Best Value Cars
Gallery 4
The dominant Germans have been upstaged by Lexus
1. Lexus GS300h TRADITIONAL Lexus qualities such as a 12-month service interval and a four-year warranty team with newfound polish and appeal in the Japanese brand’s fourth-gen GS series. The luxo sedan brings a beautifully crafted interior, greatly improved (though still not fantastic) chassis dynamics and, as our calculations reveal, a class-leading value equation.
The four-cylinder hybrid GS, at 5.2L/100km on the combined cycle, brings diesel-rivalling fuel efficiency and the brand’s hard-won reputation for reliability is reflected in a 56 percent three-year retained value. Meanwhile, the fact the GS300h was the priciest to insure, at $1582, failed to unravel its ultimately successful tilt at Gold Star glory.
2. Mercedes-Benz E220 CDI OUTDONE by the Lexus on some counts, but the Mercedes’ three-year resale – top-of-the-class at 61 percent – counts for plenty if you turn your car over often.
3. BMW 520i BMW’s entry-level large sedan performed well everywhere for a close-run third. Condition-based servicing a best-case scenario because it means the minimum number of trips to the mechanic.
| Premium Largeu00a0 | Purchase Price | Comb. Fuel (L/100km) | Fuel RON (min. rec.) | 3-year fuel cost | Redbook resale (%) | 3-year deprec. | AAMI insurance prem. | Service interval (months) | Warranty (years) |
| Lexus GS300h | $78,163 | 5.2 | 95 | $3160 | 56 | $34,392 | $1582.21 | 12 | 4 |
| Mercedes-Benz E220 CDI | $82,900 | 4.9 | D | $2961 | 61 | $32,331 | $1370.68 | 12 | 3 |
| BMW 520i | $80,400 | 6.2 | 98 | $3982 | 58 | $33,768 | $1397.90 | 12 | 3 |
Notable classmates: Audi A6 2.0 TDI, Jaguar XF 2.0T Luxury / Number of cars crunched: 5
