At this point, it’s been widely established that used luxury cars depreciate catastrophically, and used EVs also do a questionable job of holding their value. Just look at David’s Nissan Leaf or most of my Gavel Gazing series for proof of the latter and the former. However, what happens if you meld the two genres of car together? Used premium and luxury EVs resemble the Catalina Wine Mixer of depreciation, and while this sucks royally for anyone who bought one new, there are deals to be had on the second-hand market if you’re willing to be a bit brave.
We’ve already covered how government incentives and sheer depreciation has made early Tesla Model S liftbacks dirt-cheap, but it’s time we talked about other luxury EVs. While this is still an emerging sector, both long-running automakers like Mercedes-Benz and newcomers like Polestar have been producing cars for just long enough for depreciation to kick in, and we’re going to run down some deals, sorting the same way most of us do for used cars — price low-to-high.
So, get your popcorn ready, sort your kilowatts from your kilowatt-hours, and maybe put some padding between your jaw and the floor because we’re running down some of the best gently used second-hand EV bargains right now. Don’t you just love to see it?
Ford Mustang Mach-E: Save $24,033
If you’re looking for an entertaining secondhand EV on a budget, look no further than the Ford Mustang Mach-E. Sure, the ride quality isn’t exactly silky, but you have to admit, there’s something entertaining about a family crossover you can easily powerslide at small angles. Plus, the interior is shockingly nice for a Ford product, and it’s now able to use V3 and V4 Tesla Superchargers using an adapter, giving it an early edge over other non-Tesla EVs in today’s used EV market.
This 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E Select is currently listed for sale at a Ford dealership in Illinois for $23,962 with just 19,082 miles on the clock. It’s a one-owner car with a squeaky clean Carfax, and it should provide capable family transportation for years to come. Best of all, because it’s listed for less than $25,000 and isn’t a 2023 model, it may qualify for the federal used EV tax credit, meaning whoever buys it might be able to get $4,000 back from the government if they qualify for the rebate. Bargain.
- Was: $43,995 new
- Now $23,962
- Savings: $20,033
- Savings W/ Tax Credit: $24,033
Polestar 2: Save $20,650
These upscale electric liftbacks have seen values drop into the mid-20s, a massive drop from an original MSRP of $47,200 before options. The catch? Polestar doesn’t exactly have an extensive servicing network, so if anything significant goes wrong, you may need a little more planning than with the average car to get it put right. Still, if you’re willing to put up with that caveat, you may be able to find a spectacular deal.
For instance, this 2022 Polestar 2 has dual-motor all-wheel-drive and just 14,491 miles on the clock, yet it’s being advertised on Autotrader for $26,550 at a used car dealer in New Jersey. What’s more, it comes with the optional 20-inch wheels, and the Plus package with premium audio, a glass roof, and heated rear seats. This isn’t some base model, which means it’s nearly half-off simply due to being two years old and having been driven a tiny bit more than the American one-year average. That’s an astounding deal for a potential buyer, but you can’t help but feel bad for whoever bought this thing new.
- Was: $47,200 new
- Now $26,650
- Savings: $20,650
Mercedes-Benz EQS: Save $45,654
Want to make range anxiety disappear? The Mercedes-Benz EQS isn’t a bad way to do just that. With an EPA range of 350 miles in EQS 450+ trim, it’s built to take you far, even if it doesn’t quite measure up to the S in its name. It doesn’t ride like an S-Class and it looks a bit like a Dodge Intrepid, and that just doesn’t work so well when a new one starts at $109,400. However, a gently used one doesn’t cost anywhere near that, making one of these flagship EVs a tantalizing proposition.
You can pick up almost any 2022 EQS 450+ you like for between $50,000 and $60,000, or in other words, the same price as a new C300 4Matic with options. Take this certified pre-owned car with 17,001 miles on the clock, for example. It’s up for sale at a Mercedes dealer in Santa Monica for $57,796, and it’s a ridiculous amount of car for the money. Keep in mind, this 2022 model started at $103,360 when new, so this two-year-old example is essentially $45,564 off. Shocking, right?
