http://www.motortrend.com/cars/2010/..._of_ownership/

Google "S Class Cost Of Ownership" and you'll get several results with depreciation schedules.

Mike will have one soon it sounds like, even has mods that you will get basically for free!

The same place I'm getting mine has a '12 diamond white cashmere 4matic with B&O coming in. P2 and driver assist, no sport - but AMG style 19" wheels whatever that means and 29k miles. The one I test drove must have sold. Is it better, to my ear absolutely. Is it $6,400 better? A matter of taste. I'm paying $1k more for 20k fewer miles, no 4matic, no B&O or $950 illuminated door sills, but the $5,900 Sport AMG, $750 power rear shades (which I have now and use) and $1,090 pano roof. They've got a '13 designo mystic blue / deep white and black interior and labrador blue pearl stone trim that is pretty cool. I couldn't wrap my head around the blue though, but really liked the white seats with black interior.

Much of this thread has been about where to get on and off the depreciation curve. The curve flattens out with age and miles, but then the repair cost / aggravation curve starts growing. I'm buying a $110k sticker with 9k miles for $60k, so the first 9k miles ate $50k. I will still get hit, probably for $40k over the next five years. Would I have been better off buying a 30k mile example for $10k less? Probably a little better. In my case driving 15k miles a year, I'll take $8k of depreciation per year and end up with 85k miles in five years. In four years the 30k example would have 90k miles and around the same residual value. I don't think there is going to be a lot of difference between a six year old car with 90k and a seven year old car with 85k. So, in four years the value goes down $30k or $7.5k a year. A little better, but I'd just rather be the owner of an almost new car, than something closer to 1/3 of the way through what is its useful life to me.

I did look at the motor trend cost of ownership table. The insurance looked off the charts and then the financing costs looked low. $2,000 of interest at 5% rents you $40k. If you are buying a used 2010 for $40k, I don't see how insurance is near $3k a year. In any event, I ignored fuel, insurance, annual stickers, etc. I'm going to be driving and I'm not going to be driving a sonata.

For amusement, go to Ferrari chat and look at the thread on buying an '05 F430. Depreciation over four years benchmarked against an '00 360. Drive 4k miles per year and be ready for $4-$5 per mile, but you can look at it as art and let your buddies hear the exhaust. My 50 cent per mile estimate was just depreciation. Figure $2,800 fuel for 15k miles, $300 oil changes, $500 rubber, $200 brakes, $1,000 insurance (I pay $2,200 total for collision on three mercs right now.) Round up to $5k, excluding the financing or opportunity cost of paying cash and that adds another 33 cents a mile. Maybe another 15 cents a mile on the financing, so close to a buck a mile all-in. The IRS reimbursement rate is 56 cents a mile, which probably is close to a breakeven on a $35k car that gets 30mpg highway. When he takes longer road trips, my father-in-law always rents. Hmm, maybe he's onto something.

Yeah! And I'm not even done modding yet!

Interesting debate in this thread. As a former W220 owner considering a used 221, I'm torn. I ditched the 220 for caddi DTS in a bout of patriotism years back, but took a huge hit on quality. The safety and quality of 220-2's are major factors I didn't hear discussed much. IMO they do have a quantifiable advantage, but personal time allotted for service and repairs are as well.
Please keep us updated and post pics!

Hmmm, I was not aware you as a second owner can extend the factory warranty? Why don't dealers offer that in addition to the CPO warranty?

http://www.motortrend.com/cars/2012/..._of_ownership/

So where are they getting those numbers for insurance, for drivers who are 21 years old and had a few tickets?

LoL, I thought that was bit high myself

yeah those numbers are hugely high!