• 4x4 prices took a tumble at the end of last year, but in many cases prices have recovered, so buyers need to beware.
• Trends for car buyers to look out for include expensive, gadget-laden Mitsubishis becoming cheap, suffering consistently high depreciation as they reach 8 and 9 years old. This is a sign of a car becoming expensive to repair as much as it as a car becoming cheap to buy.
• It is notable that low quality, poorly specified 4x4s like Vauxhall’s Frontera are not the heaviest depreciators among older cars (although some specifications and years are in the top 10). This potentially means buyers are overpaying for these cars because they are assuming that, given their reputation (or lack of it) that they are cheap. But doing their research into car prices will highlight that there are better deals to be found, such as cheap 5 year old Volvo XC90s.
• Nearly new buyers need to take into account the new car discounts available at the moment. For example, the Peugeot 4007 will be a heavy depreciator over it’s life, but because it is available so cheaply as a pre-reg or discounted new car, it’s 2007 depreciation figure comes out as the best performing looks very appealing.

% = average annual depreciation over 12 months

Worst  Performing 4x4s from 2000 - 2008

% = average annual depreciation over 12 months