Your opinion of depreciation depends entirely on who takes the hit. If you’re buying new, watching a giant chunk of your car’s value evaporate after signing is brutal. If you’re buying used, though, depreciation is your ticket to getting way more car for your money. Among the cars that take the biggest depreciation hits are luxury cars and EVs. Combine the two, and you can find some insane bargains on power and luxury, such as those listed here.
Our benchmark price point is the BMW 5 Series and its electric counterpart, the i5. The base combustion model, the 530i, has 255 hp and starts at $60,500. The i5 eDrive40 packs 335 hp and begins at $67,100. Everything we discuss here can either meet or beat those prices, and offer completely different leagues of performance and comfort.
Audi E-Tron GT
We’re going to go down this list in alphabetical order, with the Audi E-Tron GT. Kicking off the list is the sometimes forgotten twin to the Porsche Taycan. In some ways, that’s a bit surprising, since the styling is arguably far more striking than the Porsche. The Audi has outrageous hips, a scowling face with chiseled features, and jewel-like lighting.
When the E-Tron GT first launched for 2022, it had two main forms, and even the base one has some punch. It came with a maximum output of 522 horsepower and 472 pound-feet of torque from dual motors (470 hp and 465 lb-ft of torque during normal driving). The RS E-Tron GT topped out at 637 hp and 612 lb-ft of torque. Both of them can get to 60 mph in under 4.0 seconds and hit a top speed of more than 150 mph. These numbers put the E-Tron GT right between the bookends of the Taycan line. The rear-drive base model and the top-end Turbo S. Also, being so closely related to the Porsche means each is just as deft in corners as it is in a straight line.
For 2025, Audi updated the line, dropping the base model in favor of an S trim with more power than the old RS, and giving the new RS more than 900 hp. But they’re new enough you’re unlikely to find them for the budget we’ve set.
As a further bonus, the Audi was available with an arguably fancier interior. More premium materials are on display, such as wood or carbon fiber. We also appreciated the few extra physical controls and a more intuitive infotainment system. Not everything is perfect, though, as the back seat is a bit tight for a flagship sedan, and despite the fastback roofline, both the E-Tron GT and Taycan lack a practicality-boosting liftback. They aren’t the quietest EVs, either.
As with basically every car on this list, the oldest examples you can find will likely be the most affordable. That would include the 2022 E-Tron GT models. Our pricing data show that you can find base models at an average asking price of $41,314, nearly $20,000 less than a new 5 Series. The RS E-Tron GT has an average price of $61,566, making it basically equivalent to the 5 Series, and still less than an i5.
Lucid Air
Next on our list offers the best balance of luxury and performance. The Lucid Air is the first model from the start-up American car company, and it’s a classic flagship luxury car in size and design. The styling is subdued on the outside, with its curvy, shockingly aerodynamic shape, and the interior is cavernous (even the trunk is huge) yet also quite airy. The bright cabin comes courtesy of a windshield that extends deep into the roof, offering a panoramic view forward. It also has beautiful touches such as the combination instrument and infotainment display that appears to float above the gently sloping dashboard.
Once Lucid Motors sold out of its limited-run 1,111-hp Dream Edition Air, the company set about producing its volume models. The Pure marked the starting point with 480 hp, followed by the Touring with 620 hp, the Grand Touring with 819 hp, and the Grand Touring Performance with 1,050 hp. All of these featured all-wheel-drive at launch, with a rear-drive Pure coming later. Lucid also eventually added the Sapphire with a monstrous 1,234 hp, which is one of the fastest-accelerating cars in the world with a sub-2.0-second 0-60 mph time.
Every Lucid also offers a spectacularly comfortable ride and handling that rival those of many sports cars. It may have four doors, but the Lucid Air is a grand tourer in the truest sense. It even has the range to match that personality, with every model offering more than 350 miles on a charge. Much of the credit goes to remarkable efficiency, with the most frugal versions achieving a combined fuel economy equivalent to 140 mpg. The only main gripes we’ve had have been some occasional quality hiccups, and Lucid lacks a large dealer network.
We don’t have enough data in our pricing tool to provide estimates for used Lucid Air pricing, but U.S. News & World Report has gathered some information on Lucid pricing. It found that the average price on 2022 models is hovering at $58,029, just a bit under our BMW benchmark. We would expect mostly lower and mid-level models in that 480- to 620-hp range to fit the budget. As for the Sapphire, those are probably still too expensive. When we searched online for Sapphires for sale, the cheapest we found were still priced at more than $170,000.
Mercedes-Benz EQS Sedan
Mercedes-Benz brings us a two-for-one with the EQS Sedan. That suffix is important, too, as it differentiates the car from the EQS SUV. The EQS Sedan is also the most traditional flagship of this group, as it’s not just the biggest, most luxurious electric sedan Mercedes has produced, it’s also the electric equivalent of one of the most prestigious nameplates in the automaker’s history: the S-Class.
