What it does
A new vehicle loses value the moment you drive it away, and for most owners that loss is bigger than fuel or repairs. This tool shows what your car, two-wheeler or truck may be worth after each year, how much you lose in total, per year, per month and per kilometre.
Use it before you buy, to compare a new vehicle with a used one, or before you sell. For the finance side use car loan, to compare owning with leasing use lease or buy, and for other assets use depreciation.
How to use it
- Choose the vehicle and type the price you pay.
- Type the years you plan to keep it.
- Pick a method: the same percent every year, or the typical curve, where each year has its own percent.
- Optionally enter the kilometres you drive a year to see the loss per km.
What each setting does
- Same percent each year: every year loses that share of what it was worth at the start of the year, so the loss shrinks in money terms.
- Typical curve: a rough shape with a big first-year drop that flattens out. Every year is editable.
- Km you drive a year, typical km, extra loss: driving more than typical makes the vehicle worth less. For each 10,000 km a year above typical, the yearly loss goes up by the points you set (1 by default). Leave the km empty to ignore this.
Worked example
A vehicle costs 20,000 and loses 15% a year. After one year it is worth 17,000, after two 14,450 and after three 12,282.50. You have lost 7,717.50, about 2,572.50 a year. At 15,000 km a year over 3 years (45,000 km) that is roughly 0.17 per km.
FAQs
Is this what a dealer will pay me? No. It is an estimate. Condition, colour, service history and demand change real prices, so check adverts for the same model.
Why is the first year so big? Buyers pay a premium for new. A one-year-old vehicle is already used, even with few kilometres.
Do two-wheelers and trucks lose value the same way? The shapes differ a little, so the typical curve changes with the vehicle you pick. The numbers are rough; edit them.
Not financial advice.
Where the numbers come from
- Declining-balance method: value after a year = last year's value x (1 - rate). The typical year-by-year curves are rough round numbers for illustration (estimate), not data from any maker or market; change them to match prices you see for the same model. The extra loss for high mileage is a simple rule of thumb you can edit. Drawings are fibub's own.
Standard scientific values, such as constants, atomic weights and melting points, are facts found in every textbook; we name where ours were checked. If you are an author or publisher and want a value, a credit or a table changed or removed, tell us and we will act quickly.
Last updated 2026-11-10.