- Was: $103,360 new
- Now $57,796
- Savings: $45,564
Audi e-tron GT: Save $46,914
Think of the e-tron GT as Audi’s take on the Porsche Taycan — slightly softer, more comfortable, marginally more practical, and without the Porsche tax. The basic e-tron GT is still potent enough to rip from zero-to-60 mph in 3.6 seconds in Car And Driver testing, and its more of a pure sports sedan than larger EV luxury sedans that try to wear many hats, but its a little more approachable than its sibling from Stuttgart. Oh, and speaking of approachable, although this thing carried a six-figure asking price when new, used ones certainly aren’t fetching that sort of coin.
These days, you can pick up a 2022 Audi e-tron GT for between $50,000 and $60,000, and there’s a shocking amount of choice in that bracket. From a cursory scan of the online classifieds, this 18,000-mile example listed for $56,981 is among my favorite specs currently for sale. Powder blue paint, silver wheels, light wood trim, panoramic roof, job done. Sure, nearly $57,000 isn’t objectively cheap, but for a two-year-old flagship EV sedan, it’s a relative bargain.
- Was: $103,895 new
- Now $56,981
- Savings: $46,914
Porsche Taycan: Save $84,788
Of course, if you want a Porsche Taycan, you could also just buy a Porsche Taycan. Three-year-old examples are sliding into the $60,000 to $65,000 price bracket, and there’s a shocking amount of choice available. Rear-wheel-drive or the dual-motor all-wheel-drive 4S model? Want a red one, a blue one, or a greyscale one? The world is yours, provided you’re willing to gamble.
Take a look at this 2021 Taycan 4S with 26,430 miles on the clock up for sale at a Ford dealer in Illinois for $62,972. It has the Mission E-style wheels, uncommon carbon ceramic brakes, a classic Gentian Blue over beige color scheme, and the Bose stereo, but it’s depreciated catastrophically. When new, this thing had an MSRP of $147,760. We’re talking depreciation of $3.20 a mile. Sure, it has been in a rear-end collision, so it has a hit on its Carfax, but it’s still a phenomenal amount of car for just under $63,000.
- Was: $147,760 new
- Now $62,972
- Savings: $84,788
The Other Side Of The Coin
These second-hand EVs may have already experienced incredible depreciation, but that certainly doesn’t mean they won’t depreciate further. It’s entirely possible that you could buy a Porsche Taycan or a Polestar 2 and find it to be worth 50 percent of what you paid in five years or so. In addition, many of these vehicles are first-generation products, and with first-generation products, bugs often aren’t quite worked out.
Just because you can buy some of these EVs for new Toyota Corolla money doesn’t mean they’ll necessarily be as reliable as a new Corolla. However, the money you save on oil changes and fuel can go into an emergency fund, just in case. Either way, if you’re looking at a new EV, especially a new luxury EV, I’d recommend taking a good look at what’s available second-hand. A penny saved is a penny earned, and with many of these cars having less than 20,000 miles on the clock, do you really care if you aren’t the first owner?
(Photo credits: AutoTrader sellers)
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I was looking to purchase a used Polestar 2 after renting one several times for work. For a while, they were in stock at dealers everywhere in Phoenix, but nearly all were off-rental units or had accident histories. I learned that the Volvo XC40 Recharge has the same drivetrain, many identical interior components, and there’s a ton more room. Plus, there’s three dealerships to choose from locally (compared to one Polestar dealer for the state). I was able to purchase a highly-optioned, one-owner 400 hp dual-motor XC40 for just a bit more than the Mustang highlighted in this article. I love it. It’s super comfortable and scary fast. I do wish it had the Polestar’s infotainment software, which is more elegant and user friendly. There’s an update to Android Auto 12 that’s getting pushed out to cars now, and I hear it should be a much better interface.
