According to vehicle valuation specialist Glass's Guide, the residual value chart for the year 2010 has a surprise winner - with the Volkswagen Tiguan emerging right at the top of the table.

The Glass's residual value chart features the top ten mainstream cars which have been able to retain the maximum value of their purchase price over a period of three years. The list - which excludes supercars and cars sold in very less numbers - this time round comprised 57-plate cars with an average mileage of 37,000.

Going by the Glass's residual value chart for the year, the168bhp Volkswagen Tiguan SE 4Motion five-door topped the chart, retaining a highly impressive 68 percent of its list price, losing £2,394 in average annual depreciation. Glass's Managing Editor Adrian Rushmore said that the high retain value of the car largely results from its Volkswagen moniker, the lack of sustained marketing, and rather long periods of extremely limited availability.

In the second spot on the residual value chart this year was the MINI 1.6 Cooper three-door, which was worth 65.9 percent of its list price, after an annual depreciation of £1,462; followed by the Honda CR-V in the third place with 64.3 percent of its list price.

Pointing out that seven of the top 10 cars - three of which are Land Rovers - are 4x4s or SUVs, Rushmore said that even though external factors like fuel price rises may have worked against these vehicles, they still performed "remarkably" in the used market.