Press release
Evaluation of data from more than 15 million vehicle inspections
Audi A4, Ford C-MAX and BMW Z4 come out
on top in the DEKRA Used Car Report
· New category “Discontinued Popular Models”
· Used Car Report available online and as an app
· Risks for used car buyers increase with higher mileages
Stuttgart – The Audi A4, Ford C-MAX and BMW Z4came out on top in the 2013 DEKRA Used Car Report. The Audi A4 defended the title of “Best of All Classes” as the vehicle showcasing the best properties across all mileage ranges, seeing off competition from the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and the Volvo S80/V70. The Ford C-MAX and BMW Z4 share the top spot in the “Vehicle of the Year” category with the best individual faults index. The Mercedes-Benz E-Class ranked in third here. In conducting the evaluations for the DEKRA Used Car Report, the experts filter through the results of 15 million vehicle inspections conducted in the past two years, looking for information that is relevant in evaluating used cars.
“Our Used Car Report acts as a guideline for potential used car buyers. It provides detailed information on the faults typically found in a certain model and ranks each vehicle in relation to similar models in the same market segment,” says Dr Gerd Neumann, Member of the Management Board of DEKRA Automobil GmbH, responsible for the area of testing and inspection.
The DEKRA Fault Index (DFI) has been the key figure for the evaluation since 2011. It calculates the percentage of vehicles without relevant faults in relation to the percentage of vehicles with significant faults, thus increasing the accuracy of the ranking. To calculate the DFI, the “without relevant faults” percentage value is deducted from the “with significant faults” value. This gives the faults classed as “significant” a greater weighting in the evaluation.
The special evaluation for the DEKRA Used Car Report only takes into account faults that are specific to used cars such as those in the brake system or suspension. This means that faults that occur due to inadequate maintenance by the vehicle owner, such as worn tyres and wiper blades or a first aid kit that is too old, are not factored into the statistics.
Evaluation according to vehicle class and mileage category
In order for potential used car buyers to be able to effectively compare individual models, the DEKRA experts analyse the data in a total of eight vehicle classes and three mileage categories (0 to 50,000 km; 50,001 to 100,000 km and 100,001 to 150,000 km).
As seen in previous years, passenger cars that have been driven less perform significantly better than cars with a high mileage, as one would expect. Vehicles in the mileage category up to 50,000 km have an average DEKRA Fault Index (DFI) of 83.0. In cars with 50,001 km to 100,000 km on the clock, this figure drops to 61.2. In cars that have driven between 100,001 and 150,000 km, it is only 39.1.If one looks at vehicles that demonstrated significant faults in the evaluation, their number increases as one moves up the three mileage categories from 4.8% to 11.6% and finally 19.2%.
“The risks for used car buyers tend to increase the higher the mileage. All the more helpful is the model-specific comparison provided in the DEKRA Used Car Report. The report enables potential buyers to look at faults typically associated with a particular model,” explains Dr Neumann. “In cases of doubt, people buying a used car should always seek the advice of a specialist, of course.”
In the comparison of vehicle classes, executive cars perform the best (DFI 75.0), followed by sports cars and convertibles (71.8), and off-road vehicles/SUVs (71.6). The remaining rankings are held by compact cars (67.6), medium-sized cars (66.4) and hatchbacks (64.7). In line with previous years, mini and supermini cars are at the bottom of the rankings with a DFI of 60.8.
Winners in the individual vehicle classes
The DEKRA experts name a winner in each vehicle class. Among the mini and supermini cars, the Audi A1 (with a DFI of 97.1) was the winner. The Ford Focus topped the compact cars with 97.3 and the BMW 3-series was triumphant among the medium-sized cars with 97.1. The Mercedes-Benz E-Class defended the top spot in the executive category with 97.4.It was the BMW Z4 that claimed the winning spot among the sports cars with 97.7.The BMW X1 triumphed in the off-road vehicles/SUV class with 96.2 and the Ford C-MAX held the best overall DFI among the hatchbacks with 97.7.
This is the third year that the DEKRA Used Car Report has provided a faults index for vans. The winners from the previous years retained their positions: the VW Crafter DMI remained at the top with 77.6, followed by the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter (73.6). In third place this year was the Peugeot Boxer (71.2).The van class is lagging significantly behind all passenger car classes with an average DFI of 42.6.
Winners in the overall evaluation
The DEKRA title “Vehicle of the Year” went jointly to the BMW Z4 and Ford C-MAX, which both received the best individual ranking in the Used Car Report with the same DFI value of 97.7. The Audi A4 came top in the “Best of All Classes” evaluation for the second time running with 87.4. The top of this category features models that achieve the best evaluation results on average in all three mileage categories. The Mercedes-Benz C-Class (86.7) has moved up from third to second place. The new third-place winner is the Volvo S80/V70 with 86.3.
“The ‘Best of All Classes’ ranking factors in the usage period from 0 to 150,000 km. This generates a reliable result over longer mileages,” explains DEKRA Managing Director Dr Gerd Neumann.
German manufacturers triumphant in all vehicle classes
The DEKRA Used Car Report shows once again that German automotive manufacturers are setting the benchmark in terms of reliability and quality. Cars produced in Germany are the winners in all vehicle classes from supermini cars to vans. If one also looks at vehicles in the higher mileage categories, they achieve 19 out of a total of 24 top spots. Japanese manufacturers occupy four best rankings and Swedish manufacturers one with the Volvo S80/V70.
New category “Discontinued Popular Models”
For the first time, the DEKRA experts incorporated a new feature evaluation into the 2013 Used Car Report under the title “Discontinued Popular Models”. This represents a special segment of the used car market that did not previously feature in the report but that plays an increasingly important role. “This category includes vehicle models that have not been available as new cars for some time but that feature prominently on the used car market. Especially potential buyers with a small budget look for information on cars like this,” says Dr Neumann. “The new feature evaluation for ‘Discontinued Popular Models’ is a very useful addition to the report for this group of buyers.” In the feature evaluation, the mileage categories in comparison with the other vehicle classes in the report are brought into line with the actual mileages. Here, the mileage categories range from 50,000 km to 200,000 km.
Used Car Report available online and as a DEKRA app
The results of the 2013 DEKRA Used Car Report are now available online at www.used-car-report.com and also as an app for the iPhone, iPad and Android mobile phones and tablets.
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About DEKRA
DEKRA SE is one of the world’s leading expert organisations. The company currently runs activities in more than 50 countries. About 28,600 employees are committed to ensuring long-term safety, quality and environmental protection. The DEKRA Business Units “Automotive”, “Industrial” and “Personnel” provide professional and innovative services in the fields of vehicle testing, expert appraisals, international claims settlement, consulting, industrial testing, product testing, certification, environmental protection, qualification as well as temporary work. In 2012, DEKRA generated sales totalling approximately 2.15 billion euros.
DEKRA Used Car Report 2013
http://www.used-car-report.com/index.php?id=12
My bad.
