Audi is VW's lower-luxury arm though isn't it. Much of that Audi may be VW parts but nobody spends £55k on a Passat. It's certainly where they make their money, main dealer margins are far thinner these days than we peasants outside believe.

And then get yourself a nice used one for about £8k. Am waiting for my F-i-L to pass on his lovely and well specced A6 Avant which he pre-ordered.....

Like I said, it's VW's low-luxury arm. By low luxury I mean an A8 is a very poor mans Bentley - which VW also own.

The most stark example of this trend is probably vans. Vans are expensive, yet they're very simple things. This is what economics folk will call 'commercial value.'

if large 4 x 4 saloons are your thing

They are. They certainly are.

One of my MB's (had 3 at the time) came with a complete and full history incl the original invoice.

It was a 1995 E320 estate, facelift W124 for those interested.

Basic car was £31k, extras (still many more if you were inclined) came to £19k so a medium sized estate cost exactly £50k back then.

Interestingly nearly all the expensive extras such as climate failed at least once during the cars life and off the top of me head cost the first owner around another £20k in servicing and repair costs over an 8 year period...amazing considering the bills involved yet the (second especially) main dealer never failed to charge for every little item incl washer fluid and items costing pence, the first owner moved from Anglia to the West Country half way through the cars life, the bills were noticeably heavier at the new dealership.

That car was my first and only dabble into a car loaded with questionable and unecessary (to me) extras, if i wanted a car with lots of goodies it would have to be Japanese or as is my present fortune to have the services of a good make specialist indy on tap if a German marque.