Should I buy a Mercedes-Benz S-Class or an Audi A8?

I would be grateful for your advice. I have a choice of Mercedes-Benz S 350 diesel, new at £57,000, or an Audi A8 SE 3.0 V6 diesel, which has done 4000 miles, was registered in June 2011 and is priced at £35,000. Which car should I go for in terms of value, running costs, prestige, driving pleasure, etc?

Asked on 16 February 2013 by NK, Leicester

Answered by Honest John
Obviously the Audi looks better value having already depreciated by between £18,000 and £27,860 (assuming no extras, and most are loaded with them). But you need to check exactly what you are getting because Glass's Guide lists no less than 12 different A8 3.0V6 TDI SEs either with front wheel drive and 204PS, or four wheel drive quattro and 250PS. If it’s a 250PS quattro, I'd go for the Audi. The car probably served the first year of its life on Audi's prestige car fleet taking celebrities to premieres, weddings and other events, so will have been kept immaculate.
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