.jpg)
Market view by brand V through Z.
Vauxhall: It’s hard to put a specific value on Vauxhalls. That’s not a copout!! Because they are such a mass volume car there is a market somewhere for most models. Some dealers do well out of cars that others can’t sell. The newer model corsa has been a good seller. The 1.3CDTi 75 Ecoflex Life and S models, in a 5dr have been the ones holding their value. VXI’s and SRI’s are always a good seller used if nice, but they do take a drop when bought new. The Astra sells best in sporty diesels, and higher spec cars are sought after. Astras can be Good value if bought used but depreciation on new cars is too severe for what is a people’s car. Vectras as above were a poor choice new, but a 3 year old diesel today is a decent seller and reasonable value. The 2.0CRTi SRi Insignia was good value when it launched. Vauxhall soon put prices up but this model has held its value the best. Across the board Insignias sell well with the sport tourer extracting a premium. The Meriva suffers from bad depreciation and there are better cars in its class. If you must then a 1.3CDTi in life spec with aircon is about the best bet. The Zafira sells well used with the 1.9CDTi having the best long term residuals, and also being about the best to drive. Go for Life-Elite or Sri spec if you can, the 150bhp model is not making a great deal over the normal 120.
Volkswagen : The Little Polo Fox is a solid car which is a good seller in all models. The 1.4 is about £500 ahead of the 1.2. Buy a used one and enjoy very cheap motoring for several years. Likewise the Polo is good in all models, with plain spec petrol cars even selling well. The 1.4 TDi Bluemotion is the one to buy for long term residuals, preferably in SE or Sport spec. The Golf mark V(02-06) Still has a strong following for good TDi and GTi Models. The newer model continues to hold steady and sells well across the board, with only the underpowered SDi Diesel getting ignored. Sportier cars are selling best. The 1.4TSi GT170 Sport and the 2.0 TD GT Sport 140 being the strongest. White cars are making a substantial premium. The Jetta occupies a strange spot between the golf and the Passat and as a result it has suffered a bit more with depreciation than the golf. A used 1.9 TDi is good value, and in new or nearly new, look for a 1.6TDi. The Beetle has held its value best in a cabriolet. Petrol’s sell as well as Diesels but as far as we are concerned it’s a real candidate for a private plate. The EOS is an expensive bit of kit new but once they take their initial hit, they level out and sell well in all models. The Passat is a solid repmobile and across the board performs well. The low output 1.9TDi is a bit underpowered and the 105Bhp car is harder to sell. Long term the 2.0TDi 140bhp and the newer Bluemotions will hold their value best. They must have run out of names in the marketing department when they decided to call the CC a Passat CC. Either way it’s a classy bit of kit that has and will continue to hold its value. The 2.0 TDI GT 140 or 170 will be the best performers. The Touran is slightly bigger than a Golf Plus and slightly smaller than an actual MPV. It is however an excellent retail seller, with family mileage 1.9 and 2.0 TDi‘s being the best news. The Sharan is a bit of a rare thing and fresh ones really only sell from Main dealers and MPV specialists. The 2.0TDi 140 is the best seller. The Tiguan continues to sell well and hold its value in all models. There are a few older higher mileage Touaregs knocking about which might give the illusion that they are cheap. This is not the case with most models holding their value well. The 2.5 and 3.0TDis are the best sellers. The Scirocco has been superb in all models but has also been rare and an influx of ex lease cars to the market will dilute prices. Petrol’s sell fine but the 2.0TDi GT 170 is your best bet in the long term, like the Golf expect to pay a premium for a white one, or for the desirable glass roof.
Volvo: The C30 is pretty cool, well priced and has held its value well. Sporty R-Design models are sought after. The 1.6D Drive models offer excellent returns. There are better cars than the S60 in its class but high spec 2.4D4 and R-Design models are selling well used. In newer cars the 1.6D Drive has the best long term potential. The V50 is a traditional Volvo estate with a solid following. The 2.0 and 2.4 Diesels sell best. Higher SE specs with leather are sought after and expect to pay a premium for Auto. The V70 has a similar following but has depreciated sharper in its first 24 months. The Long term residual forecast is not brilliant, but 2.4D5 should be the one to buy. The S80 like all big Volvos is a nice car to drive but it knows how to devalue. The 1.6 will probably hold its value best in the long run but is underpowered. The 2.4D is a nicer car to own and Autos are desirable. The XC70 has performed well in a hard niche of the market. The 2.4D is the one to have. Cars coming back off lease could affect used prices soon. The XC90 is sought after in general with R-Design and Executive Diesels holding their value best. A three to four year old diesel is a decent used investment.
