Mercedes Benz S Class So why does the Mercedes Benz S Class depreciate so rapidly? For the same reasons most luxury cars depreciate faster. They're commonly leased, leading to a large supply of off-lease, three-year-old Mercedes-Benz S Class models.
Unfortunately, Mercedes-Benz depreciation is some of the highest in the industry. Depending on the model, you can reasonably expect to lose 40% to 50% of value over three years and up to 60% over five years.
Mercedes models are holding their value well at the moment, because luxury executive cars are always in high demand. Mercedes models only lose 45% of their value over five years.
Most experts believe overly complicated technology is what makes Mercedes cars less reliable. Maybe so much technology can be too overwhelming for the average car owner. In addition, electric sensors and control modules can easily get faulty more often in Mercedes Benz cars.
Furthermore, German luxury cars are known for requiring specialized maintenance and repair services, which can add to the overall cost of ownership. As a result, many luxury car owners tend to trade in their vehicles for newer models more frequently, perpetuating the cycle of high depreciation and maintenance costs.
Most popular car brands by ownership share Germany 2020-2022
Volkswagen was the most popular car brand in Germany thus far in 2022, followed by Opel and Mercedes-Benz.
While you may get more power and top speed from a Mercedes, expect to pay slightly more for gas. BMWs tend to have smaller, more efficient engines than their Mercedes competitors, giving you more miles per gallon.
However, across Mercedes Benz models, the average falls between 150,000 and 250,000 miles. One of the variables you need to account for is the model of the car. The Mercedes C-Class is considered to have the shortest lifespan of any Mercedes model, usually hovering closer to the 150,000-200,000 mile range.
100,000 miles is a significant marker in the life of any car, but it does not mean you have to get rid of it. Cars that reach 100,000 miles without any problem are well worth keeping, in fact, as it shows that they're resilient and functional. As one of the most efficient vehicles made, Mercedes are no exception.
According to Darryl Jacobson, managing director of True Price, Mercedes-Benz rules the resale roost, BMW vehicles have the worst resale value while Audi slots in neatly between the two other Germans.
The GLA, GLB, and GLC SUV retain their value best, as do the C63 AMG Coupe and E63 AMG Wagon. The GLC300 Coupe is the top Benz in resale value after five years, projected to hold onto 53.3 percent of its original value.
60,000-70,000 miles: Most manufacturers' powertrain warranties expire in that range, and the second major maintenance is scheduled to occur. Selling before reaching those benchmarks will get you a better price for your car than selling afterward.
And the winner is… Mercedes-Benz. TruePrice calculated that Mercedes-Benz vehicles retained an average of 70.10 percent of their value, versus the new list price, while Audi came in a distant second with 62.49 percent and BMW trailed with 58.65 percent.
Luxury cars have steep depreciation because owners likely trade them in when they become outdated and used car buyers don't want to pay a high premium on a dated model. Additionally, they are expensive to maintain and the high cost of ownership impacts resale value.
Mercedes Engine Rebuilds
In most cases, however, a Mercedes' lifespan is closer to 250,000 or 300,000 miles. If your engine seems to be nearing the end of its life, consider fully rebuilding the engine.
4 Mercedes-Benz W123
And don't be surprised if you see these cars running around in perfect mechanical health with over 500,000 miles on the odometer. Just like the W124, the W123s were also built like tanks and had little to no electronics in them, making them even more dependable.
According to the experts at our Mercedes-Benz service center, a typical automatic transmission should last around 150,000 to 200,000 miles–that comes out to roughly seven years of use.
E-Class: Performance. If you're looking for a thrilling ride around Centerville, the C-Class starts off with more fuel-efficiency whereas the larger E-Class gives you more horsepower. If you want an ultra-high-performance vehicle, go for one of the Mercedes-Benz AMG®engine options.
Since Audi is all about all-wheel drive, and Mercedes only offers all-wheel drive on some of its models, Audi is an obvious choice when it comes to performance and reliability. Speaking of which, Audi also beat out Mercedes in Consumer Reports' road test as being a much more reliable brand over Mercedes.
Audi is the most expensive brand to repair
Saying that the gap between Audi and BMW is minimal although looking at our graph Mercedes-Benz is the clear winner when it comes to cost with Mercedes-Benz 24 per cent cheaper than Audi and 20 per cent cheaper than BMW.
A long automotive history and a powerful racing heritage give German cars the edge when it comes to build quality. However, in recent years Japanese cars have quickly moved away from a rather underwhelming reputation for quality in the 1960s and '70s and are now easily a match for styling and quality.
The VW Golf has been the best-selling car model in Germany for every calendar year since 1981. It was last outsold in 1980 — by the Mercedes-Benz W123 (E-Class).
Nothing moves Germans more than their cars: Cars are the main means of transport in Germany. At the same time, cars kindle emotions, symbolize freedom and dynamism, status, lifestyle and power. Cult automobiles such as the Volkswagen Beetle or the East German Trabant are 'motorized' memories of German history.