The price development of such a car looks slightly different, and you can take advantage of that. How much do you have to pay for the top limos of, say, fifteen to twenty years ago? The rule of thumb is that cars are a bad investment, and the top segment is doing its best to confirm this rule. There are several reasons for this. One of these is the limited used car market. Not only the size of such a limo, but also the associated fixed costs and hefty maintenance costs deter many second-hand buyers. In addition, a top model ages relatively quickly. When introduced, it is usually equipped with the most current technologies, which are quickly becoming outdated, especially nowadays. This does not please the generally critical buyer in this segment, so he prefers to go for a new one. Volkswagen Phaeton Image also plays an important role in this segment. This was unintentionally confirmed by Volkswagen, which introduced the Phaeton in 2002. This prestige project, for which a brand new factory was even built, competed with the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW 7-series and ‘own’ Audi A8. At least on paper, because in practice there appeared to be little interest in ‘a larger Passat’. This has an impact on used car prices. Via the used car portal on AutoWeek.nl you cannot spend more than €10,000 on a used car and the cheapest one can even go for a mere €2,500. Your author will become uncomfortably warm from this Phaeton 3.2 V6 with blue leather upholstery. Hurry, before this becomes a very expensive item. Lexus LS Another outsider is the Lexus LS. Unlike Volkswagen, Lexus continues to try, probably with enough global success to justify this. The quality image of the brand seems to have an impact on the used market, because with a few exceptions (LS 430 from 2001, € 4,250) and an LS 460 President from 2007 (€ 8,950), you have to pay more than 10 grand to Japanese to ride at top level. This even applies to a 2002 LS 430, with more than 300,000 kilometers on the odometer. One of the cheaper copies of a later generation should still fetch € 23,700. You get a very attractive mileage in return, because the 2007 Lexus LS 460 President in question has only driven 77,636 kilometers. BMW 7-series We were of course hoping to score a bargain from Lexus, but that is not possible. Fortunately, the BMW 7 Series is happy to serve us, because you can get a 740i High Executive for just €4,460. This is a 2005 example, which looks very good despite its 341,623 kilometer experience. This is partly because it is a facelift model. The original from 2001 is more characteristic, but gives away more of its age. A lower mileage has a big impact on the price, because you can also spend € 16,449 for a car from the same year of manufacture. With only 107,915 kilometers on the clock, this 740i is very fresh, but we still get the feeling that something is missing from such a 740i. Or better yet, that four are missing something. Fortunately, there is a 760Li for just under 20,000 euros. Indeed, with twelve cylinder. Mercedes-Benz S-Class When you say top limousine, you say Mercedes-Benz. Yet you don’t have to pay the top price for a neat S-Class, as this S 500 Lang from 2001 testifies. Despite 350,780 kilometers of experience, the advertisement promises a neat car, which we dare not doubt based on the photos. Everyone has seen examples with rusty wheel arch edges and defective air suspension, so you know that things can be done very differently. That rust problem was solved with the new generation, and there is good news: it can be purchased for less than 1,000 euros extra. Well, you lose some power, but this Mercedes-Benz S 350 also looks neat. Only the odometer shows that it has already traveled 324,155 kilometers. The price? €5,299. With a higher budget, much more becomes possible, such as this chic S 600 Lang from 2007. For just under 20 grand you can drive a mighty V12. Audi A8 You can expect a lot from an Audi A8, but rust is not one of them. That’s because the brand has been making it almost entirely from aluminum since 1994 (until 2017). The second generation A8 arrived in 2002, and is perhaps the most iconic. A nice example from 2003, with 211,313 kilometers of experience, can be purchased for €6,950. Would you prefer a special S8 with V10 (!)? That will cost you €11,950. Do you want a copy of the new generation, just like our king? Then you have to pay at least € 14,999 for a diesel. For one with 4.2-liter V8 petrol that is € 17,449. It must be said, this generation of A8 looks quite impressive. Too bad there is currently no copy with W12 for sale. Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph That lack of twelve cylinders hurts, and it must be alleviated. That is why we are significantly increasing our budget. We now allow ourselves the absolute top, and then everyone knows that you will end up at Rolls-Royce. For €55,950, you can treat yourself to a beautiful Silver Seraph from 2003 with a virgin odometer reading of 56,780 kilometers. Inside you feel like you are in a classic, with the advantage that you do not have to look at very outdated infotainment. Fortunately, the ‘wide color LCD monitor TME-M750’ of the navigation system disappears into the dashboard and the – very cheap-looking – radio is hidden behind a wooden cover. For now we turn a blind eye, this car is about driving and being driven. Forget all the cars above, this Rolls is the ultimate.
Source: www.autoweek.nl
