Big off roaders going cheap

Sep 1 2008 Matt Tumbridge

Big off roaders going cheap

LAND Rover announced last week that it was cutting production by a day a week, although it also sought to comfort employees that redundancies were not planned.

The price of fuel, road tax changes and credit crunch worries mean there is a marked decline in demand for the big 4x4s and some are concerned about their off-roaders depreciating heavily.

Others are hoping for the opportunity to pick up a bargain 4x4, whose running costs can be offset by the huge saving on the purchase price.

With the uncertain market, there are no rules of thumb for avoiding heavy losses. Consumers really need to do their homework at the moment if they want to play depreciation to their advantage. Here are three two year old cars that have suffered heavy losses, so make sense to buy.

Mitsubishi Outlander 2.4 (Petrol)

A relatively small/light 4x4 for people wanting an alternative to the Chrysler Jeep. Mitsubishis come with lots of gadgets and excellent reliability.

Most economical: 2.4 - 30.4mpg

Used Car Expert price guide: A 2006 2.4 with 20,000 miles can be found for as little as £9,000. Loss over two years - 60 per cent.

Audi Q7 4.2 FSI (Petrol)

Not just for posing, it's a proper off roader and a huge one at that. Clever seven seater that is expensive to buy and run so no bargains. Interior space surprisingly small.

Most economical: 4.2 - 21.2mpg

Used Car Expert price guide: A 2006 4.2 with 14,000 miles can be found for as little as £32,000. Loss over two years - 38 per cent.

Jeep Grand Cherokee 3.0 CRD (Diesel)

Huge 4x4 that is also big on value with an excellent standard kit list. Doesn't seat as many as you would think, not great on the road and feels a bit cheap. That said, you get more for your money than rival monsters.

Most economical: 3.0 - 27.7mpg

Used Car Expert price guide: A 2006 3.0 with 17,000 miles can be found for as little as £16,000. Loss over 2 years - 37 per cent.