MINI maximises your money

If you're looking for the best performing car for retained value then you need to seek out a MINI 1.4 diesel. The diminutive Brit has topped a chart of slow depreciating cars carried out by used car price experts EurotaxGlass's.

It's the second year running that the MINI has topped the league tables for residual values, the MINI currently boasting an average trade-in value of 63.2% after three years and 37,000 miles. That's better than any other used car on sale, but even the mighty MINI's retained value isn't immune to the effects of the current economic downturn - its peak value in 2007 was 71%, or around £600 more.

Helping keep the MINI at the top of the residual value charts are a strong image, sensible running costs and perceived high quality. Underlining the fact that small cars have big used appeal is the positioning of the Citroen C1/Toyota Aygo/Peugeot 107 under the MINI, making up three more places in the top five.

The rest of the chart is a strange mix of sensible, small and economical cars and wildly expensive and exotic supercars. Among the ten best performers for retained value the Ferrari F430 takes third position at 60.9%, while the Lamborghini Murcielago manages eighth position at 55.2% - though that means it'll still have dropped around £80,000 over three years.

At the other end of the scale EurotaxGlass's also reveals the worst performing cars for retained value. Older cars feature heavily in the line-up, so it's perhaps best to avoid buying a car at the end of its lifecycle.

That's demonstrated very well by the Alfa 166's top spot; the big Italian saloon is only worth 12% of its original 2005 list price today. It's followed by a handful of Rovers, Saab's 9-5 and the Kia Magentis in the bottom five.

That might not be good news for owners hoping for a decent trade in price but it is perfect for bargain hunters as these cars will have plenty of life left in them. Their value shouldn't drop much further either, making them ideal transport for cost-conscious motorists.

Kyle Fortune