Take the Honda Civic...

Take the Honda Civic as an example. Although the striking new model arrived on forecourts earlier this month, it has yet to hit values of its predecessor, the MkV. As such, used buyers are being advised to wait a few months before striking a deal. Jeff Paterson, senior cars editor at trade bible Glass"s Guide, told Auto Express: "Honda is one of the few brands whose outgoing models experience a price rise when a replacement appears." However, the effect typically lasts only a few months, so buying a used Civic MkV should make perfect sense by late spring.

Another car bathing in the glow of its successor is the outgoing Lexus IS. Thanks to a carefully managed sales strategy, prices haven"t fallen significantly, despite the arrival of a sleek new machine. Dealers deliberately sold out of the previous version last June - five months ahead of the latest incarnation"s debut - as part of the ploy. Steve Settle, director of Lexus GB, explained: "Residuals of that car have strengthened because we left such a long gap between old and new models."

Meanwhile, don"t expect many bar-gain deals on the first Volvo C70 coupé-cabriolets to hit used forecourts. The clever drop-top, which boasts a three-piece folding metal roof, is expected to hold its value better than rivals from both Audi and BMW. Industry experts have predicted residuals after three years of as much as 51 per cent.