INVESTIGATION
THE TOP 20 MOST DEPRECIATING USED CARS OF 2020 The second-hand market generally saw prices rise last year but there were some notable exceptions. James Baggott reports.
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ercedes fills the top two spots of the Top 20 list of biggest depreciating used cars last year, according to new retail pricing data from Auto Trader. The search giant has compiled exclusively for Car Dealer the list of the cars that dropped the most in value last year when compared with 2019. The Mercedes GLA was the biggest faller, dropping 13.1 per cent from an average price of £25,551 in 2019 to £22,206 in 2020. Auto Trader’s data shows the second-biggest depreciator was the Mercedes C-Class, which dropped by 13 per cent. Luxury car brands make up the majority of those in the list – which you can see on the right – with BMW, Porsche, Range Rover and Jaguar models all featuring in the Top 20. Overall, used car prices rose last year as a combination of increased demand – thanks to many people wanting to avoid public transport – and short supply pushed prices up. However, there were some casualties, as the list from Auto Trader reveals. Richard Walker, data and insight director for the firm said: ‘Since very early on in the pandemic, retailers have largely held firm with their pricing strategies and resisted the urge to slash prices to entice consumers on to their digital or, when permitted, physical forecourts. ‘With such high demand in the market, there’s simply been no reason to do so. ‘Coupled with varying supply constraints, these factors meant that by the close of 2020 we’d tracked nine months of consecutive price growth for used cars across the market. ‘This included consistent growth in every body type, age group and, with the exception of AFVs, every fuel type. ‘However, at a more granular level we did see notable drops in average retail prices for some models and derivatives last year.’ Walker said that as dealerships reopen on April 12 and consumer pent-up demand is realised, prices are likely to remain strong. He added: ‘With levels of consumer demand accelerating significantly since January and now at record levels, we’ll watch with interest as to whether these models are able to reverse their negative trajectory.’
We did see notable drops in average retail prices for some models and derivatives last year. Richard Walker 40 | CarDealerMag.co.uk
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Mercedes-Benz GLA Class Down 13.1% Type: Petrol, Auto Age: 1 – 3 years Price 2019: £25,551 Price 2020: £22,206
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Mercedes-Benz C-Class Down 13.0% Type: Petrol, Auto Age: 1 – 3 years Price 2019: £37,895 Price 2020: £32,980
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BMW X3 Down 11.5% Type: Diesel, Manual Age: 10 – 15 years Price 2019: £3,967 Price 2020: £3,510
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Lexus RX 400h Down 11.1% Type: Petrol Hybrid, Auto Age: 10 – 15 years Price 2019: £6,581 Price 2020: £5,848
