There are plenty of reasons to want a luxury vehicle, whether you’re trying to impress coworkers and neighbors or you spend a lot of time behind the wheel and want a plush interior that makes driving more pleasant. But, generally speaking, there’s just one factor that prevents drivers from going down the luxury path: money. Luckily, you don’t have to buy a brand-new luxury car or SUV and go into sticker shock when you spot the price tag; you can turn to used models to get more bang for your buck and drive away in a premium vehicle that won’t quite break the bank.
In this list, we’re going to comb through what you might find when shopping for a used Mercedes-Benz for sale and highlight some of the models that offer the best value. We’ll give you specific model years to keep an eye out for, with advice on what you’ll get if you find something a little older or newer that catches your eye. Armed with this information, you can find a used Mercedes that elevates your driving experience without driving yourself into debt.
#1 – C-Class
The S-Class is the brand’s flagship sedan, a full-size model that looks great, performs well, and is loaded with tech, but it also has a starting price of over $100k. Even the savings you get from buying used will keep a newish S-Class out of reach for many drivers. But don’t despair—you can turn to the C-Class for similar benefits in a smaller package that cuts the price of the S-Class roughly in half. Like its big brother, the C-Class offers a quiet and well-appointed interior, sporty driving dynamics, and a smart sense of style.
For the 2024 model year, this compact car dropped some of its variants, becoming a sedan only. But when you’re buying used, you can also find coupe and convertible (or “Cabriolet” as Mercedes calls it) body styles. We would recommend looking for a 2020 or 2021 model: blind-spot monitoring was made a standard feature for 2020, while a large digital gauge cluster and heated front seats became standard on all trims for 2021. If these features aren’t must-haves for you, or you can afford a higher trim level that included them earlier, you can go as far back as the 2015 model year to stay in the same generation. Stray to 2014 or earlier, and you’ll find a more dated exterior and lower fuel economy, while 2022 models and newer are more modern but more expensive.
#2 – EQS Sedan
If a compact sedan won’t cut it and you’re in the market for a full-size sedan, you have two options: the aforementioned S-Class and the all-electric EQS. We’d recommend the latter, which tends to have a lower entry-level starting price than its gas-powered counterpart and will save you more money over time by letting you skip the pump and fill up at home. Cost aside, the electric powertrain is smooth, nearly silent, and supplies tons of torque quickly for lightning-fast acceleration. On the inside, you’ll find a futuristic interior with tech that outshines what you’ll find in an S-Class from the same model year.
The EQS is the first Mercedes EV, but it’s still fairly new, so we recommend going back to the 2022 model year if you can. This is the year the model debuted, and it made a bang with a large array of screens covering almost the entire length of the dashboard, a range of 350 or 340 miles (depending on whether you get rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive), and advanced safety features that go beyond the usual lineup with innovative technologies like air chambers in the side bolsters of the seats designed to move the driver and front passenger away from an imminent side impact before it occurs. If you find newer used models that catch your fancy, there’s no reason to count them out—subsequent model years added more mid-level trims and an updated regenerative braking system, making them well worth checking out if you can find them.
#3 – GLB
Fitting between the GLA and GLC, the GLB is a compact SUV that’s versatile and practical while still offering the Mercedes brand of luxury. Its boxy shape helps it provide headroom for passengers and plenty of space for cargo, its powertrain is responsive and reasonably efficient for the class, and it can be had with either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. Surprisingly, for a model of its size, the GLB can also be had with a third row of seating. While the space in this row is unsurprisingly tight, it can still come in handy for families with kids or for driving large groups of people short distances without needing to split into two cars.
The GLB debuted for the 2020 model year and didn’t receive a significant upgrade until 2024 when it got a fresh design for its front end, improved standard tech inside, and a mild-hybrid powertrain. That puts all models from 2020-2023 on a roughly even playing ground, giving you plenty of options to choose from on a used car lot. But if we had to choose, we’d go for the 2021 model year, which is old enough to be an affordable option but has a leg up over the 2020 model because it has standard blind spot monitoring, which can come in handy on the highway.
#4 – G-Class
Like the Jeep it resembles, the Mercedes G-Class has a storied history: it started life as a military vehicle in the 1970s, it’s been a Popemobile, and it’s shown off its athletic prowess as an off-road racer. It started bringing more luxury to the table in the 1990s but has continued to deliver off-road action all the while. Offering a unique blend of rugged capability and high-end luxury, the G-Class isn’t for everyone but has a lot to offer if you like what it brings to the table.
The G-Class continued to be largely based on the original 1979 model for a long time––right up through the 2018 model year. If you’re an enthusiast, you might be willing to put up with its unrefined manners on paved roads to get the more traditional model. However, other drivers will want to stick to 2019 and newer models, which are much more pleasant on the pavement thanks to a lower center of gravity and an updated suspension system, and still have the equipment and build necessary to hit the trails.
#5 – A-Class
You won’t find the A-Class in the new inventory of an American Mercedes dealer these days. It was discontinued after the 2022 model year. However, a used model will fit the bill if you want a truly entry-level option. This compact sedan was the most affordable car in the Mercedes lineup when it was in production, and it’s even more reasonably priced used. Plus, its fuel economy is still solid by 2024 standards, so it won’t leak money over time by making you stop too often at the gas station.
While its powertrain isn’t the sportiest, it’s responsive and delivers a good ride. The interior has been designed to provide as much space as possible given the restraints of the car’s size, and it does a solid job, even providing more passenger space than the slightly larger CLA-Class. Very few changes were made to this model during its limited run in America, so you can consider any used model you come across, looking at the details to narrow things down.
