Nissan Leaf hatchback review
The 10 fastest depreciating cars on sale today
Depreciation is often the biggest expense of car ownership, and these cars are the worst culprits
Depreciation is often the most expensive part of running a car – and you might not even know it. Unlike filling up with fuel or buying a new set of tyres, there’s no bill for deprecation. It’s simply the value your car loses as it gets older, and for some cars, that can equate to tens of thousands of pounds.
That can come as a bit of a shock when it comes time to sell your car. What was once the latest and greatest machine on four wheels can quickly become outdated in the fast-moving car market, so many cars are only worth a fraction of their new price after just a few years. In fact, many new cars suffer the majority of their depreciation within just three years of ownership – that’s why it’s important to pick a model that holds its value well if you’re shopping new.
While that spells bad news for the initial buyer, savvy second-hand shoppers can scoop a bargain if they know which model to look for. A car that was once an out-of-reach luxury item can soon become attainable once depreciation has worked its magic. We all know that buying a car that’s a few years old can save you a packet compared to a new car, but the savings can be even greater for cars that depreciate more than most.
Which leads us to the cars on this list. Using the latest industry data, we’ve gathered the 10 cars on sale today that experience the most depreciation within three years. There’s a range of models, from the humble runaround right up to luxurious limos, proving that cars depreciate for all manner of reasons.
Fastest depreciating cars on sale today
These are the 10 cars on sale today that depreciate the fastest. We’ve listed their average new price and their average retained value after three years.
- Average new price: £29,290
- Average retained value: £7,900
- Value retained: 26.97%
It’s hard to overstate the role the Nissan Leaf played in bringing electric cars to the mainstream. The first-generation model might’ve looked a bit awkward, but it delivered a respectable range in a practical and affordable hatchback package. The second-generation car arrived in 2017 and was a huge improvement in every area, offering a bigger battery, a better interior and more performance.
But that was eight years ago, and the Leaf feels thoroughly outdated in today’s world of 300 and 400-mile EVs. It’s no longer available to order from the factory, but there are still a few new examples hanging around on dealership forecourts. Most have been heavily discounted, but even so, they still look quite pricey compared to today’s affordable EVs, costing around £30,000. That’s a lot for an eight-year old EV, which explains the plummet in value after just three years.
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- Average new price: £42,045
- Average retained value: £11,900
- Value retained: 28.30%
We can’t fault the Vauxhall Mokka when it comes to style – the small SUV stands out with a sharp ‘visor’ front end and chunky shape. That hasn’t helped it retain its value, though, as the Mokka is one of the fastest depreciating cars on sale in Electric guise. Put simply, the electric Mokka was just too expensive for most buyers when it launched, costing over £40,000 in Ultimate trim, and it’s this version that has experienced the biggest £30,000 depreciation hit over three years.
To Vauxhall’s credit, it has steadily reduced the price of the Mokka Electric since its release in 2021. The latest Mokka update brought some small styling and interior changes, but more importantly, the range-topping Ultimate model got a £4,000 price cut.
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- Average new price: £39,200
- Average retained value: £11,100
- Value retained: 28.32%
Under the stylish skin, the DS 3 E-Tense is essentially the same car as the Vauxhall Mokka Electric. Both cars use the same EV tech from parent-brand Stellantis, but the French model hasn’t fared any better when it comes to depreciation. At around £40,000 brand new, it doesn’t offer particularly good value compared to the latest EVs – the Tesla Model 3 costs about the same.
It’s no surprise then that three-year-old examples of DS3 E-Tense have plummeted in value, only retaining around 28% of their brand new cost. At least its mid-life update brought a bigger 54kWh battery with more range.
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- Average new price: £96,165.00
- Average retained value: £29,000
- Value retained: 30.16%
Big, luxurious German cars are notorious for their steep depreciation, and the Audi A8 is no exception. It sits as the flagship saloon of the Audi range, but underneath, it’s quite an old machine. It arrived in 2017 and it hasn’t changed much since then, with an interior that’s a generation behind Audi’s latest. Still, even the entry-level model costs nearly £83,000, so it’s hardly a surprise that its value drops like a stone after a few years.
But that big whack of depreciation – equating to over £20,000 a year for the first three years of ownership – means that you can pick up an A8 for hatchback money today if you shop on the used market.
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- Average new price: £31,995
- Average retained value: £9,675
- Value retained: 30.24%
The GWM Ora 03 is one of the many new electric cars that have landed in Europe from China. We’re quite fond of it here at Carbuyer – it’s quirky, has a decent range and is well-built – but that hasn’t helped it retain much value. It’s only expected to be worth 30% of its original asking price after three years, with the average example losing around £20,000.
It doesn’t seem like a name change from ‘Funky Cat’ to ‘03’ did much to help, but GWM has slashed £6,000 from the starting price recently, which should go some way to dampen depreciation.
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- Average new price: £32,625
- Average retained value: £9,900
- Value retained: 30.34%
While the Vauxhall Corsa has long been a staple of Britain’s affordable hatchback market, the electric version arrived with a much steeper price tag. Originally badged as the Corsa-e, it cost over £30,000, with top-spec versions coming it at closer to £35,000. Since then, Vauxhall has introduced price cuts and more affordable versions of the Corsa Electric, but that has only accelerated the depreciation of older models.
