As you may have noticed yesterday I was feeling a little under the weather, hence the lack of updates, for which I apologize. I'm feeling somewhat better today, but if the stories seem a tad bit shorter than usual, now you know my excuse.  But enough about me...

To get things started on this crisp February morning, DaimlerChrysler has put out a press release bragging of their sheer dominance in AutoBild's latest "Value Rankings" forecast.

If you unfamiliar with Value Rankings, basically it's a study performed by AutoBild that aims to calculate the prices that car owners could expect to sell their used car for in three years' time.

In the competition, four Mercedes models performed admirably, each earning top marks in the respective categories.  They are, drum roll please, the ML 320 CDI, with a residual value of 69.5%; the A 160, with a residual value of 67%; the S 320 CDI, with a residual value of 58%; and the R-Class, with a residual value of 62%.

In addition to the four previously mentioned models, three additional Mercedes also performed well, each taking the runner-up spots in their respective categories.  They are the SLK 200 KOMPRESSOR, the CLS 320 CDI and the B 150.  It is worth mentioning - although the SLK 200 KOMPRESSOR took second in its category, it's residual value of 71% still placed it second in the overall rankings of all vehicle categories, making it the highest ranked Mercedes in the competition.

For more info, check out the full press release below.


OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE


Mercedes-Benz emerges as clear winner at the head of the "Value Rankings 2006"

Stuttgart, Feb 03, 2006

Mercedes-Benz has comfortably topped the latest "Value Rankings" produced by German motoring magazine "Auto-Bild". According to the magazine's forecasts, the Mercedes SLK 200 KOMPRESSOR, ML 320 CDI and A 160 offer the best value retention on the used car market.

In partnership with a market research institute, "Auto-Bild" produced value retention forecasts for a total of 36 car models covering twelve different vehicle categories. To do this, the experts calculated the prices that car owners could expect to sell their used car for in three years' time.

With a total of nine ranked models in all, Mercedes-Benz emerged as the undisputed winner. Four Mercedes models came top of their respective categories: the residual value of 69.5 per cent for the new ML 320 CDI does not just place it at the top of the SUV category, it also makes it one of the cars with the highest value retention in Germany across all vehicle categories as a whole. The experts also predict that the new R-Class - which, like the ML 320 CDI, is equipped with a V6 diesel engine and standard-specification particulate filter - will have an above-average residual value of 62 per cent three years from now, making the Grand Sports Tourer the winner of the "MPV" category.

Owners of the A 160 will be able to sell it for as much as 67 per cent of its purchase price. This figure outstrips the three-year residual values for the other compact models, placing the compact Mercedes-Benz at the top of its category in the "Value Rankings 2006".

In the luxury category, the new S 320 CDI was ranked as the saloon with the highest value retention. According to "Auto-Bild's" estimates, this top-of-the-range diesel model from the Stuttgart car maker will make around 58 per cent of its original purchase price after three years, considerably more than other similar saloons.

The Mercedes SLK 200 KOMPRESSOR, CLS 320 CDI and B 150 also emerged as high-flyers in the experts' residual value forecasts, with each ranking 2nd in its respective category. Furthermore, the residual value of 71 per cent for the SLK sports car secured it second place in the overall ranking for all vehicle categories, making it one of the most stable investments on this year's car market.

Copyright © 2006, DaimlerChrysler AG