always sold on its image, and the kind of buyers interested in the big G are also the kind of people who might be taken by the all-electric G580, with its walloping 579bhp and gimmicks like its “G-Turn” ability (spinning on the spot) – and forget the three-tonne kerb weight and lousy efficiency. Until the novelty wears off or supply ramps up, it’s sure to be a slow depreciator… though £46k in three years isn’t an insignificant drop in value even so.
Latest used Mercedes G-Class deals
Top 10 slowest depreciating new cars in the UK
- Mercedes-Benz G-Class Electric
- Land Rover Defender 90
- Porsche 911 GT3
- Dacia Bigster
- Dacia Jogger
- Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS
- Volkswagen Multivan
- Toyota Land Cruiser
- Kia Sorento
- MINI Countryman
Car depreciation: the best of the rest
With the top 10 covered off, let’s take a look at some of the models that just missed the cut. The table below shows the top 20 slowest depreciating cars in the UK. If you’re looking for a new car, these are currently the safest places to put your cash.
| Rank | Model | Average new price | Average part-ex value (3 years/36,000 miles) | Average retained value (3 years/36,000 miles) |
| 1 | Mercedes-Benz G-Class Electric | £154,870.00 | £108,550.00 | 70.09% |
| 2 | Land Rover Defender 90 | £59,790.00 | £41,475.00 | 69.37% |
| 3 | Porsche 911 Coupe GT3 manual | £149,060.00 | £103,100.00 | 69.17% |
| 4 | Dacia Bigster 1.8 Hybrid 155 Extreme | £29,990.00 | £19,850.00 | 66.19% |
| 5 | Dacia Jogger 1.6 Hybrid Expression | £21,270.00 | £13,950.00 | 65.59% |
| 6 | Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS | £128,300.00 | £83,675.00 | 65.22% |
| 7 | Volkswagen Multivan 1.5 TSI eHybrid | £54,525.00 | £34,700.00 | 63.64% |
| 8 | Toyota Land Cruiser 2.8D Invincible | £77,845.00 | £48,925.00 | 62.85% |
| 9 | Kia Sorento 2.2 CRDi ‘2’ | £43,375.00 | £26,800.00 | 61.79% |
| 10 | MINI Countryman 1.5 Cooper C | £29,100.00 | £17,875.00 | 61.43% |
| 11 | Volkswagen ID.Buzz 5Dr MPV LWB 4Motion 0.0 Electric Pro S | £68,045.00 | £41,725.00 | 61.32% |
| 12 | Land Rover Discovery Sport 5Dr SUV 2.0D MHEV 163 DPFR SS EU6 | £45,440.00 | £27,850.00 | 61.29% |
| 13 | Land Rover Range Rover 5Dr LWB SUV 3.0D MHEV 350 DPFR SS EU6 | £130,455.00 | £79,825.00 | 61.19% |
| 14 | Land Rover Discovery 5Dr SUV 3.0D MHEV 350 DPFR SS EU6 Gemini | £72,505.00 | £44,300.00 | 61.1% |
| 15 | Alpine A110 2Dr Coupe 1.8 Turbo 252 EU6 DCT | £54,490.00 | £33,275.00 | 61.07% |
| 16 | Toyota GR Supra 2Dr Coupe 3.0T 340 GPF SS EU6 | £54,630.00 | £33,350.00 | 61.05% |
| 17 | Audi RS3 Saloon RS3 4Dr Saloon Quattro 2.5 TFSI 400 GPF SS EU6 | £69,835.00 | £42,625.00 | 61.04% |
| 18 | Dacia Duster 5Dr SUV 1.6 Hybrid 140 GPF SS EU6 Journey | £26,530.00 | £16,150.00 | 60.87% |
| 19 | Volvo XC40 5Dr SUV 2.0 B4 MHEV 197 GPF SS EU6 Plus Dark Theme | £41,240.00 | £24,650.00 | 59.77% |
| 20 | Morgan Plus Six 2Dr Convertible 3.0i 339 GPF SS EU6 | £86,760.00 | £51,600.00 | 59.47% |
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