Press release
Results of the DEKRA Used Car Report 2015
Growing model diversity in SUVs also
reflected on the used car market

Mercedes-Benz E-Class defends the title "Best of all Classes"

Evaluation according to mileage – ignoring problems resulting from
maintenance

"Newcomer" category with new vehicle models under three years

Report available as a free app and online, also in a special edition of ams
The approval boom and growing model diversity in SUVs and off-roaders
is also reflected on the used car market. In the DEKRA used car report
2015, which the expert organisation presented today, there is a clear
growth in models in the off-roader / SUV vehicle class: a total of 53
different vehicle models are listed here, compared to just 44 last year. In
the other eight vehicle classes, the number of models remained relatively
constant by comparison. The off-roader / SUV class is now the second
largest vehicle class, just behind minis / small cars. This is how the report,
which gives used car buyers information about the reliability of individual
vehicle models, describes the diversity that characterises the market for
SUVs and off-roaders. For the used car report, DEKRA evaluates the
results of a total of around 15 million main inspections conducted over two
years. Only those faults that are relevant for evaluating vehicle models
were included in the statistics. Typical maintenance faults that can be
attributed to the owner rather than the vehicle itself are not taken into
consideration.
"This allows us to give potential buyers of used cars concrete assistance," says
Dr Gerd Neumann, Member of the Management Board of DEKRA Automobil
GmbH, who is responsible for the area of testing and inspection. "In the report,
they will find detailed information about typical faults in a particular model. At the
same time, we assign every vehicle model in the comparison to appropriate
models from the same market segment."
The DEKRA used car report contains valuable statistical information thanks to
systematic compliance with the minimum level for the number of units. "Figures
Date
Contact
Tel. (direct line)
Fax (direct line)
E-mail
Page
Stuttgart, 26 February 2015 / Nr. 015-D
Wolfgang Sigloch
+49 711.7861-2386
+49 711.7861-2913
wolfgang.sigloch@dekra.com
1/4
DEKRA e.V.
Corporate Communications
Handwerkstraße 15
D-70565 Stuttgart
www.dekra.de/presse
for a particular model are only displayed in the report if we have checked at least
1,000 vehicles of this model in the relevant mileage range over the evaluation
period," says the DEKRA CEO. The 2015 report contains a total of 456 models.
The DEKRA Fault Index (DFI) has been the key figure for the holistic evaluation
for many years now. It calculates the percentage of vehicles without relevant
faults as well as the percentage of vehicles with significant faults. 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.
Evaluation according to vehicle class and mileage category
An effective comparison is made possible through a total of nine different vehicle
classes, from small cars to vans. "For the used car buyer, it is essential to see
comparable models in relation to each other. Because the fact that a luxury class
vehicle performs better than a small car is neither surprising nor of further
assistance to someone trying to make a concrete purchase decision," says the
DEKRA CEO. For the DEKRA used car report, the vehicle tests have always
been evaluated in terms of mileage. "In our view, mileage has more of an effect
on a vehicle’s susceptibility to faults than its age," says Dr Neumann. A
distinction is made between three mileage ranges for the models in each vehicle
class (0–50,000 km, 50,001–100,000 km and 100,001–150,000 km).
Best rankings in the individual vehicle classes
The vehicles with the best DEKRA Fault Index in the individual vehicle classes
(normally in the 0 to 50,000 km mileage range):
Vehicle class
(Number of vehicles)
(54)
Minis / small cars
(44)
Compact class
(32)
Medium-sized class
(13)
Upper medium class / upper class
(15)
Sports cars / Cabrio
(53)
Off-roader / SUV
(45)
Hatchback
(21)
Small van
(16)
Vans
Page 2
Winner
Audi A1
Toyota Prius
Volvo S60 / V60
Mercedes-Benz E-Class
BMW Z4
Mercedes-Benz GLK
Ford C-Max
VW Amarok
Opel Movano
DFI
93.0
94.6
97.5
97.6
96.6
96.2
93.1
81.9
81.6
"Best of All Classes"
The vehicle that achieves the best evaluation results on average across all
vehicle classes and all three mileage ranges receives the title “Best of All
Classes”. This title went to the Mercedes-Benz E-Class (DFI: 93.8), beating the
Audi Q5 (90.0) and the Mercedes-Benz GLK (89.1). "This category factors in a
comprehensive usage period from 0 to 150,000 km. This generates a reliable
result over longer mileages,” explains Dr Gerd Neumann.
Best rankings by country of origin
Cars produced in Germany figure among the winners in seven out of nine
vehicle classes. Both Japan and Sweden came first in the two remaining
categories. If we also take into account the best vehicles in the higher mileage
ranges, the German manufacturers achieve 19 best rankings. Four best rankings
are achieved by Japan, two each for Sweden and France and one for Italy.
No ranking for "Newcomer" category
The "Newcomer" category is a new addition to the DEKRA Used Car Report
2015; this category contains all vehicle models that have been on the market for
less than three years. No ranking takes place in this category. "With these
vehicles, different influencing factors come into play, and this makes it difficult to
perform an evaluation in the way we usually do," says the DEKRA CEO.
On the one hand, the vehicles are treated specially by the owner and workshop.
On the other hand, there are increased manufacturer campaigns for their
contracted workshops with the goal of reducing the fault rate during main
inspections. "In light of this, the main inspection statistics provide very limited
information about the vehicle's quality. There is no more comparability in the real
sense of the word. For this reason, we deliberately move these vehicles to a new
vehicle class with no ranking," explains Dr Neumann.
Special evaluation "Discontinued Popular Models" appears in the report
for the third time
The special evaluation "Discontinued Popular Models", contained in the DEKRA
Used Car Report for the third time, is now firmly established. The Used Car
Report segment describing this category is becoming increasingly important. The
focus here is on vehicle models that have no longer been sold as new cars for
some time but that feature frequently on the used car market. Such vehicles are
particularly interesting to potential buyers with a small budget.
Page 3
With regard to the discontinued popular models, the mileage ranges in
comparison with the other vehicle classes in the report are brought into line with
the actual mileages: the mileages covered range from 50,000 km to 200,000 km.
The number of models in this special evaluation was expanded again this year –
there are now 146 discontinued popular models.
The DEKRA Used Car Report available online, as an app and in a special
edition of ams
The results of the DEKRA Used Car Report 2015 are now available online at
www.gebrauchtwagenreport.com. The free app for iPhone and iPad as well as
for Android devices is also available in the new version on the appropriate
platforms.
About DEKRA
DEKRA SE is one of the world’s leading expert organisations and currently runs activities
in more than 50 countries on all five continents. About 35,000 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 inspection, expertise, claims services, system
certification, product testing & certification, industrial & construction inspection,
consulting, qualification and temporary work. In 2014, DEKRA has generated sales
totalling approximately 2.5 billion Euros.
Page 4