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A head-in view of a 2021 Maserati Ghibli in a dimly lit room.

These Cars Have the Worst Depreciation in 2020

If you’re on the hunt for a great deal on a used car, it can almost make sense on paper to buy something that’s been hit hard by depreciation. At least until you get stuck with the first repair bill. If you plan to buy new, though, that depreciation comes right out of your pocket …

If you’re on the hunt for a great deal on a used car, it can almost make sense on paper to buy something that’s been hit hard by depreciation. At least until you get stuck with the first repair bill. If you plan to buy new, though, that depreciation comes right out of your pocket when it comes time to sell. So we say do your best to avoid buying cars that lose their value quickly.

To get a better idea of what cars have the worst depreciation, we looked at a recent study from iSeeCars. In addition to showing the cars that hold their value the best, it also has a list of the worst performers. Here are just a couple off that list.

Maserati Ghibli

We really want to like the Maserati Ghibli. It’s an exotic sport sedan, for Pete’s sake! It’s Italian! But as with many other Italian cars that look good and sound incredible, the Ghibli’s build quality tends to be lacking. And if anything breaks, the repairs can be pricey.

Because of those problems, it makes sense that the Ghibli’s resale value isn’t the best. After five years, it loses 69.0% of its value. But technically, it doesn’t have the worst resale value in the industry.

Audi A6

The Audi A6 doesn’t really have any obvious flaws that would obviously put it on this list like the Ghibli. It’s an attractive, if restrained, luxury sedan with a comfortable ride and a tech-heavy interior. And yet, it’s on the list right alongside the Ghibli.

At the same time, European luxury sedans have a reputation for losing their value quickly. So it’s not crazy that resale value would be lower than average. In this case, the A6 loses 69.0% of its value after five years.

Nissan Leaf

The Nissan Leaf stands out on this list because it’s not a luxury sedan. Instead, it’s one of the more affordable electric cars on the market. Interestingly, it’s also the only electric car in the top 10 for depreciation.

Maybe it’s because the Leaf isn’t a particularly exciting EV. Or maybe it’s because Nissan’s already sold so many since the Leaf was introduced. Either way, the Leaf loses 70.1% of its value over five years.

BMW 5 Series

With the BMW 5 Series, we get back to the trend of European luxury sedans having the worst resale value. Compared to other midsize sedans, the BMW 5 Series loses its value the fastest. And it does so while older examples continue to get more expensive.

We can’t say we were terribly impressed with the BMW 5 Series the last time we drove it. Unless you count the M5, which is an absolute rocket. Expect to lose 70.1% of what you paid over the next five years.

BMW 7 Series

If this were a different list, it might be nice to see two BMWs right next to each other at number one and number two. If you’re trying to avoid losing more money than you have to when you sell, though, that’s probably not the case. Here, it’s just unfortunate.

Even compared to other full-size luxury sedans, a segment known for absurd depreciation, the BMW 7 Series stands out as an expensive buy. If you have to have one, we were big fans of the M760i. Just be prepared to lose at least 72.6% over five years.

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