The minute you drive your brand-new car off the dealer lot, it starts to depreciate, or lose value. The rate at which it depreciates depends on a number of factors, and eventually determines how much the car will be worth when it comes time to sell or trade it in for something else in a couple of years.
For used car buyers, cars with high depreciation rates make for great secondhand buys. Since the cars haven't held their value as well, they're often priced below similar competitors.
Automotive research site iSeeCars.com published a new study this week, detailing the current 10 best bargains on lightly used vehicles. While the average vehicle depreciation rate is 38.2% after three years, these vehicles have depreciated as much as 55% in the same amount of time. iSeeCars.com also details the best used car bargains under $20,000, as well as specific categories for SUVs, pickup trucks and electric vehicles.
If you're looking for a solid secondhand buy, one of these might just be up your alley.
Acura RLX
Depreciation rate: 55.8%
Average three-year-old price: $28,259
Lincoln MKZ and MKZ Hybrid
Depreciation rates: 55.6%, 54.5%
Average three-year-old prices: $19,855, $20,034
Mercedes-Benz E-Class
Depreciation rate: 55.4%
Average three-year-old price: $31,051
Jaguar XF
Depreciation rate: 54.8%
Average three-year-old price: $30,268
Cadillac XTS
Depreciation rate: 54.5%
Average three-year-old price: $26,306
Kia K900
Depreciation rate: 54.4%
Average three-year-old price: $26,522
BMW 5 Series
Depreciation rate: 53.8%
Average three-year-old price: $30,203
Cadillac CTS
Depreciation rate: 53.8%
Average three-year-old price: $26,785
Audi A6
Depreciation rate: 53.3%
Average three-year-old price: $29,941