Use this free UK car depreciation table to estimate how much a vehicle may be worth after 1, 3, 5 or 10 years. Compare slow, medium and fast depreciation profiles, generate a year-by-year value schedule, and understand how mileage, fuel type, condition and market demand change real resale prices.
A car depreciation table shows the estimated value of a vehicle at different ages, usually as a percentage of its original purchase price.
Car depreciation is the amount of value a vehicle loses between the day you buy it and the day you sell, trade in or part-exchange it. In the UK, depreciation is normally the biggest hidden cost of car ownership. Drivers often focus on fuel, insurance, road tax and monthly finance payments, but the value lost in the background can be far larger than all of those costs combined.
This Car Depreciation Table UK 2026 page is designed to make that cost visible. Instead of guessing what your car might be worth in three or five years, you can enter the purchase price, choose a realistic profile and generate a simple schedule. The table shows the estimated retained value, total loss against new price, and the calendar year for each stage of ownership.
The table is especially useful when comparing a new car with a nearly-new or used alternative. A new car may feel attractive because it has a warranty, the exact specification you want and no previous owner. However, the first owner usually takes the steepest depreciation hit. A one or two-year-old car can sometimes avoid the worst early drop while still offering modern technology, low mileage and remaining manufacturer warranty.
For finance buyers, the depreciation table also helps you compare the car’s expected value against PCP balloon payments, hire purchase balances and settlement figures. A car with strong residual value is more likely to stay in positive equity, while a fast-depreciating model can leave you owing more than the car is worth if you change early.
No depreciation table can perfectly predict every model. Used car prices move with interest rates, finance returns, fuel prices, manufacturer discounts, new model launches and consumer confidence. A small hybrid may hold value well when fuel costs are high, while a large diesel SUV may need a bigger price discount to attract second-hand buyers. Electric cars can also move sharply when new EV prices fall, battery ranges improve, or more used EVs return from company car and salary sacrifice fleets.
That is why this page uses three profiles rather than one fixed percentage. The slow profile suits cars with strong demand and limited supply. The medium profile works for typical family cars and crossovers. The fast profile is for niche, oversupplied, high-running-cost or heavily discounted models. Choosing the correct profile is more important than trying to chase an exact national average.
Enter your car’s price and choose a depreciation profile to generate a 10-year vehicle value table.
These broad patterns help you choose the right profile before generating your own table.
Approximate value retained after 5 years for cars with strong demand, limited supply, good reliability and lower running costs.
A realistic middle ground for many mainstream hatchbacks, family cars and crossovers with normal mileage and service history.
Often seen with niche, heavily discounted, high-insurance, high-tax, luxury or oversupplied models after 5 years.
EV resale values depend heavily on battery range, charging speed, warranty, used supply and new model pricing.
| Age | Slow Profile (% of New Price) |
Medium Profile (% of New Price) |
Fast Profile (% of New Price) |
How to interpret it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 80% | 75% | 70% | New-car premium disappears and dealer discounts affect used values. |
| Year 2 | 74% | 65% | 58% | Nearly-new stock competes with discounted new cars. |
| Year 3 | 69% | 58% | 48% | Common PCP return point and key comparison year. |
| Year 4 | 64% | 52% | 40% | Warranty status and service history become more important. |
| Year 5 | 59% | 46% | 33% | Used buyers focus strongly on mileage, reliability and repair risk. |
| Year 6 | 55% | 41% | 28% | Depreciation slows, but major maintenance can influence price. |
| Year 7 | 51% | 37% | 24% | Condition matters more than original specification. |
| Year 8 | 47% | 33% | 21% | Demand for reliable, economical cars supports stronger values. |
| Year 9 | 44% | 30% | 18% | Annual depreciation is usually slower than in the first three years. |
| Year 10 | 41% | 27% | 16% | Some cars stabilise if they remain usable, economical and desirable. |
Follow these steps to estimate your car’s future value and avoid underestimating ownership cost.
Use the actual invoice or realistic purchase price, not the manufacturer list price if you received a discount. Options and delivery fees should be included.
Slow suits desirable models, medium suits ordinary family cars, and fast suits cars with weak used demand or high ownership costs.
Year 3 is important for PCP and lease returns. Year 5 is useful for private ownership and nearly-new buying decisions.
Use the result as a guide, then verify against advertised cars with the same age, mileage, trim, engine and service history.
The right profile depends on buyer demand, supply, brand strength and the type of second-hand buyer your car appeals to.
