Top Ten Selling new Cars & how they lose value in five years…
– Ford Fiesta depreciated the most.
– Mini Cooper Hatchback depreciated the least.
If you are looking to buy a new car this March, InsuretheGap.com has analysed how the top ten best-selling petrol cars in 2017 have held their value in the last five years.
A new car loses approximately 20 per cent of its value as soon as it is driven off the showroom forecourt, and cars lose between 15 – 20 per cent of their value each year. All of the cars in the study lost almost half their original value since being bought new in 2013.
The MINI Cooper, 1.6 3d Hatchback, 6 speed manual, depreciated the least and at today’s prices would sell for £9,240, having been bought in 2013 for £18,005. It is worth 49 per cent less than when it was bought.
The Ford Fiesta, 1.4 3d Hatchback, 5 speed manual, held its value the least well in the study, depreciating by 65 per cent in five years. From a new price of £12,175 in 2013 to a price of £4,320 today, it had lost almost £8,000.
After the Ford Fiesta, a Vauxhall Corsa, 1.4 3d Hatchback, 5 speed manual, was the second fastest car to depreciate in the study, losing 64 per cent of its original value. It cost £15,940 in 2013, dropping to £5,660 in 2018.
The third worst depreciating car is the Ford Focus, 1.6 5d Hatchback, 5 speed manual, which cost £15,830 in 2013, and is priced at just under £6,000 in 2018.
The most expensive car in the study a Mercedes C-class, 1.6 4d Saloon, 6 speed manual, which bought new in 2013 cost £27,740, now would only fetch £11,350, a reduction of 59 per cent and the fifth fastest depreciating car in the study.
As well as the best-performing MINI Cooper, the Mercedes A-class, 1.6 5d Hatchback, 6 speed manual, and the VW Polo, 1.4 3d Hatchback, 5 speed manual, fared best in terms of depreciation taking the eighth and ninth spot respectively, only losing just over half their value over the five year period.
Ben Wooltorton, Chief Operating Office at InsuretheGap.com, said: “There are a number of factors that determine a car’s depreciation rate. Some apply to all vehicles based on how they’ve been used, and others are due to the specific characteristics of a particular make and model.
For example, things like mileage, number of previous owners, service history, general condition and colour are usage factors, whereas reliability, safety, and reputation tend to apply to specific makes or manufacturers and typically don’t change over the course of ownership. Put these together and they will all play a part in how much a car is worth when you come to sell, or if it’s written off,” he said.
InsuretheGap.com used Glass’s data to compile the survey and all the valuations are based on average mileages. The full details are displayed in the table below.
| Car Make/Model In Order of Best-Selling |
Price bought new in March 2013 |
Price in 2018 (based on av.mileage) |
Depreciation % |
Order of depreciation with 1 being the fastest – 10 the slowest |
| 1. Ford Fiesta
1.4 3d Hatchback, 5 speed Man, Petrol |
£12,175 | £4,320 | 65% | 1 |
| 2. VW Golf
1.4 3d Hatchback, 5 speed Man, Petrol |
£13,430 | £6,110 | 55% | 6 |
| 3. Ford Focus
1.6 5d Hatchback, 5 speed Man, Petrol |
£15,830 | £5,980 | 62% | 3 |
| 4. Nissan Qashqai
1.6 5d Hatchback, 5 speed Man, Petrol |
£17,905 | £8,190 | 54% | 7 |
| 5. Vauxhall Corsa
1.4 3d Hatchback, 5 speed Man, Petrol |
£15,940 | £ 5,660 | 64% | 2 |
| 6. Vauxhall Astra
1.4 5d Hatchback, 5 speed Man, Petrol |
£14,750 | £5,750 | 61% | 4 |
| 7. VW Polo
1.4 3d Hatchback, 5 speed Man, Petrol |
£12,900 | £6,390 | 51% | 9 |
| 8. Mini Cooper
1.6 3d Hatchback, 6 speed Man, Petrol |
£18,005 | £9,240 | 49% | 10 |
| 9. Mercedes C-class
1.6 4d Saloon, 6 speed Man, Petrol |
£27,740 | £11,350 | 59% | 5 |
| 10. Mercedes A-class
1.6 5d Hatchback, 6 speed Man, Petrol |
£18,890 | £9,160 | 52% | 8 |
* The starting price for InsuretheGap.com policies is £54.55 (Return to invoice for a car worth £9,999).
More about InsuretheGap.com
InsuretheGap.com is a new independent provider of GAP (Guaranteed Asset Protection) insurance. It was launched in 2016 by award-winning and FCA regulated, Halo Insurance Services Ltd, the team behind the leading provider of standalone car hire excess insurance, iCarhireinsurance.com.
GAP insurance – or Guaranteed Asset Protection – is sometimes known as ‘shortfall cover’, covering the GAP between what you paid for a car and what it’s worth in a few years time. If a car is written off or stolen, the insurance company will only pay the value of the car at the time of the incident, not the amount paid for it and GAP insurance exists to protect consumers from this ‘gap’ in their finances.
A GAP insurance policy from InsuretheGap.com starts from just £54.55 (Return to invoice for a car worth £9,999) and are significantly cheaper than those offered by car dealerships. Cover is available for vehicles worth up to £150,000, covering gaps up to £50,000.
Halo Insurance Services Limited was founded in 2009 by Ernesto Suarez, a leading insurance expert specialising in non-standard motor insurance. Its products include car hire insurance, van hire insurance, car club excess insurance and now Gap Insurance, all of which have been designed to offer more cover for a better price than the policies offered at the rental desk or by car dealerships.
Halo operates the retail brands iCarhireinsurance.com in the UK, leihwagenversicherung.de in Germany, Aseguramicochedealquiler.es in Spain, Huurautoverzekering.com in the Netherlands, Assurancelocationvoiture.fr in France, Insuremyrentalcar.com in the USA and now Insurethegap.com. Halo also provides insurance solutions to a number of commercial partners involved in the provision of software and booking services to car hire operators around the world.
Awards won:
- 2016 National Champion for the UK, The European Business Awards.
- FINALIST – 2016 Insurance Times Tech and Innovation Awards – Best Use of Technology to Improve Customer Experience
- FINALIST – 2016 Insurance Times Tech and Innovation Awards – Insurance App of the Year
- FINALIST – 2016 British Insurance Awards – Digital Innovation Award
- FINALIST – 2014 British Insurance Awards – Personal Lines Broker of the Year Award
- WINNER – 2013 British Insurance Awards – Insurance Start-Up Award
- FINALIST – 2012 British Insurance Awards – The E-Business Award
- WINNER – 2011 Insurance Times Awards – Broker Innovation of the Year
Halo Insurance Services Limited is registered in England number 6929208. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority Register No. 504629 for the sale and administration of general insurance products in the United Kingdom and throughout the European Economic Area (EEA).