SONJA

Depreciation calculator: see what your car is worth

A car typically loses 15–20% of its value in the first year and about half over five years. Enter your registration number and mileage, and we'll show the value curve for your exact car — from new, through today, to five years ahead.

Your car

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Fill in your car and the result appears here right away.

How we calculate the estimate

The estimate starts from the official list price from OFV (the Norwegian Road Federation) and applies an age-based residual value curve calibrated against advertised used car prices in Norway (June 2026). For license plate lookup, the list price variant is matched using the Norwegian Vehicle Registry and car.info (trim and power). Value is adjusted for engine power, drivetrain, and body type the same way as Sonja's indicative price estimate. Mileage adjusts the value up or down against the expected mileage for the car's age, and fuel type affects the curve — EVs and hybrids depreciate differently from petrol and diesel. Missing service history typically deducts 10–15%. This is the same foundation as Sonja's price estimate, but without an individual assessment of condition and equipment — and without Finn/Rebil market data.

Get a real offer from Sonja

The tools above give a rough indication. At Sonja we buy your car directly — first a free price estimate, then a concrete purchase offer you can consider at your own pace.

Free and non-binding

Depreciation is the single largest cost of car ownership — bigger than both fuel and insurance for most people. Yet few know what their car is actually worth until it's time to sell. The curve above shows the typical pattern: a steep drop in the first years, then a gentler slope as the car ages.

The timing of your sale therefore matters a great deal. A three-to-four-year-old car has taken the steepest part of the drop but is still attractive in the used market. If you wait until the car is eight to ten years old, the annual depreciation in kroner is smaller, but the buyer pool also shrinks and the sale gets slower.

Remember that the estimate is a starting point, not a verdict. Condition, equipment level, color, and local demand can move the price noticeably. Complete service history, a recent periodic inspection, and two sets of wheels are classic factors that pull the price up. If you want to know what your exact car can sell for, a concrete offer is the most reliable answer.

Questions and answers

Frequently asked questions

How much does a car depreciate per year?
A rule of thumb for Norwegian conditions is 15–20% depreciation in the first year, then around 10% of the remaining value per year for the next several years. After five years, many cars are worth about half their new price. Premium brands often hold up somewhat better in the early years, while EVs have dropped faster than average recently due to price pressure on new models.
What is the list price, and why is it used as the starting point?
The list price is the car's official new price in Norway as reported by OFV, including taxes but excluding optional equipment. It is the most reliable common reference for measuring depreciation, because it is documented for nearly all models and model years. The calculator uses the median list price for your model and model year when available.
Does mileage affect the value much?
Yes, but less than many think. The calculator compares your mileage with the expected mileage for the car's age. Driving far above average pulls the value down — by at most around 12% in our model. Low mileage gives a smaller premium. Age usually matters more than kilometers for the value.
Why does the estimate differ from what the dealer offers me?
The calculator estimates market value — what the car typically trades for between private parties. A dealer or buyer prices in margin, reconditioning costs, and risk, and therefore usually offers 15–20% below market price. Sonja's offer is based on an individual assessment of your car, and can therefore be both above and below this estimate.

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