50% at 3 years is bang on the money for a decent mid range BMW / merc / porsche etc. Simon says a porsche will retain 60%over 3 years - but wothout options - and you try selling a C2 with no options for 60%!!
From the perspective of other luxury cars. A ferrari 456 at an original price of 160k would easily be down at 100k trade in after 12 onths. The V8's hold their value better usually - 430's are holdding reasonably well at the moment - but once the new model arrives ever 4-5 years then the old one drops like a stone to 50% or less. And god forbid you have actually driven it!
I bought my Maserati 3200 (02plate) in 2003 at 8k miles. New, the car (fully optioned) cost in the region of 72k (I have the recipt somewhere). I paid 39.995 for it. you cna work out for yourself what the trade in was...
Then in the subsequent 2 years I owned it, it cost me approx 18k in running costs and dropped from 40k to 22k at trade in time - privately I might have managed 24k at best.
Great car - loved it and one day I'll find it, buy it back and restore it. But for now I'm glad to be in an Aero, it has class and style and inddividuality and to boot it's probably the cheapest car to run in this class by some margin in my opinion.
I'm not a purchaser of new cars though - I just buy on condition - age is generally of no real importance with most modern metal.
Last edited by mr_tony; 27/11/07 08:20 AM.
