Depreciation free family car?

[Portent 0]

I currently have a mk6 Golf GTI. It is a nice enough car but the build quality is not what I have experienced on old skool VW's and in hindsight I think that selling my mk4 V6 was probably a mistake. In the next year I will proabably be changing the mk6 and I had intended to simply get something newer. But before I do I wanted to explore another option than simply buying a newer Golf, Audi, etc.

 

Is it possible to buy a family friendly car which no longer depreciates? I don't mean buying something cheap and running it into the ground. I mean something around £15k (or maybe £20k at a push); 4 doors or even if 2 doors then plenty of room in the back. Something slightly unusual and interesting; certainly something not too slow.

 

A few things come to mind and I am aware that maintenance will be higher. But what I 'm trying to stop is the round of finding a lump sum every few years to move back into a newer car.

 

How are 4 door mk4 Golf R32's nowadays? Surely these can't be depreciating anymore?

What about a 4 door older M3 of some description?

Anything in the Mercedes range?

Anything Audi?

I'm open to non-German suggestions too although that's what I typically buy.

 

Thank you.

[seanl82 23]

Merc G-wagon?

[Mystic Blue VR 10]

I currently have a mk6 Golf GTI. It is a nice enough car but the build quality is not what I have experienced on old skool VW's and in hindsight I think that selling my mk4 V6 was probably a mistake. In the next year I will proabably be changing the mk6 and I had intended to simply get something newer. But before I do I wanted to explore another option than simply buying a newer Golf, Audi, etc.

 

Is it possible to buy a family friendly car which no longer depreciates? I don't mean buying something cheap and running it into the ground. I mean something around £15k (or maybe £20k at a push); 4 doors or even if 2 doors then plenty of room in the back. Something slightly unusual and interesting; certainly something not too slow.

 

A few things come to mind and I am aware that maintenance will be higher. But what I 'm trying to stop is the round of finding a lump sum every few years to move back into a newer car.

 

How are 4 door mk4 Golf R32's nowadays? Surely these can't be depreciating anymore?

What about a 4 door older M3 of some description?

Anything in the Mercedes range?

Anything Audi?

I'm open to non-German suggestions too although that's what I typically buy.

 

Thank you.

 

Focus RS. Lad I work with bought one two years ago & it is worth slightly more now as a trade in! MK4 Golf R32 a good call too.

[Jim 2]

I think the problem you're gonna have is if you want to spend that kind of money, you're either needing to branch into something a bit more exotic, or something old. And I guess it depends on whether you want the hassle and cost of running either :(

 

Like I can't imagine an Audi RS2 has anywhere left to go in terms of depreciation and what a classic.. but not sure I'd want to run one of those as an every day family car. Stuff like the R32 - if you buy one at 15k, that still has a long way to go in terms of depreciation and anything big and German at that sort of price again will continue to plummet. If you were feeling brave you could look out for a good E39 M5? :)

 

Maserati Quattroporte? ;)

[Mk3highline 10]

Couple years back evo 6s were around 6-7k and now there going for a grand or2 more

Those were gust the standard gsr

Out of your price range (low side) but the octavia VRS have been stuck at 2k for a ok one

But if I had that money on a family car an old RS6 and have enough left to sort the suspension and turbos

V8 twin turbo

[corrado wannabe 12]

I have to agree with Jim above,

 

I think the price range you are looking at (a fairly healthy amount btw) is slap bang in the depreciation belt. Unless, as Jim says, you are looking to go a bit older, or a bit more niche I'm not sure whether anything is truly depreciation free until they go just under 10K.

 

I'm sure a few on here will bring up lease deals, it may be that if the terms suit you, it might be something worth considering.

 

Dougie

[MarkR 11]

Land Rover Defender?

[Rustynuts 0]

I bought a high miler T5 Caravelle 4 years ago, spent a lot on the mechanical side of things but I reckon I could sell it now for a few grand more than what I paid for it seeing the engine was a brand new crate engine from VW 3 years ago. I would still be out of pocket.

 

The point is that T5 Caravelles of around 10 years old have probably hit rock bottom depreciation.

[coullstar 0]

B5 RS4. Engine and drivetrain is a over engineered, still feel soild today, practical, fast and I think damn cool.

 

I bought mine 3 years ago and could sell it for the same after 15k+ miles.

 

There is only one way their prices are going to go. £15k would get you a very nice fettled example with all the right bits done.

[Jim 2]

I did wonder about that generation RS4 - think that's a good shout :)

[Stonejag 10]

For £8k you could have a pretty nice 5-door Mk5 R32 DSG, there are quite a few on eBay at the moment. I've spent the last week eyeing up 3dr Mk4s...

 

Stone

[Portent 0]

Thanks for the ideas. I will take a look at them. The RS4 is interesting.

[coullstar 0]

Seriously consider the RS, even the S4 is well worth the money. It never ceases to amaze me at how easily they do everything.

 

Any questions you have ask me or get on Audisrs forum as its heavily B5 based and there are a lot of knowledgeable people on that site.

 

Remember I went from a newish Scirocco to a B5 RS, I intend on never selling mine as there is nothing I could replace it with that gets remotely close.

[Jim 2]

They're the kind of car I'd love some day. Are the stories of wallet crushing service / repair bills true or are they largely pretty good?

[coullstar 0]

In general terms they cost no more than any other car. Most are now enthusiast owned so they are taken care of and the big bill items will have been looked at.

 

Yes potentially they could give big bills but if you buy right it shouldn't be too bad, helps if you can do some of the work yourself as well but they are no harder to work on than the Corrado in my experience, just heavier.

 

If you want to start getting big power out them then yes it starts getting expensive. All you really need is one that's been mapped, uprated suspension, uprated brakes and maybe an exhaust. That will give you a very competent car.

[Gti_Jamo 10]

Although a bit of a wildcard and probably irrelevant to this thread but i'm also an alfa fan and i've always wanted an Alfa Romeo 156 Gta since they came out back in 2002 but the good ones still priced at + 10k so can't see much depreciation on one just now. Although more than likely be expensive to run and maintain.

[Chuggs1 10]

Although a bit of a wildcard and probably irrelevant to this thread but i'm also an alfa fan and i've always wanted an Alfa Romeo 156 Gta since they came out back in 2002 but the good ones still priced at + 10k so can't see much depreciation on one just now. Although more than likely be expensive to run and maintain.

 

 

Quite like the alfas myself - had a soft spot since I had a couple of spiders

 

Nice GTa on Pistonheads

 

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/alfa-romeo/156/alfa-romeo-156-3-2-v6-24v-gta-4dr/1109183

[nitsypee 0]

Audi S2 values seem go be going up rather than down. Perhaps a bugeye Impreza. Or something crazy like a Maserati?