For those who’ll take issue with the XC40’s 220-ish mile max range, I’ll share my experience. I’ve got the max battery charge level set to 80%. My partner uses the car for a 40-mile round trip commute three times a week. The remaining driving is for personal errands, shopping, the gym, etc. In the three months I’ve owned the car, I’ve used a public charger once—the day after I bought the car, because the dealer didn’t charge it beforehand and I didn’t have the home charger installed yet. It was a fast charger that took 30 minutes to get to 80% and cost $14.50. Otherwise, I wait until the car recommends recharging (at about 27%), and then plug in overnight. The transition from an ICE vehicle has been painless. Yes, I can’t get to Palm Springs without having to charge at least once, but road trips like that are infrequent and we’ll either rent an ICE car or tolerate the wait time.
And check out Tesla Model S prices… they’ve come down very nicely as well. I’m in the market now and along with the Model S, the Mach E is also on my list.
I like the Polestar 2, however looking at the specs:
https://www.edmunds.com/polestar/2/2022/features-specs/
The truck space with the seats up is surprisingly small at only around 15 cu ft.
By comparison, the Mach E and Model S have waaaay more space.
And that matters to me as I only have one vehicle. So I will use it for the odd road trip and hauling the odd large item.
And i won’t bother with the stuff from Mercedes, Porsche or BMW because past experience with “German Quality”.
Now having said all that, I’m willing to pay more for a used Tesla than all other used BEVs due to the charging network factor and the fact that there is actual long term durability data for Teslas.
Yeah, in addition to being smaller the Polestar 2 unfortunately suffers from packaging issues as a result of being a shared platform with some Volvo ICE vehicles. The range and charge speed on the pre-2024 is also a bit borderline for longer trips.
Wow, if you qualify for the $4,000 tax incentive, then the Mach E would be a genuinely tempting vehicle. Even if it’s had teething issues and the “wrong” charging plug, it could feasibly work for a lot of people, especially those in a two car household with an ICE vehicle.
Man, that Taycan has depreciated an entire Cayenne.
I’m waiting until the Fisker Oceans drop into 4 figure territory, which should be…sometime next week.
Thomas, you’ve used the word shocking[ly] four times in one article.
We get that they are EVs and you’re all abuzz, but please, take charge of the situation, sort out watt’s watt and get current with other ways to express that energy!
Ohm my god… your puns are ELECTRIFYING!!!!
Ladies and Gentlemen… WE HAVE A LIVE WIRE HERE!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tdiMdj164w
Man I just don’t get Autopian math. Used EVs that were never that spectacular and still more expensive than a brand new Toyota with a warranty, and Autopian math says the money you save buy not buying the Toyota and paying for non warranty repairs will pay for repairs for unreliable when new EVs that are now out of warranty and 5 years old. I defy Thomas to document the out of pocket cost of a new Toyota under warranty (I’m guessing $3.50 over 5 years) versus the maintenance on a five year old unreliable EV.
Yeah but you’ll be stuck driving that Toyota.
As opposed to walking when the EV bricks. It’s not the car it’s the driver. Ever go 90 I a VW Bus, take a Baja bug into a lake, drive a Javelin over 60 on dirt roads and have the hood fly up? You can have fun in any vehicle.
You’re making a false assumption that a 5 year old EV will be unreliable… unless it has “German Quality” of course.
But a 5 year old Mach E or a Model S? I’m actually considering both as replacements for my old Honda Fit.
Not really I am assuming that at the very least a 5 year old EV will have a 5 year old battery deteriorating and only half 5 years left. And that a 5 year old car will be less reliable than a brand new car that has a warranty and is one of the most reliable cars ever made. You think any 5 year old car is anywhere near as reliable as a new Toyota?
Yeah but for those of us who live in places where fuel is more expensive, there is a lot saved with fuel and it basically negate the cost of additional repairs.
For myself, if I go from my Honda Fit to a Model S, I’ll avoid about CAD$3000/year in fuel and ICE-specific maintenance.
So even if I have to replace the battery after 5 years, at worst, I’ll probably just break even.
