The Mercedes Benz S-class takes the topmost position with depreciation as high as 66% for a 5 year ownership period. The S-class is a luxury saloon that has set high standards for comfort and performance. This is a major reason why the sales were pretty high for this luxury car and thus the used car segment is flooded with a high number of S-class units on the road. As more and more units enter the market and upgrades are more frequent than ever, the depreciation is sure to go high as soon as the vehicle is bought.
Another important thing to keep in mind is that the maintenance costs can be very high out of the warranty period. As long as the car enjoys free service runs and repairs, there’s not much to worry about, but as soon as the usage period crosses the 3-year mark or 60,000 km, the car starts showing visible signs of mileage drop, oil replacement worries, and few faults in the electronics now and then which might seem minor at first, but indicates something bigger.
Performance cars are not only difficult to maintain but also cost dearly when it comes to parts replacements. A simple replacement such as engine oil can cost up to INR 15,000 along with the oil filter and other nominal checks. People rushing into buying a used S-class may regret it later on when they realize the costs involved. No doubt, the S-class is one of the finest luxury cars out there, but one must clearly understand the costs before committing to a purchase.
Frequent upgrades are being rolled out by the company in recent times to keep up with the standard competition offered by the other two German giants, that is, BMW and Audi. This has resulted in owners trying to get rid of their existing models as soon as possible to get the next big thing in their backyard.
The second users don’t have to pay the taxes and duties that the first-hand owner had to pay during the initial purchase. Thus those costs automatically get cut down while going for a used Mercedes Benz S-class. All these factors account for the high depreciation of these complex machines.
