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The 10 slowest-depreciating cars in 2026
Want your next car to hold on to as much of its value as possible? You'll need to buy one of these
Darren Moss
Updated: 2 November 2026
Imagine that your car started to drop notes and coins as you drive it along. Okay, so you won't be hearing the metallic thud of actual pounds and pence hitting the Tarmac, but your car does indeed shed value the more you drive it. That phenomenon is known as depreciation, and it's as certain in life as death and taxes.
Before this all sounds too much like doom and gloom, though, remember that the rate at which new cars lose value varies wildly, and while some models suffer from heavy depreciation, others seem like rock-solid investments in the grand scheme of things. And, if you're a used car buyer, any form of depreciation is going to drive down prices on the car you're thinking of buying.
In this story, we're revealing the 10 models which hold onto their value the best – regardless of what powers them, how much they cost to buy, or what class they compete in. That data is based on you owning the car for three years, and driving 36,000 miles in that time.
If you want to learn more about any of the cars featured here, just click the links through to our full reviews. While there, you can also see how much we can save you if you're thinking of buying by using our free New Car Deals service. If you're interested in reading about the cars which suffer most from depreciation, we've covered them in a separate story.
Make and modelList price (new)% value retained @ 3yrs / 36k milesValue @ 3yrs / 36k milesValue lostLamborghini Urus 4.0 V8 BiTurbo 25.9kWh SE Auto 4WD£213,61598%£209,343£4272Caterham Seven 2.0 360£25,56093%£23,771£1789Porsche 911 4.0 992 GT3£165,44590%£148,901£16,545Mercedes G-Class 4.0 G63 V8 BiTurbo MHEV AMG 4WD£190,97585%£162,329£28,646Porsche 718 Cayman 4.0 GT4 RS£131,24584%£110,246£20,999
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Lamborghini Urus
Best buy: 4.0 V8 BiTurbo 25.9kWh SE Auto 4WD Euro 6 5dr
0-62 mph: 3.4 sec
MPG/range: 49.55 mpg
C02 emissions: 140 g/km
Seats: 5
Boot: 454 litres
Insurance group:
Driving
Interior
Practicality
Buying & Owning
Strengths
- Searing straight-line pace
- Relatively agile and fun to drive
- Thundering V8 noise
Weaknesses
- The range is only 37 miles, which isn’t far
- Interior finish doesn’t match its price rivals
- Seriously expensive to buy
Model 4.0 V8 BiTurbo 25.9kWh SE Auto 4WD | List price £213,615 | 36k/3yr resale value £139,900 | Price drop ££4272 | Retained value 98%
The Urus is one of the most exotic luxury SUVs money can buy, blending jaw-dropping pace with enough practicality to be usable every day.
While previous versions of the Urus relied solely on a monstrous 4.0-litre V8 petrol engine for power, the only version you can buy today combines that with an electric motor and 22kWh battery, turning it into a plug-in hybrid. And while the 37-mile electric range is useful, we reckon more buyers will be interested in the combined 789bhp available to them.
Don’t think the Urus is some wild beast, though; it stays remarkably upright through bends and, thanks to four-wheel steering, feels more agile than its size might suggest.
Even better, the Urus is the car which keeps the biggest percentage of its value after you’ve owned it for three years, losing just £4200 over 36,000 miles. And in depreciation terms, it doesn't get any better than that.
Read our full Lamborghini Urus review
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Best price from £213,615
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RRP from: £213,615
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Caterham Seven
Driving
Interior
Practicality
Buying & Owning
Strengths
- Raw, old-school driving experience
- Slow depreciation
- Incredible acceleration in top versions
Weaknesses
- Expensive
- Extremely cramped inside
- You really won't want to hit anything
Model 2.0 360 | List price £25,560 | 36k/3yr resale value £23,771 | Price drop £1789 | Retained value 93%
Losing less than £2000 over three years of driving sounds like something of a miracle, but then again the Seven is a thoroughly miraculous car. For one thing, if you're handy enough, you can build it yourself because it's available in kit form. Or if you want to skip the spanners and get straight to driving, you can have the factory build it for you.
