Take care with options

Oct 7 2009 Maurice Glover

Take care with options

MONEY spent on some of the latest high-tech gadgetry is likely to end up wasted, according to car valuation experts.

Advanced features like radar cruise control and night vision can suffer massive drops in value, warns Glass' Guide.

Radar cruise control costing around £1,750 and night vision priced at an average £1,250 are each worth only £250 to the trade-in value of a car after only 12 months.

'Many of the most costly items of optional high-tech equipment currently available on new prestige-brand cars are worth very little on the used market," says Richard Crosthwaite, prestige car editor at GlassGuide.co.uk.

'Often the options that retain their value best, as well as improve the overall saleability of the vehicle, are those that enhance the aesthetic appeal of the car.

'Investing in a manufacturer-fit styling upgrade is often very worthwhile, as it can return more than 100 per cent of its original cost. For example, a one-year-old BMW 325i with an optional M Sport pack is currently worth £3,500 more than a standard 325i of the same age, even though the pack itself would have added only £2,500 to the list price.'

Mr Crosthwaite says specifying larger wheels can also enhance the desirability and value of a prestige car.

'Opting for 20-inch alloy wheels in preference to the standard-fit 19-inch items on a BMW 330i coupe will add £1,000 to the value of a one-year-old example,' he says.

Underlining the fact that used car buyers are not necessarily attracted by the latest high-tech gadgets, he reports a sustained improvement in the retained value of sunroofs over recent months and says used car buyers have growing expectations about the equipment that will be fitted to a prestige-brand car.

'On larger models, items such as Bluetooth, park distance control and sat nav are increasingly regarded as essential to secure a sale on the used market," adds Mr Crosthwaite. Buyers of smaller prestige cars are still willing to pay extra for these options - a one-year-old Audi A3 or BMW 1 Series specified with park distance control, Bluetooth and a sunroof would currently draw a premium of between £500 and £1,000.'