📉 Car Depreciation Calculator
What will this car be worth later?
Depreciation is the largest cost of owning most cars and the only one that never sends a bill. It arrives all at once, at the trade-in, several years after the decision that caused it. This projects it year by year so the decision can be made with the number in view.
Figures reviewed September 2026. Free, no signup, nothing stored on our servers.
What this means
The annual figure is a real cost even though no money leaves your account. A car worth €25,000 that will be worth €13,000 in five years has cost €2,400 a year in value alone, before a litre of fuel.
The shape matters more than the total. Depreciation is steepest in the first two years and flattens steadily after that, which is why a three-year-old car is so much cheaper to own than a new one — somebody else has already absorbed the expensive part.
Per kilometre is the number that makes the trade-off concrete. A car driven 5,000 kilometres a year loses roughly as much value as one driven 20,000, so the depreciation per kilometre is four times higher. Low-mileage motoring is expensive motoring.
What affects the result
- Age. The first two years account for a disproportionate share of the total loss.
- Mileage. Well above the Irish average accelerates it; well below slows it, though not proportionately.
- How desirable the model is in the Irish used market, which can override everything else here.
- Condition, service history and number of previous owners.
- Fuel type. Used EV values have moved faster than combustion cars as range and technology improved.
- Supply. Periods of constrained new-car supply have historically supported used values well above trend.
What will this car be worth later?
Using this before you buy
Work out what the car you are considering will be worth when you expect to change it, and treat the difference as part of the purchase price. Two cars with the same sticker price can differ by thousands over four years on depreciation alone, and that difference is invisible at the point of sale.
Where it fits
Depreciation is one line in the true cost of running a car, and usually the largest. It also sets what a PCP’s GMFV is worth against reality — the finance comparison uses your expected end value for exactly that reason. To start from a realistic figure, get a valuation first.
Important assumptions
Every figure on this page rests on these. Where one does not match your situation, the answer moves — sometimes a great deal.
- Declining-balance depreciation with a rate that falls with age: roughly 20% in year one from new, tapering to single digits on older cars.
- A mileage adjustment relative to about 17,000 km a year, which is around the Irish average.
- An additional allowance applied to electric cars under six years old, reflecting how used EV values have behaved rather than any published figure.
- These are market patterns rather than published statistics. No Irish body publishes depreciation rates by model.
- Specific models can and do deviate substantially in both directions.
Official sources
Where this tool applies a published rule, this is where the rule comes from. Check the source before acting on anything that matters.
- CheckIreland car valuation
An estimated current Irish market value for a specific make, model, year and mileage — the right starting figure for this projection.
- CSO — Transport statistics
Official Irish vehicle licensing and mileage data.
Common questions
How much does a new car lose in the first year in Ireland?
Commonly in the region of 15–20% of its value, with the steepest part happening the moment it is registered. Models in short supply have at times held value far better than that, and models the market has turned against have done considerably worse.
Is it better to buy a used car?
On depreciation alone, usually yes — a three-year-old car has already taken the steepest part of the fall. Set that against a shorter remaining warranty, an unknown service history and potentially higher maintenance. The true cost calculator puts both sides of that together.
Do electric cars depreciate faster in Ireland?
Used EV values have generally fallen faster than comparable combustion cars, as improving range and falling new prices reduced what an older model is worth. That pattern is not guaranteed to continue, and the tool adds an allowance for it rather than treating it as a fixed rate.
Does mileage matter more than age?
Both matter and they compound. A five-year-old car with 200,000 kilometres is worth far less than the same car with 60,000. Below about 17,000 kilometres a year, age becomes the dominant factor.
What to check next
Is this car worth the money?
An estimated Irish market value from make, model, year and mileage.
Car ValuationNewWhat is my car actually costing me?
Depreciation, fuel, insurance, tax, servicing and tyres as one annual figure and a cost per kilometre.
Car True Cost CalculatorNewWhat is the cheapest way to pay for this car?
Three ways of buying the same car, compared on total cost rather than monthly payment.
PCP vs HP vs CashNewWould an EV actually save me money?
Both cars costed over the years you will keep them, at your mileage and your electricity price.
EV vs Petrol or DieselNext steps across CheckIreland
Picked for what you just worked out — not a list of everything we make.
CheckIreland is independent and is not affiliated with the Irish Government or any public body. This tool is general information built on published rules and typical costs — it is not financial, tax or legal advice, and it does not account for your individual circumstances. Confirm anything that matters with the relevant body or a qualified adviser before acting on it.