Best way to avoid sting of depreciation? 3-5k or lease...

[Airaith]

Hi all,

My head is melting trying to shop for a new car. I need something that isn't a skateboard - driving a '52 plate Celica T-Sport on coilovers at the moment.

Looking at newer cars after years of essentially a fancy looking shed seems so expensive - cars lose their value so quickly. The dream is a Fiesta ST - small, powerful, mod cons like cruise and heated front screen, new enough to not be a breakdown chance.

Obviously that isn't going to be something I can find in an older cheaper car, but leasing feels expensive for cars with 150bhp+ and I can't really get my head around the idea of giving it back at the end with nothing to show!

Any advice appreciated - I'm looking at 06-07 Focus ST's at the moment in the Bristol/SW area but feel like the ones in my budget are a liability, or maybe even something sheddier like an MG ZS 180.

[CrouchingWayne]

I'm not entirely sure what you're after, but leasing is essentially paying the depreciation on an ongoing basis instead of cash up front and then less back at the end. It seems at odds with what you're looking for.

Generally to avoid losing money it needs to be rare and/or have a cult following.

Focus ST's don't have the best form for values and there are plenty around. I've no idea about the MG.

The price range you are in is difficult as cars have already become cheap so must have depreciated at some point! I'd be looking at a Lupo GTi, Clio 182 Trophy or a 986 Boxster S but none are particularly new.

[UberMeister]

Clio 182 would give you Fiesta ST performance at a fraction of the cost. You'd have to account for additional maintenance of course but you can't have your cake and eat it!

[ZX10R NIN]

PCP/Leasing costs more than buying a car including depreciation so you won't save yourself from it by going down that road, most cars depreciate some a bit slower than others but they normally start at a higher price, for example 2007 Golf GTI/Focus ST/Astra VXR with less than 50k on the clock all cost around the same money now.

If you set yourself a budget of 8k & want Leather/Cruise etc there's a lot out there also be prepared to travel because the right car is the right car.

Depreciation is something you have to accept buy the car on condition/history look after it & it will always be worth something to someone.

2015 ST-3 Fiesta 60k FSH 3 Years warranty left 10k 180bhp

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...

2007 Focus ST-3 50k FSH 225bhp

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...

2008 Facelift ST-3 48k FSH

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...

2006 Astra VXR 888 Model 1 of 100 305bhp 59k

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...

2008 VXR 50k 240bhp

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...

2007 Golf GTI DSG 42k FSH

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...

2007 Megane RS F1 41k

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2015...

2008 Mazda 3 MPS 31k

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...

2007 Type R GT 42k

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...

As you can see the choice is endless so you need to get some test drives in so you can see what suits of from the list above the facelift Focus Megane & Type R would be my picks.

Edited by ZX10R NIN on Friday 30th December 22:33