Mercedes-Benz Wins Residual Value Awards

MONTVALE, N.J., Aug. 8 -- For the second consecutive year, Mercedes-Benz vehicles have been recognized for their outstanding value with the Luxury Brand Residual Value Award from the Automotive Lease Guide (ALG). The award recognizes the automotive luxury brand as having the highest predicted resale value of all luxury vehicles. ADVERTISEMENT

"The awards are arrived at after careful study of segment competition, brand strength and quality, historical vehicle performance and industry trends," said John Blair, CEO for ALG. "Mercedes has consistently been amongst the top performers for value retention in the luxury category."

For customers, high residual values translate to lower lease payments and higher returns when reselling a vehicle. For over 100 years, Mercedes-Benz has provided value that endures, which is a testament to both the constant stream of innovative technology and classic designs of the vehicles in addition to the brand's continuous consumer appeal.

"Our approach to satisfying customers has historically been to offer great, desirable products with lasting value," says Dave Schembri, vice president of marketing for Mercedes-Benz USA. "We appreciate being officially acknowledged for something our customers have recognized for years."

In addition, as the individual luxury model with the highest predicted percentage of its original price, the Mercedes-Benz CLK coupe and cabriolet model line received the ALG's Luxury Car Residual Value Award for the fourth year in a row. Since the award's inception in 1999, the CLK has continuously distinguished itself as the luxury model with the best resale value.

The new generation of the CLK-Class is coming to showrooms later this month. When the model was introduced in 1997, it re-energized the coupe market by offering a sporty, fun-to-drive car designed specifically as a coupe. The U.S. has since become the premiere worldwide market for CLK sales.

Mercedes designers gave the all-new second-generation CLK a striking pillarless hardtop body unique in the segment. The CLK is also quickly identified by the new version of the traditional Mercedes coupe/roadster front-end design that places the three-pointed star in the center of a low and wide grille.

Mercedes-Benz USA, headquartered in Montvale, N.J., is responsible for the sales, service and marketing of Mercedes-Benz cars and light trucks in the United States. The company sold 206,638 vehicles through a nationwide network of over 300 retailers in the U.S. during 2001, setting the highest sales volume ever in its history.

Based in Santa Barbara, California, Automotive Lease Guide is a privately held company that has been forecasting automotive residual values for over 35 years in both the U.S. and Canadian markets.

For more information about the Automotive Lease Guide or the 2002 Residual Value Awards please visit http://www.alg.com.