But the difference is… the Model S is way more awesome than my Fit or any non-GR Toyota… at least to me.
So it’s not just about the money. It’s also the awesomeness for the money.
I totally agree. It is all taste and choice. For me I think if you are only driving under under 100 miles a day, the average consumers daily average, that’s not a lot of miles or time to justify big money. Color me cheap basic interior and minimum options is for me..
“Color me cheap basic interior and minimum options is for me..”
So you’re gonna get a used base Tesla Model 3 SR+ for yourself, right?
😉
Nah one these new Camrys after someone has owned it 10 years.
Every Taycan Turbo S I’ve seen come up for auction (!!!) has gone for way less than I expected. At AUCTION on NERD SITES.
Want want want want want. I just lack a place to plug it in, but like, I could ask forgiveness, not permission from my landlord, right?
With the 800v charging system, the Taycan is one of the few vehicles you could probably feasibly get by with just fast charging if you have one near you. I think the future is apartment dwellers charging at the grocery store while they do their weekly shopping
You think once a week would for a hour or two would charge it enough for a week? I have doubts.
Additional drawback to the Polestar 2:
The trunk floor is so high that there is less usable space than a Mustang convertible
I have been watching Polestar 2 prices slide for several months now. The one thing I really don’t like is the interior. The vast majority of them are cloth or some lame term like “vegan interior”. I’m not gonna eat it, so why use that term? The so-called vegan interior is really nasty bus-grade crap. Some will defend it, but I can’t see how. I went through my local auto show and most cars I sat in my question was “where the hell is the money in this car?” because for so many, it wasn’t under the hood and it was definitely not spent on the interior. It’s like everyone saw how Tesla could sell a sub-minimalist interior for a premium and decided to try it also. These Polestars and their terrible cloth seats are the outcome. At the prices stated, this is what I would consider a fair price for what you’re getting. That is a Geely built on CMA.
The rare few P2s have the proper perforated and ventilated tan leather interior; ideally with the Ohlins suspension. You can spot them by the yellow seatbelts and calipers. Those are a lot fewer, but are how these things should be equipped if you want something more than the baseline offering. If you just want a bargain, the lesser P2s aren’t bad, but I don’t see how they’d be better than the Mach-E. At least you can drag your Ford to a dealer. I have a Polestar shop in town, but it’s the only one for several hundred miles. Not very appealing for most people when the car may or may not have enough range to get to the shop on a single charge or if it has to ride a flatbed there.
Yup… with the seats up, only 15 cu ft of space:
https://www.edmunds.com/polestar/2/2022/features-specs/
Substantially less than the Mach E or the Model S. And I’m in the market right now and that tiny trunk is what caused me to take the Polestar off my list. It’s a shame since it looks so pretty.
I would not go with the Polestar, the support is awful. Hard to get an appointment, they take weeks to work in your vehicle, they are minor issues but annoying that ruin the experience. Insurances are totaling them since parts are not available. Tires only lasted 17k miles in mine since they were summer tires with really good performance and I don’t floor it that often (don’t share my data, looking at you GM).
The car technology and quality of materials is pretty good, everything feels solid and well assembled even if the car comes from China, what a shame their value dropped like a rock. I wonder how the support will be when the cars are out of warranty.
I came here to say something similar. A neighbor got backed into in a parking lot and it broke the passenger front fender on their Polestar. They have been driving without a passenger front fender for at least six months now (that’s when I noticed it, but it could have been missing longer than that). Apparently, the fender is on perpetual backlog or something, which seems super odd for such a common panel to be damaged.
I’ve been eyeing a Hertz Tesla Model Y. But their purchasing at peak pandemic pricing means that a new MY is really close in price after the tax credits with the price adjustments Tesla has been making. If I can snag a new MYP for $40k out the door after tax credits, I’m biting. That’s a lot of car for $40k.
My 3 year lease on our Volvo XC40 Recharge comes due in less than 6 months. Good intro car into the EV world but there’s so many better ones out there now.
