In compact sedans, there is a gap between the fairly affordable Fiat Tipo and Citroën C4 and the expensive Audi A3; DS4 or Mercedes Class A. But a high price can be offset by a reduced discount. L’argus therefore called on its experts to help you assess this criterion.
Despite the increasingly fierce competition from SUVs, compact five-door sedans have not had their last word. Few of the manufacturers are absent from this segment, which remains extremely important in Europe. In these conditions, it is not always easy to make a choice. Of course, our tests and reviews are there to help you. The price is above all one of the main purchasing criteria. But remember that a new car quickly loses its value, and that not all models are in the same boat. If you don’t opt for a long-term lease (LDD) or with option to buy (LOA), and if you are not the type to keep your vehicle for decades, know how much you can expect to recover on resale is therefore crucial information. Unfortunately, it is also a particularly delicate data to obtain.
Very courted experts from L’argus
Even if it will never be an exact science, L’argus has real experts specializing in the field of valuation. Builders call on them in particular to set the residual values which condition the rents of their LOA or LDD offers. For that, they indeed need to know, as precisely as possible, how much will be worth a vehicle when they take it back on occasion. Any mistake can cost them dearly! But these data, derived from long experience, can also be used by individuals. They can be used to calculate a percentage haircut, as we have already done for many other categories. Today, we therefore invite you to discover the gasoline compacts which have the lowest discount after three years and 45,000 km. You will also find a few mild hybrid models but no classic hybrid, Toyota Corolla style, or plug-in.
The criteria that can affect the discount
The type of energy used is one of the parameters that can have a strong influence on the discount. Long acclaimed in the category, diesel is still quite in demand on occasion in some regions, but the “dieselgate” scandal and the proliferation of low-emission zones (ZFE) are pushing more and more buyers to turn away from it. Therefore, it is no longer the assurance of a high resale value at all. Among the other criteria that are taken into account, we also find:
- The bodywork: if the three-doors have almost disappeared, with the exception of the BMW 2 Series, the majority of compacts are still available as station wagons. Less represented on the used vehicle market and more expensive in new, station wagons are less expensive than sedans. Conversely, the four-door, which we find for example on the Fiat Tipo, Honda Civic or Mazda 3, are little appreciated by the French.
- The level of equipment: basic finishes, lacking the most popular equipment, are more difficult to resell. What often annihilate the savings made on purchase.
- Commercial conditions: if a vehicle is heavily sold off as new, it will also have a harder time retaining its value on the second-hand market.
- Vehicle age: when a model is near the end of its career, like the fifth generation of Opel Astra, its discount tends to accelerate. The opposite is true for new products, which are quite numerous lately in the segment. Golf 8, Audi A3, Seat Leon, Citroën C4, DS 4, Peugeot 308 …
- The transmission : let’s move on to four-wheel drive, almost non-existent here. On the other hand, the demand for automatic transmissions is increasing and is proving to be greater than the supply. A fact that allows these versions to preserve their value more than those with manual transmission.
This is why you will find, in our slideshow, forks sometimes wide enough for a single engine. The list is not exhaustive, and many other criteria can also be taken into account such as color, brand image … Not to mention the number of comparable vehicles that will be put on sale at the same time as yours. , impossible to know precisely in advance.
Compacts under 120 hp
With their power a little low for sedans that claim to offer a certain versatility, these variants are not preferred by buyers. Especially since they are often associated with basic finishes, the less popular, and a manual gearbox, losing speed. On the BMW 1 Series, the placid 116i is however part of the top 5 of the preferred engines of the French in nine, and manages quite well to limit the discount. Same good performance for its premium rival Mercedes A 160, while the Volkswagen Golf 1.0 TSI 110 finishes a little further. While still managing to do better than its chic cousin, the Audi A3.
<<< All the compacts of less than 120 ch which discount the least >>>
Compacts from 120 to 140 hp
It is the heart of the market. VShe power level is more than enough to allow a small family to go on vacation with peace of mind. This is also where most of the offer is concentrated, generating the strongest competition. This time Mercedes Class A narrowly ahead of its eternal adversary, the BMW 1 Series. But the greatest achievement is to be put to the credit of the very young DS 4, which is on par with the 118i on certain trim levels.
<<< All the compacts from 120 to 140 hp which discount the least >>>
Compacts over 140 hp
In France, “big” engines have never been very popular, and the ecological penalty is not helping their affairs. For a Peugeot 308 of more than 130 hp, it is now necessary to turn to the hybrid. But many manufacturers are still resisting, even if we have here excluded the variants of more than 200 hp such as Golf GTI, Focus ST or Mégane RS, too little widespread to be representative. In this context, it is the DS 4 PureTech 180 that stands out, even promising the lowest discount for all models and all engines! The Mercedes A 200, with 163 hp, and the BMW 120i, awarded 178 hp, end up a good distance from this French… made in Germany, in Rüsselsheim, alongside the new Opel Astra.
<<< All the compacts over 140 hp which discount the least >>>
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