Depreciation

[colbecoz]

Well, I bought my 51 plate IS200 just under 2 years ago now. I love it to bits, but am gutted at what I see is over the top depreciation. I bought it for £10,000 (- £1500 trade in for my Volvo S40). I was told that they didn't depreciate the same way as Fords etc. Now I see prices as low as £3500-£4000 for similar cars. My baby is immaculate, FSH etc and treated with great respect, so, not happy about value. Anyone any thoughts on this??

Col...

[Steviewevie]

It's the way of the world, I'm afraid. It's not just Lexus, it's the whole car market. And bear in mind that the depreciation is only on paper until you actually come to sell it. And even then, the cost of a replacement car will similarly have plummeted, so actually your cost to change car may well not have changed much to if your car had depreciated a lot less !

[Rory]

although £10k 2 years ago for a 51 seems a little high to begin with...?

[Parthiban]

As Rory says I think you paid a little too much for it in the first place, but having said that I was offered £4.5-5k as p/ex for my '02' IS200 and I'm pretty sure they'd stick it on their forecourt at £7k so both valuations are a bit off (although mine is an auto which seem to be more popular at the moment)

[aztecbandit1]

Our red 02 plate sport went Friday for £4000 and i was offered £4050 for my 2000 sport a few weeks before which i found odd? the dealer where the red one went was saying the book price for a 02 plate sport in good condition with fsh etc was £3500?

[colbecoz]

Ah well, I'm off out to the garden to burn another few thousand squidlies in the barbeque. Might as well, as I've thrown my money away anyhow. Oh dear, do I sound like Victor Meldrew...

Victor,... oops sorry, Col...

[Parthiban]

No need to worry about it though, the way I see it, I've got a great car that doesn't need replacement in a hurry, so don't worry about it's value and just enjoy it! :D

[Ally]

No need to worry about it though, the way I see it, I've got a great car that doesn't need replacement in a hurry, so don't worry about it's value and just enjoy it! :D

Well said. Depreciation only matters if you are going to sell it. If you're not, just enjoy it :)

[reganlives]

Its not just the fact of depreciation that needs to be considered these days tbh...its the economy. With the current state of the economy, people are more out of pocket and therefore got less money available to spend on cars so therefore its had a knock on affect on car sales. People are struggling to sell cars so are therefore having to reduce prices which to us that are normally up to date with prices think that its depreciation when in one sense its all interrelated. Put it this way, my civic has been up for sale for ages now and I aint had any interest at all, and its a civic out of all cars tho, one of the main cars that people normally flock towards. I bought my IS200 in august and as it was a project was only put on the road at the start of march. When I look at it on a whole, the amount the car has set me back, fair enough it was cheap considering the mileage etc, I think I may have been able to get a minter for a similar price now at this moment in time the way the prices have dropped since I put it on the road.

On the other hand...I'm really enjoying my car and even tho it may now look like its cost me only a fraction less than the price of a minter, I cant complain and I think I'll be keeping it for a while. I just love the amount of standard equipment :)

[gozzyis200]

I sadly work in the motor trade for a Honda dealer where I bought my 04/04 le for 5700 in Nov 08. Then it proceeded to loose 1k a month glasses guide for 2 month the value has now stabalised a bit but the is200 really tooka kicking in the guides especislly with all that 400 a year yax carry on last year.

I agree that 10k for 51 was a bit rich 2 yr ago mind. just keep a hold of it best way untill it will do no more.

[ibby]

i bought my 99 lexus for 4.5k

now its worth 3k

maybe less.

[The Gill]

I purchased my IS200 SE Auto on a 03 plate back in 2006 for £9,600 with 50,000 on the clock. It was mint with the 18" & the aero kit. I`ve now been offered £4,500 (a general part ex enquiry against a Jag) and i`ve only done 10,000 miles in it. There isn`t any thing else that really appeals to me at the mo & as said previously, you`ll notice the depreciation more noticable only if your going to sell your Lexus. I don`t plan on parting with mine for ages yet, still got loads more miles in it, therefore ain`t going to worry about losing money on it, just gonna enjoy loads more.

[Steviewevie]

As I said before, even if you did sell the Lex then prices of other cars have fallen too, so there really isn't a big problem (just a psychological one ?).

[Ladies_Love_Lex]

Bought my IS300 with Aeropack and 18" wheels sat nav etc exactly one year ago yesterday for £8500 (part exd a 55 plate bubble Nissan micra against it)... It sickens me to see how much they are worth now....

2nd hand cars do seem to be going up more now though because no one is buying new cars so 2nd hand ones are selling better.

