Which Volkswagen Caravelle trim holds its value better?

The Caravelle is flagship the model in Volkswagen's bus range which comprise the Transporter Pick-Up, Transporter Panel Van, Transporter Crew Bus, Kombi and Caravelle. Although it occupies the top spot, customers still have the option of trim levels starting with the Comfortline option. From here customers can retain all the interior and exterior options fitted as standard on the Comfortline but see the addition of a four-wheel-drive system on the Comfortline 4MOTION option. Following a similar methodology, Volkswagen also made available two top specification trim levels, the Highline and Highline 4MOTION. 

For this analysis, we searched our listings to calculate average resale values for various 2015 Volkswagen Caravelle trims and compared these values to the list prices of these variants at launch. We looked for cars that have covered between 20 000 and 30 000 km per year.

Related: New vs used VW Caravelle: What are the top 5 differences?

2015 Volkswagen Caravelle Comfortline

New Price: R738 300

Average Used Price: R424 912

Percentage of value retained: 57.55%

This is the entry-level specification for the Caravelle and taking into consideration that the vehicle is five years old and has travelled more than 100 000km, it is impressive for it to remain close to 60% of its original value. However, five years of use takes its toll not only on the interior of the vehicle but also the mechanical components and should be taken into consideration before purchasing.

 

2015 Volkswagen Caravelle Comfortline 4MOTION

New Price: R770 800

Average Used Price: R439 800

Percentage of value retained: 57.06%

While retaining the same creature comforts and exterior styling cues as the first model, this derivative sees the addition of an all-wheel-drive system. Although it retains a nearly identical percentage of value as the first model, it was expected to retain more given the impressive capabilities derived from the 4MOTION system. 

2015 Volkswagen Caravelle Highline

New Price: R816 300

Average Used Price: R649 940

Percentage of value retained: 79.62%

The Caravelle Highline not only see more premium styling features on the exterior but also the addition of interior features. Furthermore, the interior is finished with more premium materials with the introduction of soft suede-like Alcantara surfaces. This valuation is very impressive given that although the offering is feature-packed, it is still five years old and has covered a considerable amount of kilometres.

 

2015 Volkswagen Caravelle Highline 4MOTION

New Price: R848 800

Average Used Price: R650 000

Percentage of value retained: 76.58%

Although the percentage retained is slightly lower than that of the variant without 4MOTION, the used model pool following the exact methodology as alluded to above resulted in only one used vehicle. However, while the result might be slightly skewed, it can not be far off when considering how the standard Highline performed. The lack of listings also inspires the thought process that these models are very sought after and are either being held onto or spends very little time on the sales floor. 

Verdict

Clearly illustrated in the results, the higher specified models retain more value than the lower specified models. This can be a result of lower specified models being used in commercial and transporting environments and thus showing more wear and tear as opposed to the higher end models mostly occupying the garages of private owners. Including more creature comforts and more premium exterior and interior finishes, the Highline models also have more on offer even when considering buying it today making a more appealing option for buyers wanting to enter this segment.

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