The 360 is one of the most potent forms of the Seven, bringing a 2.0-litre petrol engine with 180bhp. And in a car so light, that engine is a rocket. It's capable of propelling the Seven to 62mph in 4.8 seconds, which is about a match for a Porsche 718 Cayman, and it has a top speed of 130mph.
Now, there are some downsides to consider, and in the Seven that mostly comes from practicality...because there isn't much. The sole two seats are both rather cramped, and there's only enough space in the boot for a couple of soft overnight bags. Plus, if it starts to rain, you'll need to stop and put the soft-top roof up yourself.
Read our full Caterham Seven review
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Best price from £18,005
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Available now from: £54,490
RRP from: £18,005
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From £46,950
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Porsche 911 GT3
Best buy: 3.0T 992 Carrera S PDK Euro 6 (s/s) 2dr
0-62 mph: 3.5 sec
MPG/range: 27.7 mpg
C02 emissions: 232 g/km
Seats: 2
Boot: 373 litres
Insurance group: 50E
Driving
Interior
Practicality
Buying & Owning
Strengths
- 9000rpm and the accompanying engine noise
- Option of manual or dual-clutch automatic gearbox
- Fabulous traction and sublime handling
Weaknesses
- Road noise at speed
- Nothing else
Model GT3 | List price £165,445 | 36k/3yr resale value £148,901 | Price drop £16,545 | Retained value 90%
The regular Porsche 911 is an absolute hoot to drive, so it stands to reason that the GT3 is, just about, the best version of what is already one of the best sports cars you can buy. Its 4.0-litre, flat six petrol engine delivers a heady 503bhp, and it'll keep pulling all the way up to its 9000rpm redline.
Putting your foot to the floor doesn't result in the same brutal acceleration as you'd get in, say, a McLaren 720S, but that doesn't mean that the GT3 is a slouch. It's just that it delivers its power in a more controlled, linear fashion, and that means it's actually easier to control. And it's fast, reaching 62mph in just 3.4 seconds if you go for the automatic gearbox option.
Inside, you'll find that the GT3 has a driving position which is nigh on perfect. As standard, the seats have part-electric adjustment, but if you want to save weight you can swap these for figure-hugging bucket seats instead.
Read our full Porsche 911 GT3 review
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Best price from £110,105
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Available now from: £114,900
RRP from: £110,105
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From £107,975
Leasing deals
From £1,242
About our price indicator
What Car? indicative Personal lease example (subject to status)
Porsche 911 GT3
Expected annual mileage 6000 Term months 48 Deposit months 12 Monthly payment £1,242.30 Initial payment £14,907.60
Step-by-step
Leasing works a bit like a long-term rental. You drive it, but you don’t own it.
- Choose your car, pick your terms and apply for lease credit online
- Pay monthly rental payments for your chosen term length
- Drive it, enjoy it, then give it back at the end
What you get
When you lease with Autotrader you get all of this:
- Full manufacturer’s warranty
- Road tax and roadside assistance included
- Free returns within 30 days*
Excess mileage charges and return conditions apply. Subject to availability and credit status. 18+ T&Cs apply.
In partnership with
£15,153 total upfront (£14,908 initial rental plus £245 processing fee) | 6000 miles | 48 months
- Lower total monthly cost than PCP/HP
- No balloon payments
- Road tax included
New Mercedes G-Class
Best buy: 3.0 G450d MHEV AMG Line (Premium Plus) G-Tronic 4WD Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr
0-62 mph: 5.8 sec
MPG/range: 31.7 mpg
C02 emissions: 234 g/km
Seats: 5
Boot: 575 litres
Insurance group: 50P
Driving
Interior
Practicality
Buying & Owning
Strengths
- Great sense of theatre on the road
- Interior feels very well made
- Superb off-road ability
Weaknesses
- Handles like a supertanker
- Not very practical
- Lumpy ride
Model G63 V8 BiTurbo MHEV | List price £190,975 36k/3yr resale value £162,329 | Price drop £28,646 | Retained value 85%
Whether you plan on conquering mountains on simply cruising city streets, the G-Class is an imposing sight on any road.