Who knows how much it will fetch by the time i want to get rid of it! :(

[ormi]

we have 4 sales men in the work(toyota)each has a selling target of 12 cars a month all the sales men are on target and the amount of people buying new cars is amazin. 70% of cars going out the door are brand new and i'm sick of pdi'n them(pre delivery inspection)

i bought my is200 sport a year ago for £4500 fsh,80,000miles,every bill from new and one owner from new.dont care if its only worth a penny now its amazing to drive!and still looks like new.

[kenfoxy]

Car sales you are talking about does not surprise me. I have never seen so many 09 cars on the road. Many are premium brands. It makes me wonder if this credit crunch thing actually exists or whether we are all being conned to believe there is. Could it be that businesses are not buying fleet cars because of credit issues. As it's the biggest sector it will most affect total car sales.

[kam05]

I bought my Oct 2000 regd. IS200(SE) in March 2003. Paid £13k- had 40,000 miles on the clock.

Its not worth much now (probably worth nothing to a dealer) its almost 9 years old with nearly 120,000 miles on the clock. It is used for personal/business use. Mechanically/Bodywork it is in excellant condition (could pass off as a 5 year old motor). Since now its worth next to nothing I have decided to keep my IS200 until its dead and then send it off to the scrappers.

Depreciation only matters if you are selling a car as said.

The govt. can keep its £2000 scrappage allowance, I'm sticking with my trusty 9 year old IS200! I might get a £2000 allowance to buy a new car, but where do I find the other £8000 needed to buy a new car? The bank that likes to say YES now says NO!!!

[janet]

Yep, that £2000 scrappage (horrible word) allowance.....will evaporate as soon as you drive the new motor out of the dealers door....at least.....with the prospect of a 50 mph limit, and the costs of changing then if you've got a decent car then hang on to it ! Our other car (also Jap and newer) has been in and out for bodywork and all sorts.

I aim to keep her tidy, unmolested (unless the wheels get tooooo bad), and well maintained, and I honestly believe good 200/300's will be regarded as classics soon, and will be desirable due to reputation in the classics 'world'. In a 50mph/20mph 'supermini' future then maybe they will have cult status...and no I didn't misspell that !!..well thats my optimistic post for this year..............perhaps i should have started a new thread headed 'future classic?'

[colbecoz]

You guys (and ladies) have made me feel a whole heap better. Ta a mega lot. I'm much more settled now..

Col... :winky: :) :) :)

Yep, that £2000 scrappage (horrible word) allowance.....will evaporate as soon as you drive the new motor out of the dealers door....at least.....with the prospect of a 50 mph limit, and the costs of changing then if you've got a decent car then hang on to it ! Our other car (also Jap and newer) has been in and out for bodywork and all sorts.

I aim to keep her tidy, unmolested (unless the wheels get tooooo bad), and well maintained, and I honestly believe good 200/300's will be regarded as classics soon, and will be desirable due to reputation in the classics 'world'. In a 50mph/20mph 'supermini' future then maybe they will have cult status...and no I didn't misspell that !!..well thats my optimistic post for this year..............perhaps i should have started a new thread headed 'future classic?'

[chrisis200]

The govt. can keep its £2000 scrappage allowance, I'm sticking with my trusty 9 year old IS200! I might get a £2000 allowance to buy a new car, but where do I find the other £8000 needed to buy a new car? The bank that likes to say YES now says NO!!!

Very true I thought great at first, but then you know somehow the new cars will go up 2k ;)

[doog442]

the longer you keep it the less you have lost

these things would appear to last :winky:

[Steviewevie]

The government is only paying half of that £2K scrappage allowance, the car manufacturer has to finance the other half. So it's a bit of a nonsense really.

[The Gill]

the longer you keep it the less you have lost

these things would appear to last :winky:

Very true!!!

[colbecoz]

As usual, the government are more than economical with the truth... (bunch of flekin liars really). Think you have to be a bit of a crook to be a politician... LOL

Col.. :winky:

The government is only paying half of that £2K scrappage allowance, the car manufacturer has to finance the other half. So it's a bit of a nonsense really.

[Yeldarb]

Car sales you are talking about does not surprise me. I have never seen so many 09 cars on the road. Many are premium brands. It makes me wonder if this credit crunch thing actually exists or whether we are all being conned to believe there is. Could it be that businesses are not buying fleet cars because of credit issues. As it's the biggest sector it will most affect total car sales.

Well my brother just took delivery of his Audi A4 convertible, and his wife an Audi S3 both company cars. He doees work for IBM though so they are big enough to ride this climate.