far2000
AMG Aficionado
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The true cost of owning a mega-luxury car is often compounded when things like maintenance and insurance are taken into account, but it turns out depreciation is the real killer. For the Maybach 62S, one of the most expensive and excessive luxury sedans on the market, the penalty will run upwards of £350 ($500) per day, during the first year alone.
That's right - a 2008 Maybach 62S in typical condition is worth about £129,200 (roughly $183,000) less than the car's Automotive News -- In-depth coverage of the automotive industry with special features for subscribers ($491,935) sticker price in the UK. The figures, courtesy of Parker's car price guide, reveal that almost 40% of the car's value dissipates in the first year.
Other luxury sedans fare somewhat better in outright dollar figures - if only due to their lower cost - but worse when it comes to percentages. The much less costly BMW 7-series loses just over half - 51% - of its value during the first year, while even the vaunted Mercedes-Benz S600 retains just 53% of its original value, losing 47%.
The Rolls Royce Phantom Saloon, on the other hand comes out relatively well, falling from its original value of £298,900 ($425,200) to just £227,350 ($323,400), a loss of £71,550 ($102,000) or 24%. That's still a hefty sum - about equal to the outright purchase price of the S-Class mentioned above - but about half the monetary and percentage loss of the Maybach.
Long derided for its high price, awkward styling and questionable market positioning, the Maybach brand takes another hit directly on the chin. The question, then, is how many more can it take?