This version gets you a monstrous 4.0-litre V8 petrol engine under the bonnet, which is capable of hauling this heavy SUV to 60mph in just 4.4sec. It's not the most sensible choice in terms of running costs, but it does make this hefty SUV feel more lively than it has any right to.
Despite its size, the G-Class isn't especially practical, with rival SUVs offering more versatile seating, and even more space for luggage in their boots.
No matter which version of the G-Class you go for, you can expect to spend a lot of time at the pumps – but at least you'll get a good chunk of your money back when you come to sell it on.
Read our full Mercedes G-Class review
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Best price from £142,635
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From £147,990
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Porsche 718 Cayman
Reliability
Safety
Costs
Quality
Performance
Strengths
- Brilliant handling
- Wonderful six-cylinder engine in GTS
- Fabulous driving position
Weaknesses
- Stingy standard equipment
- Limited safety kit
- Disappointing sound of four-cylinder engines
Model GT4 RS | List price £131,245 | 36k/3yr resale value £110,246 | Price drop £20,999 | Retained value 84%
Porsche clearly knows a thing or two about building cars which hold on to their value, because the 718 Cayman joins the 911 GT3 in retaining pounds and pence better than almost anything else.
It's worth noting that we're talking specifically about the GT4 version here, which gets a 4.0-litre flat six petrol engine shared with the GT3 we saw earlier on this list. That means it offers the same gutteral thrills, the same savage acceleration, and the same high-revving nature.
Well weighted and precise steering help you place the Cayman exactly where you want it, which in turn inspires confidence through faster corners. And the Porsche, although firm, rides well on broken surfaces, if not quite up to the same standard as an Alpine A110.
Read our full Porsche 718 Cayman review
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Best price from £57,275
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The What Car? best price shows you the cheapest way to buy your new car, whether it's by choosing an in-stock car through our partner Autotrader or placing a factory order.
RRP from: £57,275
Nearly new deals
From £17,500
Leasing deals
From £751
About our price indicator
What Car? indicative Personal lease example (subject to status)
Porsche 718 Cayman
Expected annual mileage 5000 Term months 60 Deposit months 12 Monthly payment £751.43 Initial payment £9,017.16
Step-by-step
Leasing works a bit like a long-term rental. You drive it, but you don’t own it.
- Choose your car, pick your terms and apply for lease credit online
- Pay monthly rental payments for your chosen term length
- Drive it, enjoy it, then give it back at the end
What you get
When you lease with Autotrader you get all of this:
- Full manufacturer’s warranty
- Road tax and roadside assistance included
- Free returns within 30 days*
Excess mileage charges and return conditions apply. Subject to availability and credit status. 18+ T&Cs apply.
In partnership with
£9,262 total upfront (£9,017 initial rental plus £245 processing fee) | 5000 miles | 60 months
- Lower total monthly cost than PCP/HP
- No balloon payments
- Road tax included
Rolls-Royce Cullinan
Driving
Interior
Practicality
Buying & Owning
Strengths
- Effortless performance
- Wonderfully opulent interior
- Superb refinement
Weaknesses
- Unsettled low-speed ride
- Hugely expensive to buy and run
- Controversial styling
Model V12 | List price £349,665 | 36k/3yr resale value £272,739 | Price drop £76,926 | Retained value 78%
The chances are that if you're thinking of putting a Rolls-Royce Cullinan on your driveway, you're not overly concerned about getting the maximum return on your initial investment, but it's still pleasing to note that this behemoth of an SUV loses relatively little value compared with some other models.
And let's face it, the Cullinan represents a heck of a lot of car. There's not only acres of space inside for your and your passengers to stretch out in, but the quality of materials is second to none. You really do feel like you're flying in a first class airliner.
