4 cars that appreciate in value
All cars depreciate the moment you drive it off the lot and continue to depreciate until it is scrapped. At least, that’s the rule. But every rule has exceptions. So in this article, we’ll go through some of these exceptions which buck the trend and appreciate in value. And perhaps if you’re holding on to one, you might want to consider selling your used car to us. After all, an upgrade to a new car is an upgrade!
Toyota Supra Mk 4
The symbol of Japanese high-performance cars, the Toyota Supra Mk4 is a favourite of car enthusiasts. Despite being in production for only 10 years from 1992 to 2002, the car is still widely popular. This comes from the power and sophisticated handling technology that gave drivers excellent control, be it travelling in a straight line or carving corners. On top of that, modifications to the engine could make it an even more powerful beast, reliably producing over 1,000 horsepower. A Honda Civic in comparison, can only produce about 180 horsepower.
The Supra’s presence in the Fast and Furious series cemented the car’s reputation and made it the pop culture icon of performance cars. Generations of car enthusiasts would fall in love with the car on the big screen.
All these reasons made the Toyota Supra Mk 4 highly sought-after by buyers, who would fork out large sums of money to own one. Some Supra Mk 4s go to the tune of RM500,000!
Perodua Rusa
First launched in 1996, the Perodua Rusa or “Deer” is an MPV no one would expect to make a comeback. The Rusa was sold at RM 30,500 (~RM 55,000 in 2023) at launch and Perodua’s first MPV did reasonably well, only for sales to sharply decrease after 2003 and it was discontinued in 2007.
Unexpectedly, the value of second-hand Rusas is rising today, with some and selling up to RM20,000. This coincides with the rising popularity of camping with many turning their Rusas into campervans. The main reason for the Rusas’ popularity is the easy maintenance, rear sliding doors, and even simple nostalgia.
Proton Juara
Much like the Perodua Rusa, the Proton Juara or “Champion” is experiencing a similar revival in use (and value) as camping surges in popularity. First launched in 2001, the box-like Juara was Proton’s first attempt at an MPV. It was priced at RM49,203, which in 2023 is RM79,000, roughly RM10,000 more than its replacement, the Proton Exora.
Similar to the Rusa, the Juara’s spacious interior is attractive to street vendors and campers who are willing to pay up to RM15,000 for good-condition specimens. These Juaras are then modified and personalised to suit the owner’s requirements for a campervan.
Perodua Kelisa
If you thought the Perodua Kelisa looked familiar, you’d be right! It’s actually the successor of the Perodua Kancil and a modification of the Daihatsu Mira L700 that was launched in 1998. Named after the expensive local fish, the Kelisa was launched in 2001 and is an upgrade of the Kancil, with more creature comforts and a slightly larger size. Speaking of size, the Kelisa may be a small car, but the interior is so well designed it feels spacious, which is why it became known as the Malaysian Mini.
But like the previous two cars on this list, the Kelisa saw its value slowly rise over the last few years. Buyers of second-hand Kelisas are willing to fork out more and more money for a car they claim is fuel efficient, easy to maintain, easy to park, and aesthetically pleasing. Well-maintained specimens of the Kelisa can appreciate in value and can even go for more than RM10,000. Truly, it grew into the name “Arowana”.
Bonus: Value-retaining Honda Civic
Like many Japanese cars, the Honda Civic is a reliable workhorse that can take you on your daily commute and road trips without issue. Take good care of her and she’ll do that for 20 years or more! The Civic also only sips fuel at 25km per litre. This is better than the Myvi’s 22km per litre! On top of that, being a pretty common brand in Malaysia, spare parts for the Civic are easy to come by.
These reasons are why the Honda Civic is in high demand and therefore depreciates slowly and retains up to 55% of its value in the first 10 years of ownership! So if you drive a Civic, you can be sure that your car will still be worth money should you choose to sell it down the line. Unlike the previous cars, however, the Civic is still in production, which prevents it from appreciating as it isn’t a scarce commodity.
Muscle cars generally appreciate in value. But who would have thought 3 old Malaysian cars would make this list? If you have one of these cars, you can head on over to Carro! Even if you don’t, we’ll provide quality maintenance services to ensure your car is in tip-top shape, so you can get the best value when you sell!
