Quote:
Originally Posted by Graham
That doesn't seem right. What is important to a buyer, is how much they have to shell out for the car. Various things like exchange rates may be factor that cause the price to be set a certain level, but the buyer could care less.
What is important, is Purchasing Power. IOW, what the buyer in 1985 could have bought with their $32k vs what they could buy now for $56k. The Big Mac can be used to illustrate this. 1985 price was $1.69 (300D = 19,035 Big Macs) 2013 price is/was $4.37 (E25=12,815 Big Macs). Ratio 2.586. On this basis, a $32,000 300D would be $82,750 today.
I agree there is no comparing the 1985 300D and 2014 E250 - You can't buy a brand new 1985 W123 anywhere.
The e250 is obviously a much more sophisticated car and beats the venerable 300D on all counts (cost, performance, noise, fuel economy, road handling, comfort, audio!, and... ) Not for simplicity and perhaps longevity which is still to be determined. Same is true for all modern cars.
BTW: I have owned my 85 300D for 23 years!
|
Just noticed you're in Canada - in that case, since your goods costs on average are A LOT more - maybe your old 300D was priced a lot higher when new, than U.S. MB imports. I don't see where your belief that it would sell for "$75K-$80K today," has any basis whatsoever. I don't think you could sell a 30 year old car as new anyway, were you a manufacturer. No airbags, no ABS, poor-fuel mileage, etc. etc.....really, no semblance in any way of the 2014 MB diesel cars. If you think you can get that amount for one, I doubt and would be skeptical you'd get anywhere near that? Today, those average $2K to $3K cars tops.....
The 2014 E250 is the biggest bargain going, when you compare what I paid for ANY of what my MBs in the past 30 years cost new. Heck, the old '99 E300TD I bought new sold for nearly $50K turnkey, and that was 15-years ago!
Just a magnificently terrific car, the 2014 E250! I'd love to own one, all things considered. Just unparelled, in trying to do any comparative basis' with any 1/4 to 1/2 century old relics many on their last legs still puttering around in North America......