10 Luxury Cars with the Highest Residual Value

2018 BWM M550i X Drive front ・ Photo by BMW

Especially for lease customers, the luxury cars with the highest residual values offer a noticeable financial benefit: lower monthly payments. That’s because, with leased vehicles, you’re mostly paying for the depreciation. And a higher residual value is usually a direct reflection of lower levels of depreciation. In the same way, buying a new car with a high residual value has a nice advantage as well. It means your vehicle will be worth more money when you trade it in.

As for what does into depreciation, this is where things get tricky. There are some objective factors to take into account, like a vehicle’s long-term dependability. But you also have to take into account different models' popularity. We looked at all of that and more, including checking in with top online data sources, to find you the 10 luxury cars with the highest resale value. 

2018 Porsche 911

Expensive, reliable, and backed by a devoted fanbase, the 2018 Porsche 911 brings incredible performance and high desirability. In fact, the new GT2 RS model recently set a new record with the fastest lap time ever for a 911 on the Nurburgring racecourse.

But not only is Porsche’s sporty icon faster than many racecars, it’s a lot more comfortable inside. Earning its premium credibility, the 911 is available with a handcrafted cabin that boasts rich leather appointments. It’s also worth noting that at least one 911 model may show no depreciation at all. With global production restricted to 500 units, the Turbo S Coupe will be so exclusive that its value may even go up after its sale.

Photo by Porsche

2018 Genesis G80

A fresh choice among luxury cars with high resale values is the 2018 Genesis G80. Genesis is Hyundai's new stand-alone premium division, and the G80 is the brand’s upscale mid-size sedan. Yet it does carry on at least one tradition from the company’s mainstream efforts: a focus on value, both retained and otherwise.

The G80 then checks in with luxe details such as standard heated front seats with soft leather surfaces. For high-end options, shoppers can look forward to heated and ventilated 14-way power-adjustable seats, heated rear seats, and a heated multi-function steering wheel. Carbon fiber, matte-finish wood, and contrast stitching are also available to upgrade the cabin.

Photo by Genesis

2018 Porsche Panamera

For the luxury cars with the highest residual value and the highest top speed, Porsche also has a four-door alternative to the 911. True, the 2018 Panamera Turbo can’t quite match the 911 Turbo at the upper end. Porsche’s premium sedan can “only” reach 190 mph in that trim, while the comparable 911 is just two miles short of the 200-mph club.

But both Porsches retain their value well over the years, due to both the brand’s long-running popularity and its new-found performance in third-party reliability surveys. Notably, Porsche has spent three years as one of the top two brands in the J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study.

Photo by Porsche

2018 Audi A4 Allroad

By definition, the luxury cars with the highest residual value can provide an extensive range of uplevel content. The 2018 Audi A4 allroad, however, builds on that advantage with surprising capabilities. Thanks to its station wagon body style, the A4 Allroad can handle 24.2 cubic feet of gear behind its rear seat and 58.5 with the back row folded.

Meanwhile, the “Allroad” in the car’s name refers to its ability to handle challenging travel conditions. Certainly helping in that regard are an extra 1.3 inches of ground clearance over the A4 sedan and standard “Quattro” all-wheel drive. The A4 Allroad also offers the kind of advanced technology today that will remain popular tomorrow — when it’s time to calculate residual values.

Photo by Audi

2018 Lexus GS

The 2018 Lexus GS is a proven value-holder in the premium mid-size sedan segment. The Lexus reputation for resale value is a given for the GS, but the car also brings a long track record of third-party kudos for reliability. These include three straight segment victories in the J.D Power Vehicle Dependability Study and top marks for predicted reliability from Consumer Reports.

Also boosting resale value for the GS is a comprehensive package of standard safety content. Among the highlights are a forward-collision warning with pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, and lane-keeping assistance.

Photo by Lexus

2018 Audi A7

The "four rings brand" has another resale winner: The 2018 Audi A7 joins the A4 Allroad with another similarity beyond an impressive ability to retain its value on the secondary market. We’re talking about Audi’s “Quattro” all-wheel drive system, which comes standard on both vehicles.

That said, the A7 stands out as a sleek fivedoor with nearly full-size exterior dimensions. It's not lacking in luxury features, right on up to massage-function leather-covered heated and ventilated seats. Plus, since the car’s selection of wood, leather and carbon-fiber cabin accents isn’t likely to go out of style anytime soon, the A7 should remain in demand among used-vehicle shoppers. Both traits are vital for retained value.

Photo by Audi

2018 Lexus LS

The Lexus LS has been a rock-solid choice for strong retained value for years. The 2018 LS, though, supplies a feature long missing from past generations: an emotionally engaging design. This all-new model has no problems in that department, since it borrows its futuristic style language from Lexus's striking LC coupe.

Furthermore, the LS 500h version borrows its powertrain from the hybrid edition of that coupe to provide an exclusive combination of performance and efficiency. To be exact, the LS 500h delivers up to 354 horsepower, sprints from 0-60 in 5.1 seconds, and earns fuel-economy grades of 25 mpg city/33 mpg highway/28 mpg combined.

Photo by Lexus

2018 Acura TLX

In doing research for today’s list of luxury cars with the highest residual value, we noticed an interesting factoid. It turns out that some models of the 2018 Acura TLX can outperform a comparable BMW 3 Series in this category. Of course, the two vehicles aren’t exactly comparable: The Acura is a mid-size sedan and the BMW is a compact. Yet beating the German benchmark is a significant achievement for the TLX, and it’s a key selling point for customers.

TLX owners can enjoy a fair number of sophisticated technologies, too, including an all-wheel-steering system that can adjust the individual angles of the rear wheels for enhanced handling. Enhancing the car’s stylish design are exotic cues such as "jewel eye" LED headlights.

Photo by Miles Branman

2018 BMW 5 Series

From the 2018 BMW 5 Series lineup, we’re particularly enamored with the new M550i xDrive sedan, which hits the sweet spot between less powerful models and the racetrack-ready M5.

For a starting point, the M550i packs a serious punch with a 4.4-liter turbocharged V8. This engine serves up 456 horsepower and 480 pound-feet of torque while enabling 0-60 times of under four seconds — making it the fastest 5 Series model yet. It also may be the most luxurious, thanks to features like its standard 20-way power-adjustable seats. Those can be further complemented by heat, ventilation, and a massage function.

Photo by BMW

2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Though it's the last car on our list, the 2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class is a first-class option for a flagship-style ownership experience. Oh, and there is one other thing: When you’re paying more than six figures for a sedan, depreciation will take a bigger bite out of your car’s value on an absolute cash basis. But percentage-wise, the S-Class more than holds its own.

At the same time, it showcases an opulent, hand-tailored cabin with nothing less than “a tantalizing array of exotic, handcrafted wood trim options and aluminum accents.” That stuff should be equally tantalizing on the secondary market, which should boost the S-Class' retained value accordingly.

Photo by Mercedes-Benz