Car value calculator
What will the car be worth, and when do you stop owing more than that? Numbers update as you type. No sign-up.
Pick a year for a used car. No car picked? We use an average curve.
Value vs what you owe
For the first 3y 2m you owe more than Mercedes-Benz SL is worth. From month 38 you are above water, and by the end of the term your equity is about R 1 127 718.
Year-by-year table
| Point | Car value | Balance owed | Equity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Now | R 3 870 128 | R 3 483 115 | R 387 013 |
| Year 1 | R 2 890 986 | R 3 058 261 | -R 167 275 |
| Year 2 | R 2 413 973 | R 2 580 708 | -R 166 735 |
| Year 3 | R 2 015 667 | R 2 043 920 | -R 28 253 |
| Year 4 | R 1 660 910 | R 1 440 549 | R 220 361 |
| Year 5 | R 1 368 590 | R 762 337 | R 606 253 |
| Year 6 | R 1 127 718 | R 0 | R 1 127 718 |
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How car value and equity actually work in South Africa
A financed car runs two numbers at once. The first is what the car is worth, which falls every month from the day you take delivery. The second is what you still owe the bank, which also falls, but on a different curve. Your equity is the gap between them, and for most deals it starts negative.
South African cars lose value at very different speeds. A Toyota Hilux or a Suzuki Jimny can hold three quarters of its price after three years, while a luxury sedan or a premium EV can lose half. That difference dwarfs anything you can negotiate on the interest rate, which is why picking the right car matters more than squeezing the last 0.25 percent out of the bank.
What moves the break-even point
Three levers decide how long you stay underwater. A bigger deposit starts you closer to the surface. A shorter term pays the loan down faster than the car sheds value. And a balloon keeps a chunk of the debt parked at the end of the deal, which is why balloon deals often stay underwater for the whole term. Try moving each one in the calculator and watch the break-even month respond.
If the chart shows you underwater for longer than you plan to keep the car, that is the warning worth acting on: selling or writing off a car with negative equity means paying in the difference yourself. Gap cover exists precisely for this hole.
Common questions
How does the car value calculator work?
Pick a car or enter a price, add your deposit, term, interest rate and any balloon. We project the car’s value month by month using a depreciation curve built for the South African market, and plot it against your outstanding loan so you can see your equity and break-even point.
What is negative equity on a car?
Negative equity, or being underwater, means the car is worth less than what you still owe on it. It is normal in the first years of a financed car, especially with a small deposit or a balloon payment. The calculator shows exactly how long it lasts on your deal.
What is the difference between retail and trade-in value?
Retail is roughly what a dealer would advertise the car for. Trade-in is what a dealer would offer you for it, typically around 10 to 15 percent less. We show both so you are not surprised at the dealership.
How accurate are the values?
They are careful estimates from a 12-tier depreciation model built on South African market data, adjusted for body type, fuel and price band. Condition, mileage and spec move real prices, so treat the output as a planning number, not a quote.