How the used-value estimate works
Every figure on this site starts from a price a manufacturer or official distributor actually published. The used-value tool is no different: it does not scrape classifieds or guess from asking prices. It takes the official new price of the exact model year and models how much of it a car of that age, brand, mileage and condition typically keeps.
1. Start from the official new price
For the model year you choose we use the official price of the trim you select, or, for "any trim", the cheapest and dearest published trims to give a band. If a price was never published, we say so and give no estimate — a number built on nothing is worse than a gap.
2. Apply the age curve
Depreciation is steep in the first year and flattens after five. Our baseline share of new price retained, by age:
| Age (years) | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retained | 88% | 79% | 71% | 64% | 58% | 53% | 48% | 44% | 40% | 37% | 34% |
Age 0 is a car of the current model year that has already been registered. Beyond ten years the curve keeps falling gently to a floor.
3. Adjust for brand and type
The UAE market has a clear resale hierarchy. Japanese brands with strong dealer networks — Toyota and Lexus above all — hold value better than the baseline; body-on-frame off-roaders better still. Premium European brands, ultra-luxury cars, battery-electric cars and newer entrants with a thin used market depreciate faster. Each earns a small fixed nudge to the retained share, which you can see brand by brand on the market page.
4. Adjust for mileage
We anchor on 20,000 km a year, the UAE norm. Every 10,000 km above that takes 2% off; every 10,000 km below adds 1%. The total effect is capped at 15% either way. Leave mileage blank and we assume the norm for the car's age.
5. Adjust for condition
- Excellent — like new, full history, no accidents: ×1.05
- Good — clean and serviced, normal wear: ×1.00
- Fair — visible wear, minor repairs due: ×0.92
- Poor — accident history or major work needed: ×0.82
6. Quote a range, not a number
The result is a low–typical–high band. It is narrow for a young car and widens with age, because the older the car the more its individual history matters. An asking price inside the band is "fair"; below it is cheaper than we would expect; above it, dearer.
What this is not
It is not an inspection, an appraisal, or a record of what cars have actually sold for. It is a considered model, tuned for the UAE, that we refine as better evidence comes in. Treat it as a well-informed second opinion when you are looking at a listing or an offer.