GOLDSTAR CRITERIA

Class ceiling

There is no upper limit on the price of cars eligible for Gold Star Value analysis. The fact that the money lost in three years on 2017’s biggest depreciator would buy you 19 of the winning sublight car illustrates how the figures tend to take care of themselves at the top end of town.

Depreciation

The biggest cost of ownership for most new cars. Of the 2787 cars number-crunched, Glass’s forecast three-year retained value figures ran from 29 percent ( the Great Wall V240 ute) to 73 percent (Audi TT RS and Porsche 911 Carrera and GTS).

Fuel

Annual fuel cost calculation based on ADR combined-cycle consumption figures. These aren’t real-world representative, but they let us compare cars. Annual distance travelled is the ABS Australian average of 13,716km ( 2015-16) and we used fuel prices on the day.

Real cost

It’s relatively easy to put a representative number on the three-year cost of depreciation, fuel and insurance, so the total of these running costs contributes 80 percent of a car’s score.

Our choice

If you have both eyes on the bottom line when you buy, then the car that wins its Gold Star Value categocategoryy iss thete oneoe foro you. Thanka you, good night gt and do try the fish. But if you also have a penchant for driver appeal, then our Wheels Recommends pick in each category instead represents the intersection of value and verve.

Purchase price

Most new-car buyers set out with an approximate budget in mind, so Gold Star Value is divided into price brackets. The real cost of owning the car is depreciation, which is where purchase cost is factored into our value equation.

Insurance

Annual comprehensive insurance estimates provided by Budget Direct Insurance for a 35-year-old male living in Chatswood, NSW, Rating 1 for life, clear driving history, no finance, private use and vehicle garaged at night. Estimates include 15 percent online discount.

Warranty

A seven-year warranty brings greater peace of mind than a three-year warranty, however it’s difficult to quantify the value of extra cover. It only translates into an actual money saving if something fails and it’s fixed free. Warranty accounts for 10 percent of a car’s score.

Service

The vehicle servicing score is based on frequency. A longer interval may result in less expense – and it will certainly mean less hassle – so takes the maximum 10 percent.

Total score

The addition of the real-cost score out of 80 and the warranty and service interval scores out of 10 gives a total of 100. It’s displayed in each data table and, because each car references the cheapest overall model, the decline in value working up through classes is clear in the spread of scores from more than 90 to less than 30.