Will be buying another EV that’s been depreciating like these rocks at the sub $25k level for the tax credit with an online “dealer” that doesn’t force me to go into a stealership.
Sold on an EV for family duty. Practically nothing to service, charge at home for 1/4 the price of gas equivalent miles, all the modern conveniences available, road trips aren’t that often and now the supercharger network is open.
All I see is “German Luxury Depreciation” – but without much of the “German Luxury Maintenance”
The money you save on oil changes and fuel will probably go into tires.
I don’t even want to think about what a set of tires for a Taycan cost. Probably more than my old Miata is worth.
That was my first thought as well for the Taycan.
Looks like Pirelli P-Zero is the OEM judging from Tire Rack (“electric vehicle tuned”). 21″ wheels from the dealer listing. $2k for a set of new Pirellis. Pilot Sports are a bit cheaper, $1850.
I notice this is wearing Continentals, so maybe it already required new rubber. Those are cheap, only $1600.
Pirelli winter tires for it are another $2200.
And this is why I still have my beat up old Miata. Yikes.
And why I cringe when generic CUVs have 21″ wheels on them for no good reason.
With some of the complaints about tire mileage I’ve read with EV owners, increased tire consumption will cost a lot more than the few oil changes the ICE car would have gone through during the same time while still retaining plenty more tire life (on probably cheaper tires).
From my experience tire wear isn’t any worse than ICE vehicles I owned. My Leaf had its original set of tires when I sold it at 75,000 miles and my Model 3 has its original set of tires at 64,000 miles. I’m curious what people are doing with their EVs to burn through tires like some claim to.
I’ve never gotten anywhere near that kind of mileage out of tires even with <100 hp 2100 lbs cars or driving mostly highway 50k/yr in <3200 lbs ones. I hate everything about the EVs that are being offered, so they are certainly not for me, but I also wouldn’t expect these fat pigs with the kind of power only the most exotic of cars had even 10 years ago to do well with tires unless I drove as if the range on the battery was always at 3%.
It’s not been true in my experience. Seems to me that on most EVs, tires last about as long as on a gasser when they are driven similarly. BMW i3 models excluded.
It’s just that the power is so much more available all the time. The temptation to punch it down for a quick hit of dopamine now and then is almost irresistible to some drivers.
If you drive like that, good news! You’re getting similar tire wear, but you’re not just avoiding oil changes with an EV, you’re also avoiding motor rebuilds!
I go through tires relatively quickly from corners, though not nearly as quickly as reported complaints about EVs because I don’t buy heavy or high powered vehicles. I have never found any relation to tire wear and engine rebuilds. In fact, my engines are a lot more reliable than what other people with the same car tend to get. Even my most heavily abused car made it to 247k before it merely melted a $12 exhaust valve. Rest still looked great—cylinders all crosshatched and all bearings and journals were well within spec (top end almost looked new). Of course, as ICE money gets diverted to EV development and emissions, power, and mileage demands pull engines to the edge of their safety margins, that’s bound to change.
Audi, outside the R8, isn’t a company I’ve complimented on their designs over the last 15 years, but man, that E-Tron is handsome in person. I’ve been casually floating the idea of buying a used Taycan past the wife for the last few months. All it needs is some snows and a roof box.
I wonder if its worth the gamble on long term support like most other Porsches?
I thought that Porsche was the only automaker where long term support was simply very expensive, and not a gamble at all.
I phrased that poorly. I should have said “Gamble that they have the same level of support as their gas powered models traditionally have had from both Porsche and the aftermarket.”
I’m really suspicious, as with most first gen anything, about long term support. Especially since most EVs at the moment are more software defined then their gas powered predecessors.
I really want to believe that they’ll support them the same way as the 911 et.al. but with how heavily software is tied to these things I think there’s an equal opportunity that Porsche will treat it like a Google project, take it out behind the barn, and pretend it never existed.
What gamble? Did I miss understand?
You can buy just about any part for any Porsche. May not be cheap, but they are available.
