10: 03 BMW M5
9: 04 Maybach 57
8: 05 Audi A8 w12
7: 06 Caddy STS-V
6: 06 Jaguar XJ super
5: 05 Maserati Quattroporte
4: 03 Porsche Cayenne Turbo
3: VW Phaeton w12
2: 05 Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG
1: 03 Mercedes-Benz CL55 AMG
Interesting list in that the #1 spot lost 86% of it’s value in only 10 years.
I smell a bargain. The Phaeton W12 is virtually identical to the A8 W12, yet it is only half the price. I’d like a $20,000 STS-V, too. I’m sure you could find either one in excellent condition.
atleast the parts for the Caddy would be cheaper than the Euro brands
Many of these cars lose half their value during the first week of ownership…Then they continue downward from there…
Most of them are priced such that the buyers don’t care about money 
A little surprised the Cadillac STS didn’t make this hall of shame. Over 50K new and after 10 years you can fetch them for way less then 5K as long as you can deal with the frequent and pricey repairs.
But what about the folks who think they’re getting something ‘special’ with a MB? That it’s an ‘investment’? 
Sorry I’m obviously half asleep. The 06 STS did indeed make this list and its well deserved. Once the warranty expires those cars start to self destruct. Unless you are a mechanic or have access to one who works for baked goods avoid that car like the plague.
Makes you wonder what the mark up was initially. I agree with @galant. These cars are over priced, look at me, nameplates. They are probably excellent cars for half the price but their low volume, like say…a Volt makes them very expense to buy new. I want to run right out and buy a used one for the first teen driver grandchild in our family they are such a good deal used…
Not true. I have seen no 05 or newer Sts with avg miles for less than 5k. A car that has 144k miles and a salvage title and looks like hell does not count. I am talking avg condition and avg miles.
I am surprised by the lack of Land/Range Rovers. Official car of people with more money than brains.
The link says that some 2012 Maserati models have lost like $35k already
Isn’t a car’s image and status among friends, family and business associates the single greatest determinant in choosing what to buy?
There is really no such thing as new exotic or, collector car anymore, just really expensive status symbols. Once it becomes yesterdays news, and the new must have car rolls down the assembly line the car gets thrown away like yesterdays news paper.
You guys see the glass as half empty. I see it half full. If you are in the market for a wild, distinctive ride, there are a few on the list worth considering. Yes, they will be expensive to repair, and gas will flow like water from a spigot. But if you want a car that runs and handles like these cars, you have to pay to play. Just not as much as you would when new. Want a C-6 Corvette? You can buy a new one for $50,000 or a 2005 for $20,000.
I remember an older study that found S class Benzs for almost 10% of their original value at 10 years old. $120k new, 10 years old, under $15k
Another Internet lie. Show me a 2003 S500 for 12k. Clean title, good shape, avg miles.
Well, the depreciation is high, but at least the repairs are too!
Easy to understand why these old complex cars are cheap. Another discussion elsewhere had several folks discouraging a knowledgable car guy from buying a 2004 Audi S4 for under $6k. Anything significant breaks and it’s a write-off.
Back in 1963, Tom McCahill wrote in his book “What You Should Know About Cars”, he pointed out the high depreciation of high priced cars. He noted that he had two friends where one of the friends bought a new VW Beetle and the other a new Cadillac. The Cadillac cost three times that of the VW in 1958. Four years later, both cars had the same value.
The reason is obvious: used car buyers are seeking transportation and the VW was much cheaper to maintain back then than the Cadillac. I am sure that the same is true today.
@Triedaq - good point. This comes up when somebody wants to buy an old Caddy or Lincoln and ‘fix it up’. Even in 1960 there were LOTS more thing to fix on one of those, and parts are not nearly as common now as they are for Chevys and Fords.