The Toyota Landcruiser 3.0D-4D (137bhp) Invincible Auto has topped Glass’s list of top 10 cars with the best residual value after three years retaining 72.2%.

The Ford Kuga 2.0 TDCi (136ps) 2WD Titanium came second with 71.6% and the Audi Q5 2.0 TDI (168bhp) Quattro S Line came third with 71.2%.

Seven of the top ten cars are diesel-engined, while six of the top seven places are occupied by off road 4x4s and lifestyle 4x4s.

The two mass market examples represented by the Fiat 500 and Volkswagen Golf exhibit a strong, dynamic image combined with good fuel economy. The full list covers 7,700 model derivatives, on a 58 number plate and 37,000 miles on the clock.

Adrian Rushmore, Glass’s managing editor, said: “Our 2011 residual value winners list depicts a diverse and ever-changing used car market, with purchases prompted by both practical concerns such as fuel economy, severe weather conditions and emotionally-led lifestyle aspirations

“It also indicates that while car buyers remain cautious due to the tough economic conditions, the move towards affordable budget cars has not been so great that demand has outstripped supply. But we do believe that buyers are prioritising fuel efficient derivatives when selecting their preferred models.”

This year’s winner, the Toyota Landcruiser, owes its success to a positive reputation as a durable and reliable workhorse, an image that has endured for many years. It displaces the Volkswagen Tiguan (now at No. 11) from the top of the leader board. Second placed Ford Kuga is the best selling 4x4 in the new car market, with correspondingly high numbers reaching the used car market. A healthy demand for the model continues to outweigh this plentiful supply.

Short bouts of severe winter weather over the past two years have helped to ensure the ongoing popularity of the 4x4 sector. These cars are now entering their peak selling months of the year, with values set to rise until at least February 2012.

Meanwhile, this year’s most popular mass market representatives are the Fiat 500 and the VW Golf. The Fiat 500 is enjoying the success typically experienced by cars marketed with a strong, almost ‘human like’ personality, such as the BMW MINI, now absent from the list after three years in the ‘top 10’.

Diesel cars remain highly popular in the used car market, with more diesels occupying higher positions throughout this year’s residual values list.

Economy conscious buyers are increasingly seeking diesel derivatives with ever smaller engine sizes. The petrol models that have penetrated the ‘top 10’ – the Fiat 500, Suzuki Jimny and the Alfa Romeo Mito - are all small cars of 1.4 litres or less, and under 100bhp, reinforcing the importance of fuel economy throughout the used car market.

As ever, this year’s ‘high flyers’ are predominantly three-year old models that were introduced to the market in 2008. The Kuga, Audi Q5, Volvo XC60, Fiat 500 and VW Scirocco have all benefited from their youthful product lifecycle, with buyers having been able to purchase three-year old examples for this first time this year.

Finally, while exotic sports cars have been excluded from the list, the winner of this sector would have been the Porsche 911 GT3, which retains a residual close to 80% after three years.

Top 10 based on % residual value (58 plate, 37,000 miles)

1 Toyota Landcruiser 3.0D-4D (137bhp) Invincible auto 72.2%

2 Ford Kuga 2.0 TDCi (136ps) 2WD Titanium 71.6%

3 Audi Q5 2.0TDI (168bhp) Quattro S Line 71.2%

4 Porsche Cayenne 3.0 TDI V6 (237bhp) Tiptronic S 70.4%

5 Volvo XC60 2.4 D5 AWD (185ps) SE Lux 68.1%

6 Fiat 500 1.2 (69bhp) Pop 3dr Dualogic 67.6%

7 Suzuki Jimny 1.3 (83bhp) JLX 3dr 66.3%

8 Volkswagen Scirocco 2.0 TDI (138bhp) GT Coupe 66.1%

9= Alfa Romeo Mito 1.4 (95bhp) Turismo 3dr 66%

9= Volkswagen Golf 2.0TDI (140ps) GT 3dr 66%