Depreciation is one of the few things that can still make grown men cry. If you have a weakness for nice cars and think that your penchant will cost you dear, then think again. Depreciation is a two-sided coin. Turn the weakness into strength by choosing when to buy and sell your cars.
Here are three cars that suffer patchy depreciation. You can buy after a big drop and sell before the next one.
Alfa Romeo GTV (1996 - Present)
Great styling, performance and value. Dare to be different and get coupe which is significantly cheaper than an Audi TT, regard it as a budget buy and you won’t be disappointed.
Most economical: 2.0 34mpg
Best used buy: 3.0 V6 Lusso lots of power and specification.
Buy from: Enthusiast Afa seller and good independent dealers.
UsedCarExpert.com buyers checks: 10
Price: Buy a 2003 registered car with around 53,000 miles for £6,700 and sell in 12 months for £6,300. But keep it and see it hit just £4,700-£5,000 pretty quickly.
BMW 3 series (1998 - 2005)
Great to drive and look at with a rock solid image which continues to keep prices high. Avoid some of the base models which are under equipped and may be difficult to sell on.
Most economical: 1.8 TD 50.4mpg
Best used buy: 320d ES.
Buy from: BMW dealers for peace of mind and auction for value.
UsedCarExpert.com buyers checks: 14
Price: Buy a 2004 registered 320d for £11,500 with 54,000 miles and you can keep it for up to 18 months and only lose 10%
Saab 9-3 (1998 – 2002)
Good performance, comfortable and low prices. Lots of models to choose from including the pretty convertible. Hatchbacks are the cheap, big value buys.
Most economical: 2.2 TiD 45.6mpg
Best used buy: 2.0 Eco is quick and lots around.
Buy from: Saab specialists, private/business sellers with full histories.
UsedCarExpert.com buyers checks: 12
Price: Buy a 2005 registered Saab 9-3 2.0t for just £10,100 with 49,000 miles and lose just £800 over a year. Keep it two years and lose over £2,000.
Depreciation and mileage source: Used Car Expert price magazine- available in WH Smiths