Despite the green lobby, big 4x4s are still popular and they are still expensive. Here are some of the biggest and best, combined with Used Car Expert’s take on when to buy, sell and avoid.
Mercedes Benz M-Class
Depreciation increases as the M-Class gets to two years old. But the new buyers may trade in before M.O.T. because the depreciation then slows. This could well indicate a change in the demographic of the buyer, but mileage continues to climb while the depreciation rate falls. So this is a great car to own from 2- 3 years old, but not necessarily a smart 3 or 4 year old buy.
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*Graph based on 3.0 CDis
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How to use our graphs:
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- Red line shows miles (in 000s)
- Blue line show depreciation (in % year on year)
- Where mileage increases dramatically but depreciation declines, the car is in demand. This is an opportunity for a seller.
- Where mileage is not increasing dramatically but depreciation rises, the car is not in demand. This is an opportunity for a buyer.
- Where mileage increases steadily and depreciation is fairly flat, but at a reasonable 10-20%, the supply demand balance is good and there is little opportunity for buyer or seller
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Range Rover Sport
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The Range Rover Sport, unlike the conventional country gent’s Range Rover, is popular with very wealthy urban or sub-urban buyer. The consequence is that as the car ages, so its demand wanes. But over the first three years, for a 4x4 with sport credentials, the Range Rover Sport maintains a good supply – demand balance, with mileage going up only slightly more quickly than rate of depreciation. So there are no big opportunities to get in and out of the Range Rover sport market.
*Graph based on 3.0 HSE
Range Rover
Compared to the Range Rover Sport, the rate of depreciation on the 3.5 TD is shallower, and begins to plateau after 3 years (before potentially decreasing) . Because mileage starts to rapidly increase because these Range Rovers get used as work horses, they arguably become less good value the older they get.
*Graph based on 3.6 HSE
However, the 4.2 and 4.4 petrol engines are more volatile in terms of market demand, as you will see on the price pages and in the second graph, they depreciate rapidly at times and are at excellent opportunity for the used buyer at 2 – 3 years old and 5 to 5 years old.
*Graph based on 4.2 Vogue
Audi Q7
The Audi is proving popular with used buyers, picking them up around M.O.T. time and driving demand to such an extent that depreciation falls away rapidly despite climbing mileage. This is great news for new buyers who are selling, and because of the heavy depreciation through 2008 and 2007, not a bad deal for the used buyer either.
**Graph based on 3.0 SE