Which BMW 7 Series trim depreciates the fastest?
As BMW’s flagship saloon car, the 7 Series is all about luxurious motoring with performance and the latest in-car technologies, all of which come at a rather steep price. We are going to determine which of the 2019 and 2020 7 Series models have depreciated the most since new.
Which BMW 7 Series trim depreciates the fastest?
Updated in 2019, the current generation 7 Series is not exactly a volume seller for the Bavarian brand, particularly with products like the X7 stealing sales from its sedan counterpart. At launch, there were four petrol-powered derivatives, one diesel and one plug-in hybrid model to choose from.
That being said, those in the market for a 7 Series will still be getting a phenomenal saloon car package, with many bits used by Rolls Royce for its luxury products. Models like the M760Li provide V12 excess in an era where the electric vehicle (EV) is gaining momentum, making the 7 Series a vestige of a time that is soon to be committed to the annals of history.
Our parameters for today’s depreciation comparison include a mileage restriction of 60 000km, model years 2019 and 2020 only and the requirement that there be at least three examples of each derivative with which to determine average depreciation. This excludes the 745Le xDrive models as there was only one listed for sale on AutoTrader at the time of writing.
It is important to remember that large luxury products like the 7 Series are particularly susceptible to immense depreciation due to a lack of demand and indeed because wealthy people tend to like brand new items. We must also consider the fact that many of these products will have been specified heavily with optional extras, driving up their initial cost price and creating the perception of better resale values.
2019 & 2020 BMW 740Li M Sport
New Price: R1 680 400
Average Current Price: R1 424 585
Value Retained: 84.77%
The most affordable 7 Series was also the most numerous among the examples found for this comparison. The average mileage of the 740i models was also a bit higher than other models, which is likely why it retains the least value within the range.
2019 & 2020 BMW 750Li M Sport xDrive
New Price: R2 181 500
Average Current Price: R2 079 433
Value Retained: 95.32%
The 750Li looks as if it retains value the best within the range, however, one of the three examples that qualified for the comparison was very highly specified and had low mileage, increasing the average value of this derivative dramatically.
2019 & 2020 BMW M760Li xDrive
New Price: R2 806 400
Average Current Price: R2 474 970
Value Retained: 88.19%
The monstrous V12 flagship within the 7 Series range is the last of its breed and appears to be holding its value very well indeed.
2019 & 2020 BMW 730Ld M Sport
New Price: R1 711 400
Average Current Price: R1 501 378
Value Retained: 87.72%
The sensible diesel model was the second most numerous variant found during our search and also had relatively high milage, on average.
Which one depreciates the fastest?
Looking at the data, it appears that the 750i M Sport xDrive model holds its value the best within the 7 Series range, however, factors such as mileage and the optional extras fitted to each vehicle are variables that are tough to account for when we have such a small sample size of niche vehicles.
