Mercedes-Benz convertibles retain good value
Owners of Mercedes-Benz convertibles have received positive news about the residual values of their cars.
Research from EurotaxGlass’s indicates that the Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class 55 is among the top three best performers on the market in terms of its ability to retain its trade value.
The car is typically worth 87 per cent of its original sale price a year after it is purchased, putting it level with the Porsche Boxster S.
Also impressive is the Mercedes-Benz SL350 Convertible, which retains around 77 per cent of its original trade price. This makes it the 12th best performer on the market, level with Honda’s S2000 2.9i VTEC.
The Mercedes-Benz CLK 200 Kompressor Avantgarde Cabriolet has also made it onto the list of the top 15 convertibles on the market, thanks to its tendency to retain 76 per cent of its initial sale price.
Unsurprisingly perhaps, the EurotaxGlass’s study has found that the convertible market is seriously affected by seasonal peaks and troughs. In the autumn and winter months, values tend to fall more noticeably than in the rest of the used cars market. When spring and summer arrive, prices begin to stabilise a little, as the rest of the used cars market continues to slump.
Richard Crosthwaite, prestige car editor at EurotaxGlass’s, commented: "This is a fashion-led market, where the values of prestige-brand models in particular are influenced by changing tastes and the arrival of new models.
"This can make the residual value of a recently-launched prestige convertible amongst the strongest of any used cars when supplies are limited," he added.
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