Source: Motorpress / True Price
Which mid-sized SUV has the best resale value?
The Mercedes-Benz GLC is famous its comfort, the Audi Q5 is a benchmark when it comes to refinement, the Volvo XC60 is synonymous with safety, the Jaguar F-Pace is spacious and handles well while the BMW X3 is a technological wunderkind.
Then we calculated the actual price achieved on auction as a percentage of the original list price.
The answer, according to Darryl Jacobson, managing director of True Price, is the Audi Q5 – but only just! “It beat the Mercedes-Benz GLC by a fraction; there’s hardly anything in it,” he reveals.
His findings are based on an analysis of True Price data. In order to provide motorists with realistic (and free) vehicle evaluations, the True Price team attends hundreds of bank repossession auctions each year. They document each and every price paid on auction, and so the True Price database contains the actual prices paid on thousands of individual vehicle auctions.
Jacobson has analysed this data. “Then we calculated the actual price achieved on auction as a percentage of the original list price. The Q5 is the winner when it comes to resale values, but the GLC is hot on its heels,” he explains.
The Q5 achieved 70.68%, which is a very good score. “Personally, I love its looks. When I observe auctions, I see that it appeals to private buyers – especially younger and more affluent motorists. They tell me that they love its styling. It is a practical vehicle too. For instance, it has lots of space in the interior and luggage compartment. In fact, if you fold down the rear seats, the boot capacity of the Q5 grows to 1 550 litres,” he notes.
The Mercedes-Benz – with a score of 70.65% – is also a great buy. According to Jacobson, it always attracts a great deal of attention on auction. “It remains a status symbol for buyers and it has universal appeal. The engine is impressive, as is the amount of interior space. Dynamically, it’s a very good vehicle too. And, if you snap one up on a bank repossession auction, what a pleasure!” he comments.
The third place on the list of SUVs with the best resale value goes to the BMW X3. According to Jacobson, the X3 offers terrific ride and handling, the interior is extremely well equipped, and it ticks all the boxes when it comes to technology. “It is very popular with the mom’s soccer team lift club; buyers like the fact that it is large and spacious but not too large to manoeuvre around town. It’s especially appealing to buyers when the Motor Plan is still intact,” he comments.
Number four on the list of mid-sized SUVs with the best resale value is the Jaguar F-Pace which, according to Jacobson, is a magnificent looking vehicle that is both stylish and elegant. “This is a very refined vehicle with a great infotainment system, a superb design and brilliant handling. Having said this, while it’s a real looker, the buyers on auction have become very price conscious. This is especially the case when it comes to dealers. Probably, thanks to the number of specials that are running during the year (on the part of the original equipment manufacturer and its dealer network), the trade buyers find it difficult to establish a selling price once they enter the used car arena with a Jaguar,” explains Jacobson.
Fifth place goes to Volvo’s XC60, which is a solid and safe mid-sized SUV. “The XC60 was named World Car of the Year in 2018 and, given its many attributes, it certainly deserved this accolade. The jurors commented on its industry-leading level of design inside and out, its high-class materials, great driveability and segment-winning safety features. This means that it’s an exceptional SUV. However, when it comes up on auction, even though it has all the bells and whistles, it has a limited appeal when up against the Audi and Mercedes-Benz,” Jacobson reveals.
South Africans requiring free vehicle evaluations can get them at www.trueprice.co.za
RESALE VALUES: MID-SIZED SUVS
RANKING
VEHICLE
PERCENTAGE
1
Audi Q5
70.68%
2
Mercedes-Benz GLC
70.65%
3
BMW X3
61.55%
4
Jaguar F-Pace
59.86%
5
Volvo XC60
54.88%
The data pertains to vehicles that have done a maximum of 150 000 km. They were registered in 2016 to 2019 (both years inclusive).
His findings are based on an analysis of True Price data. In order to provide motorists with realistic (and free) vehicle evaluations, the True Price team attends hundreds of bank repossession auctions each year. They document each and every price paid on auction, and so the True Price database contains the actual prices paid on thousands of individual vehicle auctions.
Jacobson has analysed this data. “Then we calculated the actual price achieved on auction as a percentage of the original list price. The Q5 is the winner when it comes to resale values, but the GLC is hot on its heels,” he explains.
The Q5 achieved 70.68%, which is a very good score. “Personally, I love its looks. When I observe auctions, I see that it appeals to private buyers – especially younger and more affluent motorists. They tell me that they love its styling. It is a practical vehicle too. For instance, it has lots of space in the interior and luggage compartment. In fact, if you fold down the rear seats, the boot capacity of the Q5 grows to 1 550 litres,” he notes.
The Mercedes-Benz – with a score of 70.65% – is also a great buy. According to Jacobson, it always attracts a great deal of attention on auction. “It remains a status symbol for buyers and it has universal appeal. The engine is impressive, as is the amount of interior space. Dynamically, it’s a very good vehicle too. And, if you snap one up on a bank repossession auction, what a pleasure!” he comments.
The third place on the list of SUVs with the best resale value goes to the BMW X3. According to Jacobson, the X3 offers terrific ride and handling, the interior is extremely well equipped, and it ticks all the boxes when it comes to technology. “It is very popular with the mom’s soccer team lift club; buyers like the fact that it is large and spacious but not too large to manoeuvre around town. It’s especially appealing to buyers when the Motor Plan is still intact,” he comments.
Number four on the list of mid-sized SUVs with the best resale value is the Jaguar F-Pace which, according to Jacobson, is a magnificent looking vehicle that is both stylish and elegant. “This is a very refined vehicle with a great infotainment system, a superb design and brilliant handling. Having said this, while it’s a real looker, the buyers on auction have become very price conscious. This is especially the case when it comes to dealers. Probably, thanks to the number of specials that are running during the year (on the part of the original equipment manufacturer and its dealer network), the trade buyers find it difficult to establish a selling price once they enter the used car arena with a Jaguar,” explains Jacobson.
Fifth place goes to Volvo’s XC60, which is a solid and safe mid-sized SUV. “The XC60 was named World Car of the Year in 2018 and, given its many attributes, it certainly deserved this accolade. The jurors commented on its industry-leading level of design inside and out, its high-class materials, great driveability and segment-winning safety features. This means that it’s an exceptional SUV. However, when it comes up on auction, even though it has all the bells and whistles, it has a limited appeal when up against the Audi and Mercedes-Benz,” Jacobson reveals.
South Africans requiring free vehicle evaluations can get them at www.trueprice.co.za
RESALE VALUES: MID-SIZED SUVS
RANKING
VEHICLE
PERCENTAGE
1
Audi Q5
70.68%
2
Mercedes-Benz GLC
70.65%
3
BMW X3
61.55%
4
Jaguar F-Pace
59.86%
5
Volvo XC60
54.88%
The data pertains to vehicles that have done a maximum of 150 000 km. They were registered in 2016 to 2019 (both years inclusive).
Fifth place goes to Volvo’s XC60, which is a solid and safe mid-sized SUV.
The third place on the list of SUVs with the best resale value goes to the BMW X3