Now the S Class is well, pure class. One of Mercedes-Benz’s high luxury offerings, the vehicle known as Sonderklasse (German for “special class”) is a series of full-sized flagship vehicles. With predecessors dating back as far as 1954, the S-Class is pretty iconic for the brand. It’s important for Mercedes-Benz to be the top of its class, and as such, that means that new models are released frequently.
As a result, new models demand extravagant prices. But on the flip side, this means that if you wait a few years, you can pick up an S-class at almost 40% less than the retail! If you’ve got the cash to purchase the newest model, by all means, go for it – but if you wait a few years, you could save a small fortune that’s for sure!
$23,000
Oh we’re in the big leagues now huh? Bavarian Motor Works is synonymous with not only luxury, but speed too. A well-loved brand, and greatly aspired to, the BMW 7 series was just another heavy hitter for the brand. But, as any car enthusiast would know, mass-market luxury car offerings have a downside: they suffer large-scale depreciation, and relatively quickly. This happens for two reasons: they cost too much OR become leased vehicles, instead of turning over profits for the company immediately.
While it may not make dollars for the big wigs at BMW, it’s putting dollars back in the pockets of savvy consumers! So if you wait a few years after a luxury vehicle is released, chances are you’ll be able to pick up a car at over 30% off the initial driveaway price. The 7 Series for example, if you pick it up these days, will set you back just $23,000 – not bad at all! Leather seats and German engineering here we come!
$7,000
So the Dodge Magnum isn’t exactly uh… the most aesthetically refined nor pleasing vehicle, but hey, it was signed off and was put into production. But clearly, Dodge customers don’t mind the er hybrid which crosses over the Charger into a station wagon? Anywho, if comfort is your jam, and lots of space, maybe this wagon is right for you! And we’ve got some even better news: it’s solidly built, it’s a rear-wheel-drive (have fun with that), and super spacious.
Not to mention having quite a bit of power behind it! But because of the over-saturation of SUVs on the market, it wasn’t exactly the consumer’s first choice. Either better-priced, or better looking (they say not to judge a book by its cover but, how can you not?? The school moms are going to see you coming from a mile away!), the Magnum just didn’t quite stack up! These days, you can pick one of these up for around $7,000! Pretty neat!
$30,000
Now the Mercedes-Benz SL-class was developed to take on the British Aston Martin Vantage. Pretty big step to be honest. But then again, this is Mercedes-Benz we’re talking about here! The German powerhouse created a vehicle which certainly packed a LOT of punch – 283 HP to be exact. With a line which is over six decades old, it is highly respected, and thus highly scrutinized by car enthusiasts! The recipe for success is in its two seats, folding metal hard-top, front-engine and rear-wheel drive. Each year, the SL becomes faster and more efficient – the latest model has more HP (306 roughly!) and has dropped its weight by 140kg. Pretty neat. Not to mention the fact that each year they get even better looking (though some critics have noted that its front bonnet’s looks are an acquired taste).
But we also understand that not everyone can shell out $120,000 + for a two-seater vehicle. For the average motorist who’s simply after something comfortable and relatively quick, it’s perhaps a bit of a stretch. But again, we want to draw your attention to depreciation on luxury cars, and particularly the fact that the SL (we’d say perhaps a 2008/2009 model) can be picked up for around $30,000! Shut up and take our (my) money!
$60,000
We bet you didn’t think this would be on our list of “cheap” cars eh? Tbh we didn’t either. But here we are. The Maybach 57 and 62 were produced between 2007 and 2012, and were the first models of the Maybach brand to be released since the brand’s revival by DaimlerChrysler AG. Initially built from the concept car presented at the 1997 Tokyo Motor Show, the car was in fact based on the Mercedes Benz S-Class sedan. When it was released, it was in fact placed ahead of competitors Rolls-Royce and Bentley. Pretty big deal.
Sadly, these models just didn’t quite turn over the profit that was expected – continued financial losses for Maybach and a 20% sales turnover compared to Rolls Royce signaled the end of the revival. In saying that, these cars are basically palatial when it comes to size and features. They too, however, were victim to depreciating quickly – as such, you can pick up a piece of history for $60,000 – and hey, before you say anything, that’s an absolute steal compared to its initial price tag of $400,000!