This is exactly why I decided to spend money making my X1 the car I had always wanted. I was just not prepared to accept this level of depreciation.
It appears to me that the motor industry is still living in the era of 'the company car' where business's can recover the 20% VAT and depreciate the vehical for tax purposes. The car manufacturers certainly seems to have 'forgotten' the finacial impact on the private purchaser who has neither of these options available to reduce the cost of ownership. Loyalty to private purchasers? Hmmm
. They also seem to forget that 'a private purchaser' probably also 'works' for an organisation and perhaps may have some influence on policy.......then of couse there are blogs and social networking sites that can have a major impact on a brand. The world has changed in the last few years and the car manufacturers marketing has not caught up yet!
The financial 'optics' are all wrong, once you start seeing almost 50% depreciation when a car is low mileage, great condition, and two years old and the car cost £40,000 when new. it now makes more sense to keep the vehical and buy a second low mileage model or alternatively invest the £20000 (and hopefully grow it) and keep the car for five to six years. Will I be buying new again? Probably not unless it's something very special that I have no intention of selling at some point.