Then there's the V12 petrol engine under the bonnet. It's definitely not the last word in running costs – expect to average just 18.8mpg according to official figures – but it is very powerful. The 0-62mph sprint takes 5.2 seconds, which is seriously quick when you consider that the Cullinan weighs 2.6 tonnes.
Read our full Rolls-Royce Cullinan review
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Best price from £319,465
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Ferrari Purosangue
Best buy: 6.5 V12 F1 DCT 4WD Euro 6 (s/s) 4dr
0-62 mph: 3.3 sec
MPG/range: 16.33 mpg
C02 emissions: 393 g/km
Seats: 4
Boot: 0 litres
Insurance group: 50E
Driving
Interior
Practicality
Buying & Owning
Strengths
- Dynamically, it rewrites the fast SUV playbook
- V12 engine will go down in history as one of the greats
- Glacial depreciation
Weaknesses
- Eye-wateringly expensive
- Not as spacious as rivals
- Almost as thirsty as a private jet
Model 6.5 V12 | List price £364,293 | 36k/3yr resale value £273,220 | Price drop £91,073 | Retained value 75%
Yes, £91,073 is a huge amount of money to lose on any car from depreciation – it's enough to put a new Porsche 911 sports car on your driveway, for example. And yet, as with the Rolls-Royce Cullinan above, the chances are that if you're planning on buying a Purosangue, you're not short of a bob or two.
It also means that you're used to the finest things in life, which is handy, because the Purosangue is the finest driver's SUV there is. Its crown jewel is the 6.5-litre V12 petrol engine resting underneath its bonnet, which pushes 715bhp onto the road and practically catapults the Ferrari towards the horizon. Helpfully, the Purosangue isn't just impressive in a straight line, because it uses rear-wheel steering, four-wheel drive and active dampers to feel more agile through corners than it has any right to.
There isn't as much space in the back of the Purosangue as you'd find in some rivals, and the seats in the rear aren't as thickly padded either, but a couple of average-height passengers should be comfortable back there on short trips. As for the boot, it can fit just five carry-on suitcases inside.
Read our full Ferrari Purosangue review
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Best price from £364,293
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RRP from: £364,293
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From £439,950
Porsche Macan
Best buy: 2.9T V6 GTS PDK 4WD Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr
0-62 mph: 4.3 sec
MPG/range: 25.2 mpg
C02 emissions: 254 g/km
Seats: 5
Boot: 488 litres
Insurance group: 47E
Reliability
Safety
Costs
Quality
Performance
Strengths
- Performance ranges from punchy to rapid
- More rewarding to drive than most other SUVs
- High-quality interior
Weaknesses
- Some rivals are more spacious
- Important safety kit optional
- Rivals are quieter on the motorway
Model 2.9 V6 GTS | List price £79,905 | 36k/3yr resale value £59,929 | Price drop £19,976 | Retained value 75%
The third Porsche to feature on this list of the slowest-depreciating new cars is an entirely different breed to the models which have come before. But just because it's an SUV, don't go thinking that the Macan cant raise a smile when you drive it.
In fact, in GTS form, the Macan is sensationally quick. Power comes from a 434bhp 2.9-litre V6 petrol engine which is capable of hauling this substantial SUV up to 62mph in 4.3 seconds. And while the standard seven-speed automatic gearbox does a good job of changing gears for you, you can take control yourself if you prefer using paddles behind the steering wheel.
Even among the best-driving sports SUVs, the Macan is sensational. Its confidence-inspiring steering lets you flow from corner to corner with far more agility than you might expect, while body lean is kept well in check. And GTS models have their air suspension lowered by 10mm over standard models.
There are a variety of driving modes to try out in the Macan, including settings for track and off-road use. Just don't expect the Macan to be capable of venturing as far off the beaten track as, say, a Land Rover Discovery Sport.
Read our full Porsche Macan review
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Best price from £60,905
What is What Car? best price?
The What Car? best price shows you the cheapest way to buy your new car, whether it's by choosing an in-stock car through our partner Autotrader or placing a factory order.
