Is It Profitable To Buy A New Car On The Verge Of A Crisis

2023 Author: Natalie MacDonald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-11-26 13:59

The consequences of all economic crises in Russia are the same: the rise in exchange rates, the depreciation of the ruble and the inevitable rise in prices for everything. At such a time, we try to spend our savings wisely and make those purchases that we have not dared to make for a long time: electronics, household appliances or a car. Auto.ru analysts have found out whether there is any point in buying a new car before the onset of the crisis or is it worth postponing such an acquisition until better times?

The study included seven popular models that were sold new in 2014 and 2017. We compared how much these cars lost in price after 3 years, based on the average price at the time of sale on Automotive News. It turned out that buying cars on the eve of the crisis is really profitable.

Cars purchased before the revision of price lists after a sharp rise in the dollar and euro exchange rates in 2014 lost an average of about 9% in price over the three years of ownership. The same models, purchased in 2017, when exchange rates were fixed, have fallen in price by 17% to date.

Only SkodOctavia stands out from the general picture, but there is an explanation for this: in 2017, an updated Octavia appeared on the Russian market, which sharply reduced prices for the pre-styling model. A similar situation is observed now: on the eve of the start of sales of the fourth-generation liftback, the current version of the model drops in price.

The record low loss of value from the French Renault Logan is explained by the large number of budget trim levels sold in 2014 - they are falling in price more slowly than expensive versions. In addition, in that year, dealers still offered the first generation Logans, while in 2017 only new sedans remained on the market, which significantly increased in price.

The conclusion is simple: cars purchased on the eve of the crisis lose less in price, because after the inevitable rise in price of new cars, used cars are added to the value. As a result, after a few years of ownership, the difference between the “pre-crisis” price of a new car and the average price on the secondary market will be less than that of a car bought in a “stable” time.