Buying a Mercedes is a dream for many people and those who have purchased one will be all too familiar with the level of depreciation which high end cars such as this fall victim to. In some cases a Mercedes will depreciate by 15% of their value when it is driven away from the forecourt.

The challenge therefore is to ensure that you are doing all that you can to maintain the most amount of value in your Mercedes, so that you can get as much money as possible for it when the time comes to sell. The value which is lost from driving away from the dealership is unfortunately unavoidable, but through smart ownership you can affect the value which remains in the vehicle, and here are some tips on doing just that.

Service Plans

If you use a Mercedes service plan you can not only trim the maintenance and repair costs of your Mercedes, but also help it to maintain as much value as possible. The reason for this is that a service plan will ensure that your vehicle is given the best care by Mercedes-owned dealerships, ensuring that the repairs or maintenance which are carried out, are done so using Mercedes parts and products which have been recommended by the car firm. Selling a Mercedes which has been cared for by Mercedes-approved dealers will mean that you can seek a higher price, as well as making it more attractive to buyers.

Maintenance

Regular maintenance of your car will ensure that it stays in the best possible condition throughout your ownership. Much of the depreciation of the car comes from the fact that the vehicle itself is gradually getting older and therefore the performance will worsen over time. Regular maintenance on the Mercedes will ensure that the performance levels and the appearance of the car remain as close to new as is possible, thus keeping a higher value.

Driving Style 

There is a temptation with a car such as a Mercedes to drive it as though you were on a race track but in doing so you will be lowering the value of the vehicle. Hard braking, high revs and speedy cornering will put unnecessary pressure on the car’s parts, which in turn will contribute towards a lower value car. Even if parts are replaced like-for-like, there will be telling signs of the way that the car has been handled which will bring the value of it down when the time comes to sell.

Original Replacements

Whilst it may cost slightly more to take your car to a dealership rather than a local mechanic, it will help your vehicle to hold far more value. Mechanics will fix a car such as a Mercedes to a high standard of course, but they are more likely to use universal parts and products, rather than those recommended by Mercedes. To ensure that your car does not depreciate heavily, always look to use a trusted Mercedes dealer and mechanic.

Being a smart owner is the best thing that you can do in order to maintain as much value in the car as possible.