The used car market is slowly getting used hybrids coming in and it ranges from the simple Honda Insight to the more complex Mercedes-Benz E300 Blutec hybrid.
The asking prices are quite tempting, but will you risk purchasing a used hybrid when you know sometime in the next few years you will have to change the hybrid battery pack? Here is what we suggest.
There are certain questions that you should ask a seller before you purchase a used hybrid. They are general questions that you may have posed for regular vehicles. However, there is only so much that a seller will know about their hybrid. For instance, they are not going to be able to tell you how long the battery pack will last. So, you have to assume that at some point, that it will need to be changed no matter what they tell you.
For example, the 2011 A6 Hybrid uses a 2.0-litre TFSI petrol engine mated to an electric motor. it can drive almost two miles on electric power alone and hit 60mph in 7.3 seconds, as well as averaging 44.1mpg on a good day. However all these figures was when it was new and now some years later the performance could be marginally lower and ‘wear and tear’ parts after 8-years could cost more than you expect. Used prices today range from RM62,000 to RM76,000 and there is plenty of room to bargain.
The 2015 Mercedes E300 Bluetech Hybrid new selling price was RM338,888.00. At the time the petrol driven locally assembled Mercedes-Benz E200K was selling for RM340,000.00, the very popular locally assembled BMW 520 diesel was selling for RM368,888.00. It sold out in weeks.
This Mercedes E300 Hybrid is now starting to come into the used car market and its prices are more than 70% lower after 4-years. A quick run of the online classifieds show that owners are trying to get between RM110k to RM115k with ample room to negotiate.
So, if you are still keen to buy a unit, make sure the first owner purchased the extended battery warranty that Mercedes Benz Malaysia offered to owners at just a tad below RM2,688 for an additional 4 years. This means this 2015 hybrid battery is covered by warranty until 2023. If not, the replacement hybrid battery pricing is close to RM70,000! Which is the used price of an Audi A6 hybrid.
So, are you willing to venture into this segment tomorrow?