I phrased that awkwardly. I should have said “Gamble that they have the same level of support as their gas powered models traditionally have had from both Porsche and the aftermarket.”
I’m really suspicious, as with most first gen anything, about long term support. Especially since most EVs at the moment are more software defined then their gas powered predecessors.
Agreed.
It will be interesting to see which products, especially those high performance 911 alternatives, like the Taycan, that Porsche decides to support like a 911.
And as you said, the software and microelectronic intensive nature of these, and any EV, may at some point just make them impossible to support, even if the supplier wanted to.
I looked at lesser Audi EVs and they all seem to suffer the same problem: the water jacket that cools the electric motor leaks into the motor itself and required to be replaced entirely. This appears to be VERY common.
I saw that the A3 EV was mad cheap and looked really nice, but then started digging into why. Well, there you go, it eats motors and from what I could tell, the original issue has never been corrected, so you’ll never really be out of the woods.
https://github.com/electrichasgoneaudi/etron-issues/issues/37
These are better deals than a new EV, but there is still a lot of room for additional massive depreciation. I am interested in a Taycan, but I would not pay $65,000 for one. I could see these selling for under $20,000 in a five years since people are irrationally terrified of older used EVs. An older, high mileage Taycan with a mildly degraded battery is still going to be a very fun and useful car.
I am also becoming a fan of rebuilt title EVs. EVs are expensive to repair so they can be totaled with even minor accidents. I see a lot of cars that were totaled for cosmetic damage that are for sale for about half the price of a car with a clear title. Obviously, any rebuilt car needs a very thorough inspection, but some of these look like they could be good deals. I could see a branded title high mileage Taycan being a great deal in the future.
EVs also seem to wind up with branded titles if they need a battery replacement for some reason. If anything seeing one that a manufacturer bought back and put a new battery in is almost a plus for me. The small odds of getting a bad battery off the bat have already been dealt with and you have a new, healthy battery.
I hadn’t thought about manufacturer buybacks due to battery problems. Those could be an incredible deal. An EV with a bad title and a new battery sounds like my dream car.
There are a few manufacturer buyback Taycans on Autotempest for the mid to high 50s. If those were bought back due to battery failure and repaired those could be good purchases.
You’d still have to pay me to drive the used bar of soap that is the EQS, but I could be tempted into an e-tron GT or Taycan in a year or two when they’re $40k as long as we still have the wife’s ICE Q7 in the garage. The amount of mileage my car gets actually makes me feel guilty for keeping it. “My” car is a perfect candidate to be a PHEV with good range (like a Volvo) or a full BEV.
My sentiments exactly. The EQS is not desirable in the least, but boy do the Taycan and e-Tron look tempting. Given how little I drove, I’m a pretty good candidate for a highly depreciated BEV like a Taycan…
Mercedes really just lost the scripts on their “EQ” line. There are some angles where they *almost* look attractive, but you look again and they look like fat bars of soap. The EQS is just massive and does not look like a 100k car, the EQE has a disappearing rear and chunky front. The SUV’s look a little better, but not by much.
The new electric G class may finally start to get them back on track, but they really should have stuck to their ICE styling even at the cost of a little bit of range.
most of the low priced Polestars are rental returns
I think ex rental EVs can be a great deal. With an EV, I’m not concerned that some dickhead damaged the engine by driving it like an idiot (over revving the engine, driving aggressively while the engine is cold, running low on oil, etc.). I am also less concerned about damage due to poor maintenance since EVs don’t require the regular maintenance ICE vehicles need. The major concern with EVs is battery health, but it is easy to get a general idea of battery health during a test drive.
I keep flip-flopping on a Hertz Model 3. One side of the argument mirrors yours, the other side is all the bad karma I must have for the way I treated rentals in my younger days.
I will admit I may have treated a rental car or two poorly in my youth as well, but rental car karma hasn’t caught up with me yet. My Hertz Tesla has been great.