A three year old Corsa-e in the middle-tier GS trim is now only expected to be worth £9,000 – just 30% of its brand new price. That does make it something of a second-hand bargain though, perfect if you’re looking for a low-cost urban runaround.
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- Average new price: £33,995
- Average retained value: £10,625
- Value retained: 31.25%
Another electric supermini, the Fiat 500e was supposed to pick up where the hugely-successful petrol-powered 500 left off. However, a high price tag and middling range didn’t win over as many buyers as Fiat had hoped, so the old 500 model is still on sale alongside the EV. Like some of the other electric cars on this list, Fiat has repeatedly lowered the price of the 500e since it launched, meaning you can now pick one up for £25,000.
However, that hasn’t helped older models retain their value. The priciest, limited edition Giorgio Armani model will set you back £33,995 today, but it’s predicted to retain just 31% of its value after three years.
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- Average new price: £83,990
- Average retained value: £27,325
- Value retained: 32.53%
The 8 Series is BMW’s big, luxury sports coupe, offering speed and comfort in equal measures. While it’s undoubtedly an excellent machine, demand for expensive coupes has dwindled somewhat in recent years – cars like the Mercedes S-Class Coupe, Lexus LC and Jaguar F-Type have all been scrapped.
With buyers turning to luxurious SUVs instead, it’s little surprise to learn that BMW 8 Series values have hit the floor on the second hand market. Interestingly, it’s the entry-level 840i petrol model that’s fared worse than the ultra-expensive M8 Competition. The 840i costs over £80,000 brand new, but it will lose nearly 70% of its value after just three years. At least those will be three years of luxurious grand-touring.
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- Average new price: £32,395
- Average retained value: £10,700
- Value retained: 33.03%
The Mazda MX-30 is another small electric car that has quickly been overtaken by a new front of affordable EVs. Even when it launched, it looked a bit dated on paper; it cost over £30,000 and had a driving range of just 124 miles. Mazda claimed this wasn’t an issue, as most buyers stuck to short urban journeys anyway, but a ‘range-extender’ plug-in hybrid model was eventually introduced.
Still, it’s the EV that’s suffered the worst depreciation. The data suggests that a new MX-30 will lose over £20,000 in value over three years. That does mean there are some tempting used MX-30 deals around, but new buyers are at risk of a big sting when it comes time to sell. Mazda does frequently offer hefty deposit contributions towards MX-30 finance deals, though, so keep an eye out for those.
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- Average new price: £34,040
- Average retained value: £11,325
- Value retained: 33.27%
MG has been on a roll in recent years, spurred on by the popular MG4, MG ZS and the MG5 EV. The latter is one of the few electric estate cars available, but unfortunately, that hasn’t helped it retain much value. A top-spec Trophy model would’ve set you back £34,000, but it’s only worth little over £11,000 after three years.
A driving range of between 235 and 250 miles isn’t anything special today, but the MG5 still represents decent value among other electric family cars. You get loads of space and plenty of standard equipment, but it seems that the MG5 has still fallen victim to the depreciation that affects many older EVs today.
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Fastest depreciating cars: price and score list
Here’s a complete list of the 10 cars that depreciate the fastest. We’ve included their new starting prices as of 2025, which may be different to the prices listed above.
| Fastest depreciating car ranking | Make and model | Priced from | Carbuyer rating (out of 5) |
| 1 | Nissan Leaf | £29,000 | 4.1 |
| 2 | Vauxhall Mokka Electric | £32,000 | 3.8 |
| 3 | DS 3 E-Tense | £39,000 | 3.3 |
| 4 | Audi A8 | £83,000 | 4 |
| 5 | GWM Ora 03 | £25,000 | 4 |
| 6 | Vauxhall Corsa Electric | £26,000 | 3.8 |
| 7 | Fiat 500e | £25,000 | 4 |
| 8 | BMW 8 Series | £85,000 | 4 |
| 9 | Mazda MX-30 | £28,000 | 3.7 |
| 10 | MG5 EV | £31,000 | 4.1 |
Why do some cars depreciate faster than others?
Apart from a rare selection of cars that hold onto or even go up in value or, all cars depreciate. A car from three years ago simply won’t be worth as much as a brand new example today, but why do some cars depreciate more than others?
There are all sorts of variables that can affect deprecation, but there are a few key factors that routinely play a role. As you’d expect, a car with a big supply that’s low in demand will naturally fall in value, as there won’t be enough buyers to account for every model. The opposite effect is what drives exclusive cars up in value – there are more buyers than cars.
Certain brands have built a reputation for quality and desirability which can help stall depreciation. Porsche is one marque that routinely performs well in the list of slowest depreciating cars, thanks to its desirable badge and relatively low production numbers. Although some luxury cars are priced so steeply from new, there’s only one way their value can go – down.
That said, even Porsche can’t escape the depreciation that seems to be affecting some electric cars. Many EVs tend to depreciate more than their petrol counterparts at the moment, and that’s down to the rapid technical progress happening in this space. An EV from just a few years ago can seem outdated in light of new battery tech and ever-longer driving ranges, making them less desirable. That said, some of the most popular electric cars do hold onto their value just as well as petrol cars.
It’s also worth noting that many dealerships are turning to hefty discounts to sell new electric cars in order to meet strict EV sales targets. This can have a knock-on effect on their second-hand value, making their depreciation appear more severe.
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