Top 7 New Cars Given Up After Only a Year of Ownership

When buying a new car, the last thing on your mind is getting rid of it, especially within a year of purchase. But that is happening a lot with certain brands and may indicate a problem with those vehicles or something that owner just don’t like about them.

A new study of more than 46 million new car sales, conducted by iSeeCars.com, found that German and British luxury vehicles are more frequently resold within the first year of ownership. Phong Ly, the iSeeCars CEO,  noted that below-average reliability ratings, high operating costs, and safety features could explain the reason why owners are getting rid of their vehicles so quickly.

Here are the top seven new cars given up after just a year of ownership.

1. Mercedes-Benz C-Clas. Coming in top of the list is the Mercedes-Benz C-Class compact executive car, with 12.4 percent of its new cars resold within the first year. This is 3.7 times the average for all vehicles.
2. BMW 3 Series. The German automaker features as the top car brand owners are most likely to give up within a year of ownership, according to iSeeCars.com, and the BMW 3 Series comes in as second with 11.8 percent of its new vehicles resold within a year of ownership.
3. Land Rover Discovery Sport. The novelty of owning a Land Rover Discovery Sport wears off quickly according to the study, which found sales for the car within the first year to be 11.8. This could be due to poor reliability ratings, according to Ly.
4. Range Rover Evoque. Of all vehicle types, SUVs are the least likely to be given up within a year because owners are generally very happy with their purchase. The Range Rover Evoque is not one of these vehicles apparently, coming in as the fourth top new car to be sold within 12 years of purchase. 
5. Mini Cooper Clubman. While Mini Coopers are touted for their handling ability, owners of the MINI Clubman subcompact SUV are more likely to trade in their vehicle within the first year. The car is notoriously expensive in its class and has one of the lowest fuel-economy ratings. According to Ly, drivers might opt to trade it in for something more efficient that is lower priced.
6. BMW X1. The entry-level SUV scores below average reliability ratings, which could explain why owners of the X1 are so quick to get rid of their vehicles soon after buying them new.
7. BMW X3. The X3, like the X1, has drawn negative reliability ratings, which could dent its popularity. However, Ly pointed out that another reason why owners may be reselling their new cars within a year could boil down to incentives offered by the German automaker to their dealers to buy new cars to use as loaner vehicles, which are then sold as used when they are still under a year old. "This boosts the brand’s new car sales and introduces current customers to new models when they bring in their vehicles for service," he said.

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