I had some concerns about buying a rental, but being able to rent it prior to purchase eliminated my concerns. It is easy to be confident in a used car purchase when you can do a 500 mile test drive and spend hours inspecting it.
does buying a rental effect insurance rates?
No. The only downside is that the title will reflect the car’s previous use as a rental, which is why they are quite a bit cheaper to purchase since some buyers won’t consider them.
That’s fair. I think my problem now is that my better half now just wants to wait on the R3. You lose some, you lose some.
Don’t be gentle, it’s a rental. I have a “Challenger or similar” rented for the wife and my trip at the end of the month and I intend on returning to monke at every opportunity I get.
I once drove from Boulder to the Denver airport in 2 (as in PRND2L) because L wouldn’t keep up with traffic. That Tahoe (or H2, can’t remember) had 12k miles.
I engaged in a bunch of tail out shenanigans in a rental Ecoboost Mustang on a rainy day while my wife was in the bridal party at a wedding. As soon as I dropped her off I was like WELL I’ve got several hours to kill, over 300 horsepower, slick roads, and rear wheel drive so….
I also threw a Camaro SS rental around so hard in the mountains that my wife made me stop because she was getting physically ill. I still remember that drive like it was yesterday. I told her I paid for 450 horsepower and that I was going to make sure I used every one of them.
I have strong doubts that whatever my upcoming rental is will have a V8, but you never know. A lot of Challenger RTs and the occasional Coyote Mustang find their way into rental fleets and I’m sure I’ll be able to smooth talk my way into the most powerful thing they have. Fingers crossed, although even if I get stuck with a Pentastar V6 I’ll be sure to beat that minivan engine within an inch of its life.
I skipped out on a BMW 330e and a mustang on my last trip because of snow. Turned out to be the right decision, but it really hurt my rental car abusing soul.
I very much agree with you on not wanting to buy a former rental car because of karma. I genuinely make a point to drive every rental car I’m in like a baboon.
Try to find a Hellcat.
This is The Way.
I have a confession: I kind of like the EQS.
I know, I know, touchscreen hell. I think that one pushes my buttons (pun originally unintended, but I made the conscious choice to leave it) because the dash actually looks like it was designed for all the screens and it reminds me a bit of Star Trek with the big swoopy touch displays in a way none of the other touchscreen nightmares on the market do.
So yeah, if you actually bother to style your touch interface dystopia you’ll probably sucker me in. Luckily we know the automakers are far to cheap/lazy to do that.
I’m still disappointed in myself though. 😛
What puzzles me about Zee Germans* EVs is why are the fronks (such a weird sounding term) either super dinky or in the case of the EQS literally non-existant.
I mean the EQS is a clean sheet design for gosh dawn’s sake.
Startup ev auto companies all seem to have figured out how to maximize storage space on their products as all have fronks but the (self proclaimed)”inventor of the automobile” can’t figure out how to include a fronk?
*admittedly other legacy auto makers also seem to struggle w/maximizing available storage space, it is somehow more amusing when Zer Germans can’t/won’t do it bc of the now laughable claims of “German Engineering” being some how magically better
For some of these the problem is that the second gen models really outclass the first gen ones. In particular the range for the first Taycan and e-tron was meh for a six figure car, but that seems to be about to get resolved.
But for the ones that already started with a nice range and feature set I definitely would encourage used. Repairs may be crazy expensive on these luxobarges but EVs far smaller amount of moving parts mean most of the frustration is going to be related to software sucking and not mechanical failures.
I always wonder how a late-model car like a Taycan 4S ends up on a Ford lot. My guess is the dealer picked it up at auction, but really what is a Taycan 4S owner trading into at a Ford dealer – I guess a F150 (250, 350) King Ranch, but they have such different missions it just doesn’t make sense…
I think the guy near me who had a Taycan from new (when they were introduced) has moved onto a Bentayga (had to look up that spelling!) which makes a lot more sense (what they are doing living near me is another question)…
Or likely the dealership bought it at wholesale cheap.. especially since the car has a hit on Carfax. Likely the Porsche franchises don’t want to certify it pre owned.
