Any Mercedes-Benz is a fine automobile and worthy of the very best care. In fact all it takes is a little extra care for the vehicle to retain more of its value. That’s important at trade-in time. There’s no better way to keep your fine machine looking “just waxed” and in mint condition than using a Mercedes-Benz car cover when the car is not in use.

To see how using a car cover will affect the resale value of your Mercedes-Benz you need to understand how the used car buying and selling industry valuates used cars. In most cases, buyers and sellers alike use the information published by Kelly Blue Book (KBB). The “Blue Book” value of any automobile is based on a condition grade of poor, fair, good or excellent. The value difference between a car in fair condition and the same automobile in good condition is typically $1,000 or more. On a recent model Mercedes-Benz the difference is much higher.

Let’s take a 2007 S550 sedan and use it as an example. With all other conditions being equal, a 2007 S550 sedan with an “excellent exterior” condition is valued $2,100 higher (5% of the value) than the same vehicle with an exterior in “good condition.” This is only a single example. In my research, I discovered other Mercedes-Benz models with a much higher value difference between excellent and good, including the incredible CL65 AMG Coupe. A 2008 CL65 AMG Coupe in perfect condition is valued at $98,530 but drops a whopping $4,900 (5% of the value) if the exterior condition is degraded to “good” condition. Only Lexus has a value drop close to the Mercedes-Benz line for minor discrepancies and damage to the paintwork. Could it be Mercedes-Benz’s new ceramic paint system that’s making the difference? I suspect that it is. Read the rest of this entry »