Slow depreciation cars are not always cheap to buy, but they often cost less to own because they keep more value. They usually have broad used demand, good reliability records, sensible running costs and limited discounting when new.
The medium profile is the safest default when you are unsure. It covers many hatchbacks, saloons, estates and crossovers that are popular but not rare. These cars may lose a large amount in years one to three, then settle into a gentler curve.
Fast depreciation is not always bad news. It can hurt the first owner, but it can create excellent used bargains for the second or third owner. The risk is that the low purchase price may be offset by insurance, repairs, tyres, battery concerns or poor fuel economy.
Two cars with the same age can have very different resale values. These factors explain why.
UK buyers often compare mileage against an expected range of roughly 8,000 to 12,000 miles per year. A low-mileage car can outperform the table, while a high-mileage car may need a lower profile.
A complete stamped or digital service record protects value. Missing services, overdue maintenance and unresolved recalls can reduce confidence and push offers down.
Neutral colours and desirable trims usually sell faster. Unusual colours, low-demand engines or missing key options can make a car harder to price.
Petrol, diesel, hybrid and electric cars each have different demand cycles. For EVs, usable range, battery warranty and rapid charging speed can strongly affect resale value.
If a brand heavily discounts new cars, nearly-new examples must drop too. Strong residual values usually need disciplined pricing and steady demand.
Bodywork damage, poor tyres, warning lights and repeated MOT advisories all reduce offers. A clean, well-presented car can beat a generic depreciation average.
Depreciation is not just a formula. It follows the live market.
High buyer engagement can support values, especially for cars with practical running costs, good availability of parts and strong consumer confidence. If many buyers want the same used model, depreciation slows.
When fewer five to seven-year-old cars are available, tidy examples in that age band may hold value better than a simple table suggests. Supply is especially important for popular family cars and small SUVs.
Electric cars are moving from early-adopter pricing into a broader used market. Improved affordability helps buyers, but it also means depreciation can look sharper for older EVs bought when new prices were higher.
You cannot stop depreciation, but you can make smarter choices before buying and while owning the car.
The easiest way to reduce depreciation is to avoid overpaying at the start. Compare the new price, nearly-new price and three-year-old price before signing. If the same model loses a large chunk in the first year, a nearly-new car may offer better value. If the model holds its value strongly, buying new may be easier to justify, especially when warranty, finance rate and exact specification matter.
Next, choose a car with broad used appeal. The used market rewards cars that are easy to understand, economical to run, reliable, sensibly specified and not too expensive to insure. A rare colour or unusual trim might be fun, but it can narrow the pool of buyers later. Mainstream desirable options usually hold value better than expensive niche extras.
During ownership, keep mileage sensible where possible, maintain the car on schedule and keep every receipt. Repair cosmetic damage before sale if the cost is lower than the likely price reduction. Replace worn tyres, resolve warning lights and make sure MOT advisories are not left to scare buyers away. A clean, well-documented car can command stronger offers than an average example with the same age.
Finally, time your sale carefully. Convertibles may sell better before summer, family cars can attract interest before school terms, and fuel-efficient models often gain attention when fuel prices rise. The table gives a yearly estimate, but a good selling window can make a noticeable difference.
The same depreciation number can mean different things depending on whether you are buying, selling, financing or part-exchanging.
Look for the point where the steepest drop has already happened but the car is still modern enough to feel current. For many UK buyers, this is around one to three years old. At that age, a car may still have warranty cover, current safety technology and reasonable mileage, but the first owner has absorbed a large part of the depreciation curve.
Use the slow, medium and fast comparison to test whether the car is genuinely good value. A cheap used car is not always cheap to own if it keeps falling quickly, needs expensive maintenance or becomes difficult to sell later.
Do not price your car from a generic percentage alone. Use the table to set a sensible expectation, then compare your car with live adverts that match the same year, mileage, trim, engine, gearbox and condition. A car with full service history, two keys, clean MOT results and good tyres deserves a stronger price than a rough example.
Dealers also need margin, preparation cost and warranty allowance, so a part-exchange offer will normally be lower than the retail price you see online.
Depreciation matters because it controls equity. On PCP, your guaranteed future value or balloon payment is the lender’s estimate of what the car should be worth at the end of the term. If real market value is higher than the balloon, you may have positive equity. If it is lower, changing early can be expensive.
Before signing, compare the year-three table value with the finance balloon, mileage allowance and expected condition rules.
Use these resources alongside the Car Depreciation Table UK 2026.
Search-intent focused answers for drivers comparing vehicle values, finance risk and resale timing.