Shock horror: the 200 horsepower 145 mph Honda Civic Type-R has been left standing by its competitors. But the good news is that this only applies to the rate at which it depreciates. For while rival models shed their value like there is no tomorrow, the hot Honda loses value at a much more leisurely pace!
According to the leading used car price ‘bible’, Glass’s Guide, the Civic Type-R is actually the slowest hatchback of all when it comes to the rate at which its value drops, with one year old ’01 / Y reg examples retailing for an amazing 90% of their new cost. This low rate of depreciation betters that of all of the Civic Type-R’s direct competitors including such luminaries as the SEAT Leon 20V T Cupra, Renault Clio 172 and VW Golf GTi 2.0 – see table below.
In fact after one year’s motoring, the Civic R’s £1515 loss of value is actually less than that of popular budget hatchbacks like the Peugeot 206 1.4 LX (£1720), Vauxhall Corsa 1.2 12v Club (£2070) and VW Polo 1.4S (£1770).
According to Glass’s Guide Senior Editor, Jeff Paterson: "This is a classic example of a specialist car that is greatly in demand, combined with one that’s built to go the distance. Buyers can’t wait to get behind the wheel irrespective of whether it is a new or used example – and with Honda’s high quality and generous three year 90,000 mile warranty, they can confidently buy used".
"With depreciation the biggest single cost associated with running a car, the Civic Type-R’s excellent residuals are great news for owners. It means that the overall ownership cost is likely to be far less than might have been expected for a car of this type," he adds.
| Honda Civic Type-R | Audi S3 Quattro | MG ZR 1.8 | SEAT Leon 20V T Cupra | Renault Clio 172 | VW Golf GTi 2.0 | |
| New price* | £15,815 | £25,021 | £14,180 | £14,815 | £14,915 | £14,625 |
| Glass’s Retail 01/Y | £14,300 | £21,050 | £11,900 | £12,150 | £11,750 | £11,625 |
| Percentage of new list | 90% | 84% | 84% | 82% | 79% | 79% |
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