by A nearly new Mercedes SUV failed to get close to its starting price at auction, falling short by almost $20,000.
Bidding for the black GLS450 in AMG Line trim stopped at $77,200 this week.
Had the car sold for that amount, every kilometer it had traveled would have cost its former owner $1,500.
New cars depreciate quickly during their first year, but the biggest drop occurs before they even drive the first kilometer. A car’s value decreases the moment the paperwork is signed for the new owner, as this Mercedes SUV case proved.
A review of the 2025 model, recently listed on his Cars & Bids online auction, appeared on Doug DeMuro’s YouTube channel. However, buyers weren’t interested in the offer, and the maximum bid was only $77,178—$20,767 less than the starting price of $97,945. The deal did not go through due to the presence of a reserve price.
The low demand is certainly not related to mileage—since its purchase in January of this year, the SUV has only traveled 23 km, which is perfectly normal for a new car.
The car’s condition is pristine, as it has hardly been used. The GLS 450 is equipped with a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six engine with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system, producing 375 horsepower and 500 Nm of torque. It accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.8 seconds—a respectable figure for a large SUV with a base engine.
Photo: Cars & Bids
Although this model has the standard engine, its equipment is far from basic. The price of a GLS 450 without additional options is $90,350, but this particular example came with the AMG Line package for $3,250, the Night Package for $400, a head-up display for $1,100, and 22-inch AMG wheels for $1,350, bringing the total to $97,945.
Representatives from Cars & Bids are trying to negotiate between the seller and the highest bidder. If a deal is struck close to the maximum bid of $77,718, the new owner will get a practically new Mercedes for about 20% less than the showroom price.
However, the buyer shouldn’t expect too much of a bargain—Mercedes will soon unveil an updated version of the model with star-shaped daytime running lights and a full-width digital instrument panel, which might have been one of the reasons for the weak demand for this particular example.