I have some local dealers that seem to really put a lot of effort into their used car lot. I’ve always understood they can make more money there than from their new inventory.
One out of necessity I’d guess, they are a GMC/Buick dealer, so not a lot going on there on the “new” lot besides Yukons and Sierras. They currently have a 2023 Land Rover Defender 130 on the lot for $92k. Can’t imagine that was traded in for a Yukon. Maybe I guess.
Local VW dealer also usually has a strong number of “other” cars out near the road when I drive by it.
Don’t forget the new cars will move onto the NACS charging standard, so there is a perception to obsolescence. Especially the general public who still think Toyota as a leader of EV tech. I don’t think moving to NACS really do much if you charge at home though.
The examples also have charge ports towards the front which would make it awkward to charge at superchargers.
Wow, I’ve got 2 Mach-E’s for $26/27 at Ford dealers within 15 miles, with 20k-30k miles. That’s 50%? in 2-3 years. My wife might need a new car once the kid gets their license and her 02 Forester.
If you can tolerate the shockingly appalling styling, BMW iXs have depreciated on a similar level to all of these as well. I frequently browse used German luxury car listings because I’m mentally ill, so I’m pretty familiar with these sorts of deals. E Tron GTs in particular are uniquely tempting because they’re attractive, Audi makes excellent interiors, and underneath it’s more or less a Panamera, so you know it’s going to be a treat to drive.
However, something to keep in mind with them and the Taycan is that their range is abysmal. It was bad when they were introduced and it’s even worse by 2024 standards. I personally don’t know if I’d want to drop 50-65 grand on something that’s essentially limited to being a city car, but if you can handle those compromises I wouldn’t blame you for going for it.
I also think there’s a limit to how far these will depreciate. I don’t think a year from now any of them will be worth half of this or something extreme like that if we’re talking EVs from major manufacturers. You can always find a Ford, Porsche, Audi, Mercedes, etc. dealership that will help you work out the inevitable kinks all of these will have…although beware the EQS, that thing is an absolute tech hell world with essentially 7,000 screens, no buttons, and every visual gimmick imaginable. You couldn’t pay me to drive one personally.
…but the cars from potential orphan brands? DO NOT. They will be worth absolutely nothing and there won’t be support. Speaking of which, isn’t Volvo cutting Polestar off? I recall seeing headlines that they’re more or less looking to wash their hands of Polestar, so I’d be careful there.
That being said, I still think just leasing a new EV is the safest financial move. The technology is moving too fast to sink too much money into this stuff long term. Which begs the question…what is the environmental impact of having tens of thousands of EVs that are worth next to nothing going to be? They’re essentially gigantic smartphones. Hopefully they find a way to more or less start recycling some of these early experiments in the next few years otherwise we may have a new problem on our hands.
Polestar was floated on the stock exchange, Volvo / Geely cashed out, basically financial “engineering”. The group (Volvo, Polestar, LEVC, Smart Brabus, Lotus, Geely) share the tech, hard to imagine Polestar would disappear, the main group will just buy back once the valuation tank and cycle begins.
The range for the VAG cars was wildly understated IIRC. They got closer to 275 miles driving like a sane person.
My dear friend, the point of owning a Porsche isn’t to drive it like a sane person 😉
Even then, knowing that the car can make the next charging station if slowed down is reassuring.
I drove an iX loaner and it’s fantastic to drive and has excellent interior space…but lord it is so ugly I felt embarrassed to be driving it.
The bottom dropping out on the Used EV market really only makes sense given the new market is being flooded with new models but a stagnant buyer pool size, but in a year or two if prices continue to sink even lower, could make these a really amazing second car with relatively low running costs versus its feature set and modernity.
Silly journalists, I’m making over $5000 a month shilling my Tesla with FSD as a robotaxi. The future is bright!
Do you study nuclear science and love your classes?
Do you have a crazy teacher who wears dark glasses?