Calculator
Car depreciation calculator
Depreciation is the value a car loses while you own it, and for most newer cars it is the largest single cost of ownership. 73 Auto's depreciation calculator estimates it for one specific UK car from its registration: it identifies the exact model and generation, estimates what the car is worth today from UK asking prices for comparable cars, then projects that value year by year over your ownership period at your annual mileage. Every estimate carries a confidence level, from high down to very low.
Published 2026-09-28 · Publisher: 73 Auto
Estimate your car's depreciation
Enter a UK registration and how long you plan to keep the car. Depreciation is one line of the full ownership cost report. Your first check is free and shows the vehicle summary and its headline ownership cost. The category-by-category breakdown is part of a paid check.
UK number plate or 17-character VIN
How the estimate is built
- Identify the car. Make from DVLA, model from the car's DVSA MOT record, resolved to model family, generation and, where the records allow it, derivative, so that a high-performance version isn't priced as the entry-level one.
- Estimate today's value. From UK retail asking prices for comparable cars, adjusted to this car's age and mileage. Where there are few exact comparables, closely related cars (other derivatives of the same generation) are scaled by their launch prices, and a calibrated age curve for the car's segment fills the gap. More direct evidence gets more weight.
- Project it forward. Year by year over your ownership period, not one fixed percentage: from the model's own age curve where there are enough listings, otherwise from the segment's curve, adjusted for your annual mileage against typical mileage.
- Depreciation = today's value − value at the end. Spread over the years you own it for the annual figure.
Confidence levels
The report says how much evidence sits behind each depreciation figure.
| Confidence | When it applies |
|---|---|
| High or medium | Enough UK listings of comparable cars (same model, generation and, where it matters, derivative) that agree with each other. |
| Low | Limited but real market evidence: at least one listing of the same generation and body, combined with the model’s launch price and typical age curve. |
| Very low | No vehicle-specific market evidence, typically rare, old or specialist cars. The estimate rests on launch price and segment curves, and is labelled as such. |
What changes how fast a car depreciates
- Age. Value falls fastest in the first years and more slowly after, so a used car usually loses less each year than a new one.
- Mileage. Higher annual mileage lowers the value at the end of your ownership.
- The exact model, generation and version. Two cars with the same badge can hold their value very differently.
- Collector interest. Some older and specialist cars stop losing value. The estimate only ever shows a car gaining value when the market evidence is strong; otherwise it is capped at no change.
What the depreciation figure is based on
| Input | Where it comes from | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Make, first registration, fuel type | DVLA vehicle record | Official data |
| Model | The car’s DVSA MOT history | Official data |
| Comparable cars’ asking prices | UK retail listings from sources whose terms and robots rules permit it | 73 Auto estimate |
| Launch prices and segment age curves | 73 Auto reference data, calibrated on UK listings | 73 Auto estimate |
| Annual mileage and ownership period | What you enter, or standard UK assumptions | Your input |
Full detail on every source is on the data sources page, and how each category is calculated is on the methodology page.
Common questions
Is this a valuation or a trade-in price?
No. Values are based on retail asking prices, not sold prices, and don't include a dealer's margin or selling fees. A trade-in offer will usually be lower than a retail asking price. Use the figure to compare how much value different cars are likely to lose, not as an offer.
Why doesn’t this page publish depreciation statistics?
73 Auto's worked examples were calculated before the current depreciation model went live, so their depreciation lines come from the earlier, simpler age-based estimate. Publishing averages from them would present that old estimate as a market finding. Statistics will follow once the examples are recalculated under the current model.
How much value does a car lose per year?
It depends on the car, which is why the calculator starts from a registration. Newer cars generally lose the most in pounds each year and older cars the least, but the model, version and mileage move it a long way. See it in context in the ownership cost calculator.
Limitations
Depreciation is an estimate of future market value, which nobody can know in advance. Market conditions, the car's condition and history, and how and when you sell it all change what you actually get. See the methodology for how every cost category is calculated.
How 73 Auto works this out
Every category is explained in the methodology, and the data sources page lists which inputs are official data and which are 73 Auto estimates. How pages are written and kept up to date is set out in the editorial policy; to report a factual error, see corrections.
Related guides
- Used car cost calculatorWhat a used car is likely to cost to own, before you buy it.
- Car ownership cost calculatorThe full cost of owning one specific car, from its registration.
- Car insurance costWhat drives a premium, and how 73 Auto estimates one with a range.
- MethodologyHow each cost category is estimated.