Top 10 Slowest Depreciating Cars of 2024
Now that we’re in the final quarter of 2024 we are able to understand exactly which cars are holding their value better than others so far this year. Here, we explore the Top 10 Slowest Depreciating Cars of 2024. So, if you’re in the market for your next car, this could sway your decision on which vehicles to consider.
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What Is Depreciation?
Car depreciation put simply, is the difference between the price you pay when you buy your car and the price you would get today if you decided to sell it.
The fact that a car than hold on to its residual value better than others can mean everything from lower payments on your finance package, to greater bargaining during part exchanging or greater equity and potentially cash back in your pocket when it comes time to sell.
With that in mind, a car that holds on to its value better than others can make your buying choices easier and could sway your decision between which of two particular models you are looking to purchase. To work out which cars hold on to their residual values better, we need to look at how much percentage of their value is retained after the industry average of 3 years and 36,000 miles after the car was bought. Therefore, here is our countdown of the Top 10 Slowest Depreciating Cars of 2024 (so far)…
10 - Bentley Flying Spur
Large executive saloons generally do not hold on to their value that well, however the saloon version of the ever-popular Continental GT certainly goes against that theory. Whilst it may start off more expensive than rivals from Mercedes, Audi, Porsche and BMW it offers greater luxury, a more upmarket image and the upmost in refinement, but also manages to hold on to its value better despite the original higher purchase cost. With the recent announcement of the forthcoming hybrid assisted Continental GT and expected Flying Spur variant, now could be the perfect time to get your hands on the current purely combustion engine powered model.
The model to have for depreciation reasons is the 4.0-litre V8 ‘Azure’, the mid-range model in terms of both equipment levels and engine power. This ensures the purchase price isn’t at the highest it can be, but it still retains a sensible engine size as to not put prospective future purchasers off the running costs. The Azure specification Flying Spur comes in at £212,760 and after 36,000 miles and 3 years this drops by just over £90,000 to £122,500. At a retained value of 57.6% the Bentley Flying Spur takes 10th spot on our countdown.
9 – Porsche Panamera
The Panamera may have had a bit of a facelift recently but this hasn’t affected the current residual prices of this popular Porsche model. Upon the launch of the model many were put off by the somewhat bloated looks of the first Panamera iteration, however these days it is one of the smartest and most stylish large executive saloons money can buy, especially in Sport Turismo estate form. Blessed with excellent dynamic capability and impressive performance, the Panamera is also one of the best handling saloons on the market. With a Panamera variant seemingly for everyone, from the base model to the impressive hybrid e-performance models and the very powerful Turbo S models, as well as the added practicality of the Sport Turismo, the popularity of Porsche’s flagship saloon seems to be going from strength to strength.
The best model to get the most of your money back is actually the cheapest of the Panamera range in terms of specification and engine size, the base 2.9 V6, yet with the desirable Sport Turismo body style. With an average list price of just over £80,000, the Panamera currently loses just under £30,000 over the 3 years and 36,000 miles, resulting in a retained value of 63.49% and a residual value on average of £50,900. This makes the Porsche 9th in our depreciation countdown.
8 – Audi RS3
The Audi RS3 has always been one of the most popular and desirable of all the hot hatchbacks thanks to not just its performance but also the soundtrack of its turbocharged 5-cylinder engine. Not only that, but the latest generation is widely regarded as the best one yet and has been praised for its newfound sense of fun and handling feedback. With 400bhp on offer from its 2.5-litre engine, its famed quattro four-wheel drive system and the fact you can also get in a stylish saloon variant, the latest RS3 remains as popular as ever.
The saloon variant may cost a little bit more when new, but its desirability is the reason it holds that value better than the hatchback equivalent. As is the way with most vehicles when it comes to ensuring the depreciation is less affected than other models in the range, the RS3 needs to have the right options to remain most sought after. The panoramic sunroof is less important for this model, but it is imperative that the sought after Comfort and Sound package is selected in order to ensure the maximum amount of residual value is retained. With an average list price of £57,750, the retained value after 3 years and 36,000 miles is on average £35,775 which puts it ahead of all of its main rivals. This means that the RS3 Saloon takes 8th place on our countdown, with 61.95% of its value retained. Plus with the facelift model soon to be approaching 3 years old for the earliest examples, expect the retained value to potentially be even higher than it is now.
7 – Range Rover
The latest version of the ever-popular luxury off-roader was released in 2022, however its introduction seems to have done little to affect the prices of the previous version. The demand for the Range Rover is always high and as such the pre-owned prices tend to remain higher than most of its rivals from BMW, Mercedes, Audi and even Porsche. Questions have often been raised about the brand’s reliability and build quality, and more recently insurance premiums, however this does little to prevent customers from turning to a Range Rover whenever they are looking for the definitive luxury SUV experience.
Strangely for an SUV, the model with the best residual value is the P400 3.0-litre petrol engine, despite the popularity of diesel and the economical hybrid assisted models for this genre of vehicle, with the ‘SE’ specification the best of them all. The list price of £107,320 falls by just over £40,000 after 3 years and 36,000 miles of motoring to give a residual value of £66,725, 62.2% of its original value and enough for 7th place in our countdown.
6 – Volkswagen ID Buzz
If any genre of car was not expected to be on this list it was certainly going to be electric. The electric car industry over the past year has seen price cuts, fall in demand and reliability issues as well as problems sourcing parts meaning residual values have fallen more than most. The Volkswagen ID Buzz, however, is an exception to all of that. Whilst most assume it is merely a retro themed van, the ID Buzz can also be a cool people carrier or family car, with more than enough street cred to impress your neighbours.
