Although the Picanto is in the same position as last year, it shows slower depreciation than in last year's survey (£1760 compared with £2245), while the Mitsubishi i has dropped two places to 10 despite losing less cash than in the 2009 index (£2271 compared with £2358).

The depreciation index takes values as an average for the range at the end of 2009 if owners were selling privately with 10,000 miles on the clock cars they bought new 12 months earlier.

A general trend throughout the table of almost 300 model ranges shows that most cars depreciated more slowly during their first year of ownership than at the end of 2008.

It is most likely a knock-on effect of the sudden and harsh drop in used car values as the recession took hold in the second half of 2008, compared with all used car values strengthening during the first half of 2009.

The fact that new car sales fell dramatically during the last few months of 2008 also means there is a genuine shortage of used cars at a year old.

This may be some consolation to owners of worst depreciating cars of 2009, some of which are showing significant improvements in the amount lost to depreciation compared with our previous index.

Find out how much your car is worth.

The best performers of 2009

The biggest losers of 2009

See the depreciation winners and losers of 2008.