Top 10 Luxury Vehicles with the Worst Resale Value (6th - 10th)

. Sunday, September 2, 2007
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6. Lincoln MKZ AWD


MSRP: $31,765
Residual Value After Five Years: 26 percent*

The Lincoln MKZ (formerly the Zephyr) is based on the Mazda 6 platform. The Mazda 6 is an excellent car and so is the MKZ, but the $5,000 to $10,000 price premium for the Lincoln makes it less appealing, despite its luxury features and respectable performance. In its favor, the MKZ gets an "Excellent" predicted-reliability rating from Consumer Reports.

Like with most luxury cars, the MKZ offers what auto analyst Ricky Beggs of Black Book Auto Research calls "fluff features." Some of these options, such as pricey navigation systems, quickly become obsolete and can drag down residual values.


7. Cadillac STS V6


MSRP: $42,765
Residual Value After Five Years: 26 percent*

Like the larger DTS, the Cadillac STS is a solid performer and appealing in many ways. But, “American cars are having a tough moment,” says Auto Appraisal Group’s Larry Batton. General Motors, Ford and Chrysler are struggling to regain a competitive edge long lost to foreign manufacturers.

Just as the DTS competes in a heady field, so does the STS. It goes up against the Audi A6, BMW 5 Series, Infiniti M, Lexus ES and Mercedes-Benz E-Class, all of which have higher residual values; the Infiniti M even made our top 10 list for highest residual values. For the STS, power pays: the V8-powered model has a five-year residual value of 30 percent and the hot rod STS-V 39 percent.


8. Cadillac DTS V8



MSRP: $41,990
Residual Value After Five Years: 26 percent*

The Cadillac DTS is another solid performer marred by low residual values. Part of the problem is that, like the Lincoln Town Car and Mercury Grand Marquis on this list, the DTS is sold to fleets for use as a limo, livery cab and the like. Lots of them get pumped into the used-car market once they're retired from fleets and throw off the supply-demand ratio.

Also working against the DTS is the fact that it competes with full-size sedans from Audi, BMW, Lexus and Mercedes-Benz. Those brands have more clout than Cadillac and are currently regarded as leading innovators. In the upper echelons of the luxury-sedan market, where "mine is better than yours" is a mantra, clout and innovation are key.


9. Ford Expedition V8 4WD


MSRP: $32,895
Residual Value After Five Years: 27 percent

As we wrote in the Top 10 Luxury Vehicles with the Highest Resale Value feature, performance is a primary driver of used car values. The Ford Expedition makes this list largely because of sluggish performance compared to other big SUVs. It has a 300-hp V8, which sounds powerful, but really isn't for a vehicle that weighs well over three tons.
On top of being rather under-powered, the Expedition guzzles fuel. "It's just not at all ideal for what's going on right now in the world — namely, rising gas prices and increasing interest in 'green' vehicles," says Auto Appraisal Group's Larry Batton.


10. Cadillac SRX V8


MSRP: $43,870
Residual Value After Five Years: 27 percent*

A "Poor" reliability rating from Consumer Reports sheds a negative light on this midsize SUV. In this extremely crowded and competitive segment, that can really hurt a vehicle's success.

The current-generation SRX is nearing the end of its life cycle and soon will be replaced by an all-new version. Despite Consumer Reports' poor reliability rating, we think the SRX's sporty performance and versatility are appealing.

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