Whereas the Lucid Air takes a subdued approach to luxury, the Mercedes is extravagant and flashy, particularly inside. The entry-level models have an impressive 12.8-inch infotainment screen set ahead of a dashboard decked out in expensive woods, metals, and other materials. However, customers could also opt for one of the first Hyperscreen implementations, covering the entire dash in glass and screens. The diagonal measurements of the instrument and dash screens came to a whopping 56 inches. Loads of vivid ambient lighting is available, along with reclining seats, additional screens in the back, and all manner of comfort and convenience features front and rear. Space is generous, and the Mercedes actually has a liftback, though it also lacks a frunk.
The driving experience will vary significantly, though, depending on the EQS you pick. The mainline models all share soft air suspension and light steering. They’re most certainly designed to isolate you from the driving experience more than anything. As such, the somewhat low entry-level horsepower numbers aren’t such a big deal. The EQS 450+ made just 329 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque from a single rear motor. The 580 4Matic added a second motor, bringing power up to 516 hp and torque to 611 lb-ft. That version had a quick 0-60 time of 4.1 seconds. The range for the 450 was 350 miles, and the 580 would go 340 miles.
The Mercedes-AMG EQS 63 Sedan, though, added some of the performance that the other sedans here offer. It made 751 hp and 752 lb-ft of torque. It knocked a 0.7 second off the 580’s 0-60 time. It also received suspension and brake upgrades to match. Range suffers, though, at just 277 miles per charge.
Opting for a regular EQS Sedan will be the affordable move in this case. Our pricing tools show 2022 models averaging just $37,875 for the big Benz sedans, the lowest of this group. The AMG commands a significant premium. We don’t have data for the 2022, but our data shows an average asking price of $67,994 for the 2023 AMG EQS 63 Sedan, pretty much even with a base i5.
Porsche Taycan
Porsche launched the Taycan just a couple of years ahead of the Audi E-Tron GT, and because the two are so similar, and we already discussed the Audi, we won’t go too in-depth on the Porsche beyond its differences. When the first 2020 models hit the market, the base model was the 4S with 563 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque from dual motors, and at the other end was the Turbo S with up to 750 hp and 774 lb-ft of torque. In between was the regular Turbo with the same specs as the later Audi S E-Tron GT.
The following year brought something unique in the base Taycan. This one was both the most affordable Taycan and, arguably, a purist’s choice, as it was rear-wheel-drive with a single motor. The model still made between 402 and 469 hp depending on whether it had the small or large battery. With a 0-60 time of 5.1 seconds, it’s about twice as slow to the speed as the Turbo S, but, like any Taycan or even E-Tron GT, this is still a brilliant car to drive.
It has some similar downsides to the Audi, such as being a bit small inside. The interior also isn’t quite as premium as the Audi. Range can be limited, too. The first-year cars all had roughly a 200-mile range, and the best that a 2021 model could do was 227 miles. However, you do get the Porsche badge, and a far wider array of trim options over the years. It also seems to be holding its value better, possibly because of that badge. Our pricing data shows an average asking price of $55,466 for 2020 Taycans. The 4S models will probably be on the low side, and the Turbo ones on the high side. The 2021 cars are averaging around $52,000, and the 2022 cars around $59,000.
Tesla Model S Plaid
The last car on our list is also the only one that we’ve restricted to its highest specification. We wouldn’t necessarily call regular Model S models luxurious or sporty compared to the full model lines we’ve previously covered. However, we can’t ignore the sheer performance of the Model S Plaid. When it launched for the 2021 model year, it made 1,020 horsepower and had a 0-60 time of basically 2 seconds. The Lucid Air Sapphire has since topped it in acceleration, but the Plaid is still absurdly quick. A later Track Package added upgrades such as carbon-ceramic brakes, allowing the Plaid to capture the electric sedan record at the Nürburgring.
The Plaid also boasted an impressively long range. The initial model-year version could go 348 miles on a charge, and next year, it added a version that could go 396 miles. Plus, owners had, and continues to have, access to the Tesla charging network. Adding to the car’s practicality are the liftback cargo lid and a frunk storage area.
The Plaid was launched alongside a general refresh of the Model S, which did update the interior a fair bit. However, it’s still the least luxurious interior of this group. The Plaid also initially came with a racecar-style steering yoke, rather than a traditional wheel. Since Tesla still used a fairly conventional steering ratio, this yoke was annoying for 90-degree and tighter turning.
We don’t have any pricing data for the Model S Plaid of any year. However, Kelley Blue Book estimates the price of a 2021 Plaid with no options, average mileage, and in good condition at between $48,880 and $54,080. So if you’re looking for the most power per dollar you can get, it’s almost impossible to beat the Plaid.
Source: US News and World Report, Kelley Blue Book
