Porsche’s Taycan has earned praise for its sharp handling, impressive charging speeds, and genuinely luxurious interior, but depreciation continues to haunt the electric sedan. One UK YouTuber recently discovered just how brutal that depreciation can be after checking what dealers would actually pay for his nearly new Taycan.
Lee from the popular MacMaster YouTube channel revealed that his second-generation Porsche Taycan had lost an eye-watering amount of value in less than a year of ownership. The figures left even him stunned, especially considering he had already experienced heavy depreciation on his previous first-generation Taycan.
The video quickly gained attention because Lee did not hide the numbers. He openly shared the original purchase price, his outstanding finance balance, and the wildly different trade-in offers he received from major used-car buying services across the UK.
His experience also highlights a growing concern surrounding expensive EVs. While electric vehicles are becoming more mainstream, depreciation on luxury EVs remains one of the biggest financial risks facing buyers today.
A £112,000 Taycan With A Painful Settlement Figure
According to Lee, the Taycan originally cost £112,648, roughly $152,000, when new. He purchased the car in September 2025 using a PCP finance agreement, a common financing method in the UK designed to lower monthly payments through a large balloon payment at the end of the contract.
After less than a year of ownership, the early settlement figure on the finance agreement still sat at £92,873. That means Lee would need to pay nearly £93,000, or $125,000, simply to own the car outright today.
The problem is that the Taycan’s real-world market value appears far lower than that outstanding balance. That left the YouTuber staring at significant negative equity if he decided to sell the car early.
Even Lee admitted the numbers were “worse than I thought” while discussing the figures during the video.
Dealer Offers Varied Wildly
To find out what the Taycan was actually worth, Lee requested quotes from several car-buying companies. The results varied dramatically depending on who was making the offer.
WeBuyAnyCar delivered the strongest quote at £70,355, around $95,000, which still represented roughly a £23,000 ($30,000) gap compared to the settlement amount. While painful, Lee actually seemed somewhat relieved by that number after expecting even worse.
Other offers quickly became far more alarming. Carwow reportedly valued the Taycan at £63,520 ($86,000), while Motorway offered around £43,000 ($58,000).
The lowest estimate came from Motorpoint, which allegedly quoted between £27,466 and £29,804 ($37,000 and $40,000) for the car. That figure shocked both Lee and his guest, especially considering Porsche dealers were still retailing similar Taycans for roughly £72,000.
At one point, Lee joked that if someone could actually buy a second-generation Taycan for under £30,000, they should immediately go purchase one.
Taycan Depreciation Continues To Hurt EV Buyers
Heavy Taycan depreciation is hardly a new phenomenon. First-generation models suffered enormous value drops shortly after launch, especially as Porsche introduced updated versions with improved range and charging performance.
Lee even admitted his previous Taycan lost value faster than expected, though he believed depreciation had finally started stabilizing. Instead, his second-generation car appears to have continued the trend despite being objectively better in nearly every measurable way.
The Taycan itself was not heavily criticized during the discussion. Lee and his guest both praised the updated car’s range, driving experience, and overall refinement.
Instead, much of the conversation focused on broader EV pricing concerns. They argued that early electric vehicles were often priced too aggressively compared to combustion alternatives, creating unrealistic residual values that are now collapsing in the used market.
Luxury EV Pricing Is Still Searching For Balance
The situation also reflects the difficult transition many automakers face as EV adoption continues evolving. Expensive luxury EVs often depreciate faster because battery technology, charging capability, and software improve rapidly year after year.
Traditional luxury cars certainly lose value too, but the pace of development in the EV space can make older models feel outdated far quicker. Buyers are also becoming more cautious as used EV prices continue falling across several markets.
Despite the painful numbers, Lee made it clear he still enjoys the Taycan itself. His frustration centered almost entirely around the financial hit attached to ownership rather than the car’s actual performance.
By the end of the video, though, the reality remained difficult to ignore. Less than a year after purchase, the Porsche had lost tens of thousands of pounds in value.