Honda Civics depreciate the least, a poll of small family hatchbacks conducted by Used Car Expert magazine has shown.

Taking a selection of the best-selling hatchbacks, the magazine compared their three-year-old values against their new cost, producing a depreciation index of the results.

The Civic lost 15.81 per cent of its original value over a three-year period ranking in first place, with the Peugeot 307 model taking last place as it depreciates by 54.11 per cent.

Only taking 1.6 litre petrol engine models into account, magazine editor Matt Tumbridge said the index produced some "surprising" results.

Used car buyers can take advantage of the high depreciation on some models, receiving savings of almost 50 per cent on some three-year-old big-brand cars such as the Vauxhall Astra and Ford Focus.

Toyota came in the top five of the depreciation index with its Auris model, dispelling fears of higher depreciation due to its recent recalls.

Some eight million cars have been recalled by the brand worldwide over mechanical faults that have caused safety fears.

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