Cars Around 20k That Are Not So Likely To Depreciate?

I think personally right now is a bad time to be buying cars. We are on the verge of something big. How can car prices still command a premium when no one has money to buy them? Surely with interest rates going up, inflation going up and energy costs going up people are going to be tightening their belts and not spending money on used & new cars?
 
adam cool dude said:
I think personally right now is a bad time to be buying cars. We are on the verge of something big. How can car prices still command a premium when no one has money to buy them? Surely with interest rates going up, inflation going up and energy costs going up people are going to be tightening their belts and not spending money on used & new cars?
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People are still buying cars.
I got my Mums Aygo for her three years ago and paid £6900 for it with 25k miles.

Sold it too Cazoo for £7125 with 34k miles.

Took her car shopping today every dealership we visited had someone signing the paperwork buying a car and plenty of people browsing.

In the end my mate works for Skoda and he got us a Skoda Citigo for her at mates rates which was really hard work for him as the business manager knew he could get it sold at advertised price but a few strings pulled and in the end we got it £1000 below asking and whilst I was buying that for my mother there was a family in also signing paperwork.

Having a chat with my mate he said in March he personally sold 35 cars and he felt March was the peak but in saying that he himself still sold 20 cars in April and how now already matched that in May so in his words it’s slowed be sales are still ahead of what they considered normal times, they do now have plenty of used stock as did all garages and the general vibe is new cars are still delayed even basic cars and as such used car sales are still stronger than expected boosted somewhat by the now better supply of used cars because supply of new cars did improve.

The cost of living increase could see a boost in sales of cheaper cars or cheaper to run cars and then on the flip side the people who won’t be impacted will keep buying up the cars that people loved. If I had millions in the bank and was a petrol head I’d literally fill a warehouse with loads of cool cars because why not if you can afford too and especially if they are considered an asset now, better than cash in bank and better to look at, plus you can drive them too. :D
 
Anything quite rare and looks pretty is a good bet. Especially early examples.

You won't make anything on a Golf unless it's a mint mk1. Golf R is way to common and not interesting enough to grab the attention of collectors. S2000s are quite common too, but they have that engine. Elises are going up and up, miliage doesn't even seem to effect their prices much, but parts supplies are drying up for older ones.
 
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Most of the cars mentioned aren't really that practical. Classic cars (Caterham), small cars (Elise) and very high powered cars (Old M3/C63) that will run you down in fuel costs rather than save anything.

So is it safe to assume there are no practical newer cars you can buy, use a moderate amount (5k mileage a year) that will hold their value?

I mentioned the Golf R because it's a daily driver which enthusiasts also go for. Most hot hatches are in the same boat.
 
SquirrelMadness said:
Most of the cars mentioned aren't really that practical. Classic cars (Caterham), small cars (Elise) and very high powered cars (Old M3/C63) that will run you down in fuel costs rather than save anything.

So is it safe to assume there are no practical newer cars you can buy, use a moderate amount (5k mileage a year) that will hold their value?

I mentioned the Golf R because it's a daily driver which enthusiasts also go for. Most hot hatches are in the same boat.
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There are literally thousands of Golf R's out there though. Unless it's low mileage and pristine (and in 15-20 years time) it won't really be worth a huge amount. Mk 2 Golf GTI's are only worth a decent amount now if they're in very good condition with low miles. Something like a Golf GTI Clubsport S might be a decent shout but then it's almost useless as a Hot Hatch because it only has two seats. The Anniversary editions, Edition 30 & 40 might maintain their premium over the standard GTI though.
 
As a few people have mentioned the 996, I'll give my experience having owned a couple (C2 and a turbo). Fantastic cars, but bear in mind stuff will need replacing due to age. The parts aren't too bad, probably comparable to any modern high end car, the killer for me was labour, and I was using a local guy that I trust. I actually went from a 996 to and M3 and fir me the only way the M3 was better was that it was more practical, for pure driving those early cars are fantastic (tbh I'm tempted by a boxster).
 
I had an S2000 for a little over 6 years. It was average condition, average mileage; I bought mine in 2013 for £4k and sold for £6k.

They’re great cars. Brilliant, even - but would I spend £20k to have one again? Not sure I would. They’re a gamble if you’ve never driven one - certainly not without their peculiarities!

Good luck to those who do!
 
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Sorry to resurrect a dead thread, but how are cars going to hold value during what may be an impending very very deep recession? I’m thinking of dropping £15k on an S2000 because M4’s haven’t dropped in price yet and my partner has decided she doesn’t want a 2 seater so I’m free to get one as I can use her 4 seater for work now.

Ideally I don’t want to lose any money on it, as it’s my eventual deposit on a higher value car like a Porsche or newer M4.
 
hurfdurf said:
Sorry to resurrect a dead thread, but how are cars going to hold value during what may be an impending very very deep recession? I’m thinking of dropping £15k on an S2000 because M4’s haven’t dropped in price yet and my partner has decided she doesn’t want a 2 seater so I’m free to get one as I can use her 4 seater for work now.

Ideally I don’t want to lose any money on it, as it’s my eventual deposit on a higher value car like a Porsche or newer M4.
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Some cars wont for sure but some cars which are seen as an investment will hold their money well and are expected to keep going up in price. Its just a case of making the right decision. They may well dip in a down year, but if you make the right choice the price will come back and keep increasing.

I sadly didnt buy my dream car, an austin healey 3000 III several years ago as I couldnt justify the £30k price tag back then. Roll onto today and they are commanding between £70k and £90k and now I realise I could have owned and driven my dream car for years and made more money than my £30k made which I had invested.

I mean look at Hagertys top 10 for cars likely to appreciate as published back in Dec 2021

They certainly seem to have hit the mark with their list so far.

2022 Bull Market List | Hagerty UK

We reveal 10 of the year's most desirable and collectable cars that are rising in value and should be a safe buy.
www.hagerty.co.uk www.hagerty.co.uk

The S2000 went up 23% last year
 
hurfdurf said:
Sorry to resurrect a dead thread, but how are cars going to hold value during what may be an impending very very deep recession? I’m thinking of dropping £15k on an S2000 because M4’s haven’t dropped in price yet and my partner has decided she doesn’t want a 2 seater so I’m free to get one as I can use her 4 seater for work now.

Ideally I don’t want to lose any money on it, as it’s my eventual deposit on a higher value car like a Porsche or newer M4.
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an s2000 is a safe bet, they won't really depreciate anymore. Worst case scenario it'll stall, best scenario it'll keep going up. I had mine for over 3 years now and have no plans to sell.
 
my dad will be selling his 5L V8 TVR Chimera for around 20K mark
keeping on eye on those, they went up to 22-25, now hovering around the 18-20 mark
 
SquirrelMadness said:
Most of the cars mentioned aren't really that practical. Classic cars (Caterham), small cars (Elise) and very high powered cars (Old M3/C63) that will run you down in fuel costs rather than save anything.

So is it safe to assume there are no practical newer cars you can buy, use a moderate amount (5k mileage a year) that will hold their value?

I mentioned the Golf R because it's a daily driver which enthusiasts also go for. Most hot hatches are in the same boat.
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I've noticed a few of the eco hatchbacks have weirdly strong second hand prices (e.g. the mk3 Twingo, which is also rear engined RWD so has something unique). The ones which were cheap new and have £0 road tax. If you want practical as well those are probably the ones.

Performance isn't really a good indicator. The Up GTI has far better residuals than a Golf GTI/R.
 
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