Sales of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class (MSRP: $90,000 to $202,000) luxury car were up by almost 12% from November 2008. That is an aberration, since overall, the luxury car segment was down 8% year-over-year, and is actually down 27% for the year to date.
Even if it’s tough to sell high-end luxury cars during a period of high unemployment and a volatile economy, there are always exceptions to the rule. Buyers tended to flock to unique cars with backings of prestige and a price tag to match.
The Audi, for example, is doing better than most brands in the luxury car segment. With the Ingolstadt, Germany-based brand top-sellers like the Q5 SUV and A4 sedan, the company is only down a comparatively benign 7.9% for the year to date. (Competitors Mercedes and BMW were down 17% and 24%, respectively.)
But the Audi is not about just daily-drivers and home-mom SUVs. It is a pricey $146,000 Audi R8 5.2 coupe runs on a 500 plus-horsepower engine that accelerates to 60 miles an hour in 3.7 seconds.
There are quite a few more selections of 2010 luxury cars–for example BMW’s $137,000 7-Seriesturbocharged V12 sedan and Jaguar’s $115,000 XJSuper V8 sedan–that gives a lot of extras with an MSRP and long-term costs to match. These are the luxury cars that are on the list of the most expensive vehicles of 2010.
The list uses data from Vincentric, an auto-industry analysis based in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., to assess the following costs over a five-year term: manufacturer suggested retail price (MSRP), projected depreciation, interest, repairs, opportunity costs, fees fuel costs, and taxes, insurance and maintenance. The data presume an annual rate of 15,000 miles driven per car and at a price of $2.60 for regular fuel, $2.75 for diesel and $2.86 for premium. Inflation rate for fuel prices is included in the analysis. The 10 luxury cars with the highest totals made the list.
Car models from exotic brands like Lamborghini and Ferrari were not included. Also not included were automakers with very low production levels, like Koenigsegg and Spyker, or car models from ultra-luxe car makers like Bentley, Maybach and Rolls-Royce.
Number ten on the list is the Land Rover Range Rover. The Rover with its Supercharged 5-liter V8 has a MSRP of $94,275 and a depreciation of $54,600. The Rover would cost the owner $117,191 in a five year period. The next luxury car on the list is the Chevrolet Corvette. The MSRP of the corvette is $116,880, the Five-Year Cost of Ownership is $125,615. At No. 8. Is the Jaguar XK with a MSRP of $101,150 and a Depreciation cost of $65,220. The Total Five-Year Cost of Ownership for the Jaguar is $128,458. At No. 7. Is the Mercedes-Benz CLS Class with a Total Five-Year Cost of Ownership $137,804. At no. 6., the Jaguar XJ with a Total Five-Year Cost of Ownership $140,939.
Fifth on the list with a Five-Year ownership Cost of $141,501 is the BMW M6. The BMW 7-Series si at no. 4 with an MSRP of $136,600 and a Five-Year Cost of Ownership of $166,232. The Audi R8 at number 3 is going to cost its owner $182,688 in five years. The number 2 luxury car on the list is the Mercedes-Benz CL Class with a Total Five-Year Cost of Ownership of $199,391. At the top of the list is the Mercedes-Benz S Class, this luxury car is going to cost the owner $233,731 in five years
This article was written by Alexis.
Tags: luxury cars