Hi Guys,

I apologise in advance for the long post!

I am thinking of selling my Laguna and buying a LCR. Through Fish for cars I can get a new LCR with recaro seats and a multichanger for 17500 otr. I assume the seats and multichanger will hold most of their value come resale time?

My laguna is 2 years 3 months old and is currently worth around 6750 to 7000 private. LCR's are currently going for at 12.5k over - there are none I can find on Autotrader for 12.5k and most are more.

The way I figure, in three years time the LCR should be worth around 12.5-13k, loosing 4.5 to 5k over 3 years. Similarly, my Laguna will probably be worth 2-2.5. The way I was looking at it (or rather trying to justify it to myself, as I've never spent this much on a car before!) is that I shouldn't actually loose much more money on buying a new LCR as I would keeping my Laguna for another 3 years. Plus I get the peace of mind of 3 years warrantee, and I get to drive a much nicer car for that time!

My only worry is that on Parkers they make several comments on the cars not holding their value well, and put their three year value at 7.5k. I don't get this though when the current three year old ones are at least 12.5. I know there is a new version coming out soon, but as they aren't committed to a Cupra R until 2008, I dont understand why Parkers think it will loose so much money.

In short, I really like the car, but can't afford to really loose 10k in 3 years. I'd be happy with 5k though, less than 2k a year does me fine.

Any replies gratefully received.

Cheers

Steve

 

As you mentioned the new model is due out and even though the Cupra (R) or whatever will be due later I still think it will affect the price/depreciation. By your estimates you could probably go for something like a 350Z, S2000, 2nd hand M5 and lose under £5k over 3 years or find something nearly new that's already taken a hefty depreciation hit. Or the new Golf GTi (euro import?) which I'd estimate at similar depreciation to the LCR or the new Mini Cooper S (Turbo) when that's available is another example which I'd guess you'd lose no more than £3k in 3 years.

 

Dissagree with you about the M5 bit. My cousin lost just over 6 grand in 2 years on his used M5. He just couldn't shift it so had to take a lot less than its true value

 

If you look in most of the car mags you will find, at the back where they give the new car specs etc, that they also give the approximate value of the car once it`s 3 years old.

Unfortunately you will see that not many around will retain even 50% of their original value, and if you work on those figures you will find that they are actually quite realistic.

So if you don`t expect too much come resale time you won`t be disappointed.

 

Cheers guys.

What would be your best suggestion for loosing the least amount of money then?

The M5 is out as I can't afford the running costs being realistic

Quite taken with the S2000 though.

 

Have you got a Scooby at the minute, and you want the LCR as a second car or something, or do you just not want a Scooby ?

(Forgive my ignorance if I`ve missed something )

 

No I've had a scooby mate. I wanted something that was quick and fun to drive, but wasn't going to cost me as much to run as the Subaru did.

What about a Golf R32? Or will they cost a fair bit to run?

 

What about a Skoda Fabia vRS ? 12k and in 2-3 years you should get 9-10k back. In the meantime you will enjoy cheap motoring with 45mpg around town and 55mpg on a m/way run. Another 600 on a Jabbasport remap and then some suspension and brake work will see it keep up with even some lower spec Scoobs on the run (just don't expect to win at the lights ). The Jabba chip gives it 300 lb/ft of torque, that's similar to an STi PPP, and yet the car is much lighter with 2WD so less drivetrain losses.

Probably the cheapest performance motoring around

 

My dad was offered £8500 for his 2 year olsd40,000 mile Cupra R against a new one - ouch!

 

Blimey. I thought they held their value pretty well. Maybe I'll get a second hand one then, I just couldnt find one for less than 12.5k.

Must of been just some of the crap the salesman was giving me. I've never met such a *** of a salesman in my life. I rang in advance, said I wanted a test drive, booked a time and then he almost wouldn't let me out in one. Said he didnt see the point unless I was going to buy a new one, went on and on about could I afford one. Then when we were out, he didnt understand why I wanted a LCR if I'd had a scooby. I said on paper they looked pretty similar, and he said they didn't (forcefully), that scooby's come with 350 bhp standard and these only have 225. Apprantly you get a P1 package with all new scooby's that everyone has that takes them to 350bhp. I tried explaining the P1 was a special addition classic that had around 275, you could get PPP for the standard and Sti that would add around 35 bhp, or you had the Wr1 that came with PPP as standard, but he wouldnt have it. Got quite aggressive that the P1 was a pack you added that everyone did, it gave you 350 bhp, and it was true because his mate at Subaru told him so.

Most surreal test drive ever - they usually try to get your business, not rub you up the wrong way!!

 

I sold my 2 yr 8 month old Revo LCR privately recently for £11,900. By my calculation that means it held 70% of its original which is pretty damn good by any standards if you ask me.

Bluenose... me thinks the dealer saw your dad coming. I've not seen any bargain LCR's and I studied the market pretty well before setling on a figure for mine.

 

Yeah dealer was taking the ****! I hope your dad smacked him 1.

Ive yet too see an LCR at under £10000 and thats a high miler!

 

Agreed - but the premium price ones are all low mileage examples. If you're planning on racking the miles up, your car will be worth a round of drinks in a crappy pub or however much juice is left in the tank - whichever's least.

Cracking car BTW.

Cheers
Kav

 

What about a Skoda Fabia vRS ? 12k and in 2-3 years you should get 9-10k back.

Are you kidding ? the VAT element alone on this car is nearly what you think it will lose in 2-3 years. At 3 years old with average mileage there are very few cars I can think of that are worth 50% of there original price. Remember that the price you see people asking for their car is rarely the price they get for it, look at Autotrader each week and see how many of the same cars are for sale week in week out.

Are you seriously suggesting that you would be willing to pay £10k for a three year old average mileage car when the new price is only £12k ?

 

Thats frightening....I got offered £7900 on a 00MY Wagon against a 53 plate £14k SL Saloon last week. People on here moan about Scooby depreciation...

 

I think the LCR is very good for depreciation (at least as good as Scoobys) - my bro just wrote his LCR off, 52 reg, 36k miles and he got £11k from the insurance company meaning he only lost 6k I think in 2 1/2 years of hard motoring. OK, it is a lot of money but compared with other I think that is OK.

Forget the prices the punters pay, go to an auction and see the real value of cars. The very reason I sold my last car 3 years ago and haven't bought once since.

Incidentally, my birds company Bora V5 (list around 18k) with a load of miles and 2 1/2 yrs old will go for roughly 5k when it comes up for aution - now that is depreciation.