2010's best and worst depreciators

Kia’s Picanto was the car that lost the least money after a year of ownership, according to Parkers depreciation stats for 2010.

The report is based on the average private resale values for 12-month-old cars with 10,000 miles on the clock.

The Kia, which tops the table, lost £1,247 over the course of a year – around £3.42 a day. However, because of the low purchase price, depreciation for the Picanto was around 20% – meaning that sellers will get around 80% of the original purchase price after a year.

Small cars held 36 of the top 50 places because of their low initial purchase price and the increasing demand for efficient, cheap-to-run cars, with strong warranties.

Twelve of the positions in the top 50 were held by 4x4s, up from seven last year. This is probably due to a change in perception due to improvement’s in off-roaders’ efficiency and the threat of persistent cold winters.

Value brands dominate the top of the leader board, partly a result of cheap purchase prices but also as a result of vastly improved model ranges and extensive warranties, such as Kia’s seven-year warranty.

The Picanto, which lost £1,760 in 2009, has climbed to the top with improved depreciation of £1,247.

The Honda Jazz, which was in first place last year, has slipped to 76th position after losing £2,517 in 2010 as opposed to £1,379 in 2009. This is largely due to the model being a year older and with more second-hand examples the over-supply has pushed down values. 

New entries into the top 10 this year include the Skoda Yeti, the Audi Q5 and the Daihatsu Terios – all 4x4s, reflecting the increased level of interest in that sector.

A general trend shown in the results is that average depreciation for the year was slightly higher, at 34%, compared to 2009’s 33% average.

Find out how much your car is worth

The best performers of 2010 (based on cash lost)

The biggest losers of 2010 (based on cash lost)

See the depreciation winners and losers of 2009