What Car? Q&A - Is there a new E-Class on the way?

Q: I'm considering buying a Mercedes , but would like to know if there are any plans to launch a new model. I'm concerned that residuals will fall away if a new model is launched before I come to sell, probably in three years' time.
Paul Brundell

A: A face-lifted version of the E-Class will be unveiled soon, perhaps at the Geneva Motor Show in March, and go on sale in the UK in the next few months.

This will make any current model you buy now look older, so when you come to sell it in around three years it will be worth a little less.

The all-new, next-generation version of the car is tipped to arrive in late 2008 and will also push down the residual values of both the current E-Class and the face-lifted model.

We'd recommend that you wait two or three months for the face-lifted model to arrive – it'll pay off in the long run.