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4 pre-owned cars that hold value better than others

Pre-owned cars are attractive as they are generally more affordable than new vehicles, they have already suffered the brunt of their depreciation, and they often fetch lower insurance premiums than their brand-new counterparts.

However, some vehicles lose more of their value than others, and certain models have proven to stand the test of time by retaining relatively consistent prices throughout their life.

The cars

According to the pre-owned car platform Motus Select, the following four vehicles have shown to retain their value on the used market better than their rivals:

What affects depreciation

The speed at which a car depreciates after it rolls out of the dealer showroom is dependent on two main factors, said Motus.

Firstly, select models such as the ones listed above are so popular that they are always in demand regardless of which generation is currently occupying the market.

“The after-market thrives of these brands or models, and that is what retains their high value,” said Motus.

One such example is the VW Polo, which has consistently been one of South Africa’s best-selling cars for the better part of the last two decades.

Secondly, particularly in the current market, resale values of used vehicles are driven by economic considerations.

This includes the limited availability of units and production hiccups that have been frequent topics of discussion in the automotive world since the first Covid 19 lockdowns in 2020.

These factors have not only kept the prices of pre-owned vehicles incredibly high for the past two years, sometimes more than what a new version of that same car would cost, but they have also significantly driven up the prices of new models.

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