Available now from: £62,245
RRP from: £60,905
Nearly new deals
From £57,640
Leasing deals
From £725
About our price indicator
What Car? indicative Personal lease example (subject to status)
Porsche Macan
Expected annual mileage 5000 Term months 60 Deposit months 12 Monthly payment £725.29 Initial payment £8,703.48
Step-by-step
Leasing works a bit like a long-term rental. You drive it, but you don’t own it.
- Choose your car, pick your terms and apply for lease credit online
- Pay monthly rental payments for your chosen term length
- Drive it, enjoy it, then give it back at the end
What you get
When you lease with Autotrader you get all of this:
- Full manufacturer’s warranty
- Road tax and roadside assistance included
- Free returns within 30 days*
Excess mileage charges and return conditions apply. Subject to availability and credit status. 18+ T&Cs apply.
In partnership with
£8,948 total upfront (£8,703 initial rental plus £245 processing fee) | 5000 miles | 60 months
- Lower total monthly cost than PCP/HP
- No balloon payments
- Road tax included
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New Mercedes V-Class
Driving
Interior
Practicality
Buying & Owning
Strengths
- Well equipped
- Incredibly spacious
- Great infotainment system
Weaknesses
- Unrefined engines
- Very expensive to buy
- High running costs
Model V300d Premium Extra Long | List price £84,870 | 36k/3yr resale value £62,804 | Price drop £22,066 | Retained value 74%
Need to move a lot of people and their luggage, perhaps to your nearest airport? The Mercedes V-Class and its van-based MPV ilk have long been the preferred choice, because they prioritise space above all else. And in the case of the V-Class, it also represents something of a good investment, being worth around three quarters of its original value when you've driven it for three years.
While there's now a fully electric version of the V-Class for the green-minded driver, the big sales still come from the diesel models, and indeed it's the V300d diesel version which performs best for depreciation. This gets you a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder diesel engine with 233bhp, and it feels noticably brisker than lesser versions – especially if you've got bums on seats.
And you can fit quite a few bums into the V-Class – up to eight of them, in fact. If you really want to treat your passengers, you can upgrade the rear seats to give you a massage as you recline in comfort. You might imagine that everyone would need to pack light to fit their luggage into the V-Class's boot alongside all the people, but in Extra Long form we doubt even the heaviest of packers would find themselves running out of room.
Read our full Mercedes V-Class review
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Best price from £69,950
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Available now from: £69,950
RRP from: £77,280
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From £69,000
Rolls-Royce Ghost
Driving
Interior
Practicality
Buying & Owning
Strengths
- Outstandingly comfortable ride
- Fabulous interior
- Crushing performance
Weaknesses
- Astronomically expensive to buy
- Thirsty engine also makes it costly to run
Model Series II | List price £295,665 | 36k/3yr resale value £218,792 | Price drop £76,873 | Retained value 74%
Majestic. That's really the only way to describe the Rolls-Royce Ghost, because whether you drive it or choose to be driven in it, you'll feel like royalty.
As the 'entry-level' choice in the Rolls-Royce line-up, the Ghost comes with an enormous V12 petrol engine which is at once both savage and silent. It pulls with unrelenting enthusiasm, yet it's mostly silent and the gearshifts are almost imperceptible. The effect makes it feel as though the Ghost is simply gliding along the road.
Standard-fit air suspension means that you'll float over most of the ruts and bumps you're likely to find on a typical British B-road. And thanks to well weighted steering and pedals, it's easy for anyone driving the Ghost to do a passable impression of the King's chauffer.
The interior of the Ghost is thoroughly special, with exquisite materials and expert craftsmanship on display wherever you look. And as for space, there's simply acres of it no matter which seat you're in.
Even though you'll lose upwards of £75,000 over three years or typical ownership, we dare say most Ghost owners won't be one bit bothered.
Read our full Rolls-Royce Ghost review
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Read more: The 10 fastest-depreciating cars >>
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Best price from £284,665
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RRP from: £284,665
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