The Slowest Depreciating Cars 2025
One of the main factors in deciding which car to buy next can be how much it will depreciate, or its residual value. The ability for a car to hold on to its value better can result in everything from lower payments on your finance package, greater bargaining during part exchanging or greater equity and cash back in your pocket when it comes time to sell.
With that in mind, a car that holds on to its value better than others can make your buying decision easier and could sway your decision between which particular make or model you are looking to purchase. To work out which cars hold on to their residual value better, we need to look at how much percentage of that value is retained after the industry average of 3 years and 36,000 miles after the car was bought when new.
Data from the CDL Vehicle Information Services states that the average value retained regardless of fuel type for new cars is 47.7% based upon their part-exchange value after 3 years and 36,000 miles covered. However, when this is converted to retail values, the average residual value of an EV is over 15% lower than the average retained value of combustion engine vehicles, according to data from Auto Trader. With the number of brand-new combustion engine vehicles available diminishing over the coming years, is this divide likely to widen even further? Only time will tell.
So as we approach half way through the year, just what are the Top 10 Slowest Depreciating Cars so far in 2025:
10 – Mercedes Benz GLE Coupe
The SUV range from Mercedes Benz has something for everyone, with no fewer than 15 different models listed on their website at time of writing. Discounting the electric variants the line up still consists of the GLA, GLB, GLC Coupe, GLC, GLE Coupe, GLE, GLS, Maybach GLS and the legendary G-Class. Sticking to the model right in the middle of all that in terms of price and size is the GLE Coupe, a very popular choice on UK roads and with good reason. The sportier coupe body style mixed with the usual Mercedes blend of luxuriousness, comfort and technology, the GLE Coupe does it all, including fighting off depreciation remarkably well.
Even the GLE Coupe range on its own caters for all types of drivers. From frugal diesel models to efficient hybrid variants and even the lairy GLE 63 S AMG model, you can have your GLE Coupe just the way you want it. Prices start at over £81,000 for the GLE 350 diesel hybrid and almost double by the time you get the to 634HP AMG version that can rival most sports cars, for acceleration at least. Though whichever version you choose it remains a stylish and accomplished vehicle whatever you’re looking for from your SUV.
Despite its starting price of just over £81,000 the GLE Coupe manages to retain almost 61% of its price when new, meaning after 3 years and 36,000 miles it has a resale value of just over £50,000. Hybrid and AMG versions are likely to be in higher demand due to the former’s desirability amongst those reluctant to switch to full EV power for now and the latter due to rarity and appeal to performance SUV fans. So despite the sheer number of SUV possibilities from the Mercedes Benz brand, the GLE stands out as one of the more sensible buying decisions when it comes time to move on to your next vehicle.
9 – Porsche Macan
The Macan has been one of Porsche’s biggest selling models since its introduction, in fact since 2014 they have sold over half a million globally. With the popularity of SUV’s at an all-time high and the fact that Porsche have ensured that the Macan is one of the most enjoyable to drive means it is easy to see why they sell so well. It was also one of our most funded cars last year for our customers too, with 130 Macan models funded in 2024 alone making it our 7th most popular vehicle.
What is interesting however is the fact that despite the latest Macan switching to EV only, in the UK and North America in particular the combustion engine variant remains on sale for the foreseeable future. It is that petrol engine version that makes it into 9th place for the slowest depreciating cars at the moment, despite the appeal of the all-new electric variant. With many manufacturers backtracking on their EV plans, there has even been talk of Porsche launching a combustion engine variant of their all new Macan to run alongside the originally planned EV-only updated version.
With the range starting at just under £56,000, the smallest of Porsche’s SUVs retains 63% of its value after 3 years and 36,000 miles, resulting in a value of just over £35,000. It is the base Macan T with the smallest 2.0-litre petrol engine which also sees the best return on your initial purchase, shunning the demand and features of the S or GTS in favour of simplicity and ease. Interestingly the electric variant is also one of the slowest depreciating EV’s on the market, but its 59.4% value retained cannot compete with the petrol version for residual value. With the combustion engine variant potentially on limited time as a brand-new vehicle, this could also mean that it holds on to its value better than ever over the next few years.
