“Wertmeister 2013”: MINI celebrates ninth victory in succession.

Auto Bild rankings offer latest confirmation: driving fun pays dividends – MINI Cooper S holds its value better than any other small car in the German car market.

When it comes to driving fun, the MINI is a perennial winner. And neither can it be beaten in the value retention stakes, renewed confirmation of which has arrived with the crowning of the MINI Cooper S as “Wertmeister 2013” (Value Champion 2013). This is the ninth year in succession that a model from the British premium brand has topped the small car category in the ranking list published by motoring magazine Auto Bild. The new title holder takes over from the MINI Cooper, which had won the Value Champion gong in each of the previous two years. The award is presented to models enjoying particularly strong popularity – and therefore value retention – in the German car market. The results are published in full in the current issue of Auto Bild.

Its premium quality and expressive design, the power and efficiency of its 135 kW/184 hp turbocharged engine and its smile-inducing agility earn the MINI Cooper S outstanding popularity, which is worth its weight in gold at resale time – and establishes the car as “Wertmeister 2013”. These are the conclusions of the latest study into the value retention of vehicles in Germany. The study was carried out by Europe’s highest-circulation motoring magazine in conjunction with market analysis institute Schwacke. The car market experts work out the resale values you could expect to achieve after four years for models in 10 segments first registered in 2012. In the small car category the prognosis for a MINI is once again very healthy; the study gives the MINI Cooper S a resale value of 64.8 per cent.

With depreciation a significant factor in cost calculations for every new car customer, the “Wertmeister” rankings provide a helpful basis on which to make a purchase decision. The car market experts assess each model using criteria such as vehicle attributes, purchase price, performance in comparison tests, brand image and running costs. And they also take into account general buyer trends and the development of the car market in their value retention calculations. Their findings for the small car segment will encourage customers to invest in their own slice of hallmark MINI driving fun once again this year.