The spiritual successor to the Microbus may seem relatively expensive at £58,915 for the Pro 77kWh version in Life specification, yet compared to other electric vehicle rivals it is actually priced quite competitively. After 3 years and 36,000 miles the average retained value is £38,325 and sees 65.05% of its value remaining, seeing it placed 6th in our residual value countdown.
5 – Land Rover Defender
Whether the following of the ‘original’ Land Rover Defender are the same that are fans of the ‘new’ model remains to be seen, but the demand for the new version is surely something even Land Rover themselves would not have predicted. Despite selling in their tens of thousands the demand for the Defender means that residual values remain strong, even after 4 years on sale. The perfect blend of unmatched off-road ability with on-road comfort and capability as well as just enough retro styling hints and utilitarian influences ensures the Defender is as popular as ever.
The best performing Defender in terms of residual value retained is actually the 110 body style P400e petrol-electric hybrid and in high specification ‘X’ form, offering good trim levels with impressive performance yet good fuel economy and the possibility for electric only driving too. Although the list price seems expensive at almost £92,000, the Defender retains 66.9% of its value, with an average price of £61,450 after 3 years and 36,000 miles covered.
4 – Mercedes Benz G-Class
The G-Class has always been a formula that shouldn’t work but yet something that is always a desirable prospect. The utilitarian looks and retro styling mixed with the latest technology and Mercedes Benz luxury seems like a strange blend, but in the G-Class it just works and is as popular as ever. Originally a vehicle for the military to drive across the roughest of terrain, the latest version of the G-Class couldn’t be further from its basic roots and is more likely to be seen on the roads of the most upper class high streets than showing off its off-road capability. The recent announcement of an all electric G-Class is sure to see a spike in sales and may appeal to a new type of customer, however it is unlikely to affect the appeal of the current line up of combustion engine offerings.
Despite the demand and popularity for the range topping G63 AMG, surprisingly it is the G400d that sees it retain better residual value over 3 years and 36,000 miles. With a 2.9-litre diesel engine and as long as it is carefully specified in the sought after AMG Line Premium Plus trim, the G400d retains 62.26% of its original £131,335 list price, with a value of £81,775. That sees the iconic Mercedes Benz take 4th spot in our countdown and reaffirms its popularity amongst new and used car buyers.
3 – Range Rover Sport
Whilst Land Rover models clearly do very well with holding on to their residual values, with 3 models in the top 10 alone and the Discovery and Discovery Sport models not too far behind, it is the Range Rover Sport that currently outperforms the rest of them. The Sport is the more dynamic version of the Range Rover line up yet retains comfort and luxuriousness in abundance. The latest model raises the bar even further from everything from performance and handling to refinement and technology, yet any year of Sport is always a desirable car to own.
As with its Defender sibling, it is the P460e petrol-electric plug-in hybrid in Dynamic SE trim that holds on to it value best of all, despite its relatively high average list price of almost £93,000. With Range Rover and Range Rover Sport models, it is optional extras such as a sliding panoramic sunroof, 22 or 23-inch wheels, uprated sound system, climate massage seating and deployable or fixed side steps, or the range of premium or SV paint options that will see the value retained better than others. After 3 years and 36,000 miles you can expect to see a return of just under £60,000, a retained value of 64.4% and third place in our slowest depreciating cars of 2024 list.
2 – Lamborghini Urus
The Lamborghini Urus has been a sales phenomenon for Lamborghini, becoming their biggest selling model of all time and in the shortest time too. Considered by many to be the ultimate all-rounder, the Urus offers supercar pace and dynamic capability, SUV practicality and space, and grand touring luxury and comfort levels. It is little wonder that more than 20,000 Urus’ have been sold since 2019 despite their high price, with the level of demand ensuring that this super-SUV is a permanent fixture in the slowest deprecating cars list. The forthcoming hybrid model is sure to offer more ability, flexibility and certainly more power than ever before, but it is expected it will do little to affect the popularity and impressive residual values of the current model.
As you would expect from Lamborghini, the ‘base’ Urus is not exactly skimping on performance or features, yet it is the best at holding on to the most value. With a 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine that produces in excess of 650bhp, the average list price is around £185,000. With a seemingly endless list of optional features available, it is the usual suspects of panoramic sunroof, uprated sound system, fancier and larger wheel styles, as well as the plentiful carbon fibre options and the customisable ‘ADAS’ package that will see you retain the most value in your Urus S. After 3 years and 36,000 miles the average value has dropped by around £45,000, equating to 75.4% retained value. In a list consisting of many SUV’s, this is the best performing by some margin in terms of holding on to its value better.
1- Porsche 911
It is not surprising to see the Porsche 911 at the top of the list, the popular sports car is also our most popular funded model and has been for the past few years. The 992 generation may be coming up to 5 years old now, but the mid-cycle facelift was unveiled this year keeping it at the very top of its game. 911 models of any age are always sought after prospects and values across the model range hold their value extremely well, especially compared to their rivals.
The pinnacle of the 911 range has always been their GT range, and the GT3 RS the most in demand of them all, unsurprisingly it is also the one that holds on to the most value. Whether it is the very latest 992 GT3 RS or the equally desirable previous generations, the popularity and famed performance ensures that values remain high year after year. The residual value can be helped further still with the addition of features such as ‘Paint To Sample’ colour options, the weight saving and even more performance orientated ‘Weissach Pack’ and much more from the extensive Porsche options list. With an average list price of just under £193,000, the retained value comes in at £151,275 resulting in 78.5% of the cars value remaining after 36 months and 36,000 miles.
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