8 – Dacia Duster
Who would have thought that amongst this array of prestige cars from some of the most sought after brands in the automotive industry there would be a cheap affordable car also included. With the prices of most things, but in particular new cars, rising at a considerable rate recently, perhaps it isn’t too surprising that an affordable alternative is highly sought after. Despite being founded in 1966 Dacia was only popular in Eastern Europe, in particular home country, Romania. Following acquisition and a rebrand in 2008 by now parent company Renault, the brand was slated to be sold across the whole of Europe and in 2013 came to our shores.
With the popularity of SUV’s in recent years it is hardly surprising that the Duster is one of the brand’s most popular models. In fact, it is second only to the Sandero and is responsible for almost a quarter of all Dacia’s ever sold since the company formed, some 2.4 million vehicles. Despite the range starting at just £18,850, it comes with impressive off-road capability, room for all the family and their luggage, the latest third generation of Duster even comes with a touchscreen display, lane keep assist, traffic sign recognition, cruise control, hill start assist, parking sensors, tyre pressure monitoring and much more, all as standard.
Such value for money means that the demand for the model has continued to rise and the strong residual values reflect that. The Duster’s ability to offer such slow depreciation mans that in 3 years and 36,000 miles when you come to part exchange your vehicle you will have lost on average just £6,870. That works out at just 36.7% of the value and a residual value of 63.3%. It just goes to show that even though you are saving money in the first place, doesn’t mean you are sacrificing the value that will be left in the car when it comes time to sell it.
7 – Toyota Land Cruiser
The Land Cruiser is a model that has in one way or another been on sale for nearly 75 years. With more than 10 million vehicles sold over that time there have been 15 different model iterations across Light-Duty, Heavy-Duty and Station Wagon. Though incredibly the heavy-duty version is only on its 3rd generation in that time, the latest J70 model has been on sale and merely facelifted since 1985, the ’40 Series’ before that was replaced after a mere 25 years. It is the Light-Duty however that is the only one aimed at luxury and more of a focus on-road capability, and the one that has undergone the biggest overhaul for the all-new model.
Many of the latest models on the market have looked to their past for styling and design inspiration. There are plenty of brands that have at least one or two ionic past models that still have large followings, but only the very best can use that appeal when they are launching a brand-new model that is heavily influenced by a legendary vehicle. For the latest smaller iteration, Toyota have drawn on the appeal of the G-Class, Defender and even the Suzuki Jimny and much like a lot of manufacturers these days have gone all retro-modern.
The new for 2024 Land Cruiser is widely regarded as the best performing on the road there has ever been. Along with its iconic Land Cruiser of ‘days gone by’ inspired styling it also is seen as the best looking and the perfect model to take on the appeal of the latest Defender. With a starting price of £75,000 the Land Cruiser isn’t exactly cheap, but what premium cars are these days? Happily however thanks to its appeal and demand, not only is it unavailable to buy on the Toyota website for now, it is also as a result holding its value remarkably well on the pre-owned market. A 3 year old model that has covered 36,000 miles would be expected to hold on to just under £48,000 of its value, an impressive 64%.
6 – Bentley Flying Spur
Large executive saloons generally do not hold on to their value that well, however the saloon version of the ever-popular Continental GT certainly goes against that theory. Whilst it may start off more expensive than rivals from Mercedes, Audi, Porsche and BMW it offers greater luxury, a more upmarket image and the upmost in refinement, but also manages to hold on to its value better despite the original higher purchase cost. With the recent announcement of the forthcoming hybrid assisted Continental GT and expected Flying Spur variant, now could be the perfect time to get your hands on the current purely combustion engine powered model.
Despite the reputation for large luxurious saloon cars losing their value in quite considerable amounts over relatively short periods of time, the Flying Spur manages to do quite the opposite. With the price of the model starting at over £175,000, a loss of more than £60,000 after 3 years and 36,000 miles sounds like a lot of money to lose. However when that works out to be just 34.4% of the original value, a retention of 65.6%, the Flying Spur has actually outperformed many of the models seen on last year’s countdown, climbing from 10th to 5th best performing over the past 12 months.