It's not difficult to understand the mentality of someone who wants a brand-new car, especially when it's something well-priced and sensible, like a Honda Accord. Even in its top grade, as a hybridized Grand Touring model, the Accord sits at just $39,945 before dealer and destination fees. Not cheap, no, but it's roughly $10,000 cheaper than the average new car sold, and comes complete with a smattering of desirable niceties, plus the peace of mind that comes with a zero-mile, zero-owner, brand-new Honda.No matter how clever a decision just such a purchase might be, though, the cogs will always be whirring in the back of a gearhead's mind, thinking of everything else they could be driving away with for the same money. For this list, we are taking off the sensible khakis and instead looked at six heavily depreciated German sedans that could be had for the same price or less. Yes, the tech inside is older, the running costs could prove troublesome, and gas-station visits will be a daily affair, but is all that a price worth paying?The models highlighted for this piece are all available for less than the price of a brand-new, fully loaded Honda Accord. They are ordered by their current values, pulled from the CarBuzz Marketplace, with the most expensive appearing first. 2020 Audi S6 Current Price: $39,935 2020 Audi S6 Sedan front 1/4Many lust after the Audi RS6 Avant, with its hilariously powerful boosted V8 engine and surprisingly practical wagon body shape, but that doesn't mean the seldom-spotted 2020 S6 should go unnoticed. The CarBuzz Marketplace tool shows a fine 2020 example at just a few notes shy of $40,000, placing it right around what a fully-loaded 2026 Accord commands. Key Features Adjustable air suspension Optional 19-speaker Bang & Olufsen stereo system Soft-close doors As one would expect from a luxury sports sedan that commanded north of $70,000 when new, the S6 is loaded with standard and optional niceties. It is packed full of features and a level of quality that the Honda can't match. With 444 hp on tap, the S6 can show the Accord its taillights with ease, too.Where the Honda catches up is in ownership costs. Its average annual repair cost is only $400 according to RepairPal. On the other hand, even a base A6 sees this figure soar over $1,000, so use your imagination when estimating S6 costs. Spoiler: it's a lot. 2019 Porsche Panamera Current Price: $39,496 2019 Porsche PanameraThis one shouldn't be a hard sell. It's a Porsche for the same price as a Honda. Who cares if it's just a base 2019 Panamera? It's still a Porsche, and everything about it exudes excellence. The turbocharged V6 is docile compared to the S6's engine, but with 330 hp, the Accord can't keep up. Needless to say, the standard of materials used throughout will quickly embarrass the Honda too. Key Features Eight-way power-adjustable leather seats Panoramic sunroof 12.3-inch touchscreen RepairPal informs us that the Panamera would swallow up an average of $1,252 in repair and maintenance costs, which isn't great, at roughly three times more than the Accord.Porsche is pretty much in the business of building class-leading cars, and the Panamera of this era is no different. The 2019 GTS is about as perfect as sports sedans get, but in this price range you're not going to get that glorious, dirty-sounding twin-turbocharged V8. The base Panamera is equipped with a 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 borrowed from Audi, and while it is a decent engine viewed in isolation, it lacks character compared to the more advanced 2.9-liter hot-vee engine found in the Panamera 4S and several Audis.The problem with the base Panamera is not that the 3.0 V6 is bad, but rather that the rest of the car is so good. It provides only 330 hp in a car that was engineered to easily cope with more than 500. I don't know if this will make any sense, but the base Panamera is under-engined. You won't notice it on the daily commute (this is a family car, after all), but on those rare occasions when you don't have passengers and a nice road prevents itself, you'll wish you saved a bit more for an S badge.- Gerhard Horn, Senior Editor CarBuzzThe Panamera can only manage 22 mpg, whereas the range-topping Accord Touring Hybrid returns double that. Prospective buyers really have to weigh up how much that Porsche badge really means to them. 2017 Audi RS3 Current Price: $38,249 2017 Audi RS3 SedanThe 2017 Audi RS3 is a little, high-performance sedan that barely sneaks in under the budget. While the car is not cheap to run, it doesn't command as much annually as some of the bigger entries on this list. CarEdge reports that one would require around $3,327 in maintenance over five years, while an Accord would require $1,874. That's a difference of around $300 per year, which is tolerable, should you value the RS3's wild side. Key Features 12.3-inch digital instrument display 2.5-liter turbocharged engine, hooked up to quattro all-wheel drive Alcantara and leather trim throughout The diminutive RS model takes motivation from the legendary DAZA engine. In the 2017 RS3, it makes 400 hp and 354 lb-ft of torque, enough to propel the four-ringed model to 60 mph in around four seconds.Yes, you should buy an Audi RS3. The CLA45 AMG of the same vintage has an impressive four-cylinder that produces nearly 400 hp, and the M2 is rear-wheel drive, and you can have it with a manual gearbox. But you know what neither of these cars have? A five-cylinder engine that makes 1980s Group B rally noises. I don't care that it understeers on the limit. I'm willing to make that sacrifice so I can go through life pretending to be Stig Blomqvist, or Michèle Mouton when I'm having a good hair day.- Gerhard Horn, Senior Editor CarBuzzThe RS3 is not as spacious as the Accord, or as efficient, but it has already swallowed a big chunk of depreciation by this point. If RS3 figures remain fairly constant, it might actually be the wiser financial choice because CarEdge predicts a new Accord would lose 36% of its value in the first five years alone. Justify it however you like. 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE Sedan Current Price: $36,943 2023 - 2024 Mercedes-Benz EQE Sedan V295 (1st Gen) (24)Perhaps the wildcard of the bunch, but if the Honda's efficiency appeals, then the 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE 350+ could be the perfect depreciated German alternative. These things were $75,000 when new, so the fact that you can pick one up for practically half the original price just three years later is wonderful news. Unless you bought one new, that is. Key Features EPA-rated 305-mile driving range Optional massaging front seats Heavily depreciated and cheap to run The EQE is geared for comfort rather than performance. Premium materials are used throughout, although you don't find leather as standard here. Instead, Mercedes uses its synthetic alternative. Heated, cooled, power-adjustable, and electric everything is either standard or optional, and there's enough tech to keep most people confused for days. CarEdge predicts maintenance will cost just $465 per year for the first five years, which is close enough to the Accord's estimate, at just $90 higher. 2022 BMW M550i Current Price: $32,486 2023 BMW M550i xDriveDespite going up against RS, S, and AMG models, the 2022 BMW M550i is the most powerful Accord alternative to make this ranking. Calling it an Accord alternative seems wild, but with average selling costs sitting right around $32,500, it's actually way cheaper than a Grand Touring model. The 523 horsepower goes to all four wheels, and the output allows for a frankly astonishing 3.6-second run to 60 mph. Key Features Facelifted model, with refreshed exterior styling tweaks Rear-biased all-wheel drive system for surefootedness in adverse weather Available Nappa leather upholstery Accurate running and owning costs specifically for the M550i are hard to come by. Unless you harness the luck of a multiple lottery winner, the chances are it's going to cost a considerable amount more than any Accord to keep moving under its own steam. It managed just 20 mpg combined, which is great news for anyone looking to connect more with gas-station employees, but bad news for anyone looking to stretch their paycheck. 2021 Mercedes-AMG C43 Current Price: $30,487 2021 Mercedes-AMG C43 SedanThis little Mercedes might lack the big power of a C63, but if anything, that just makes it more appealing to most folk in the real world. It's understated, more affordable, more economical, but still more than sporting enough to put a smile on any gearhead's face. A twice-boosted 3.0-liter V6 churns out 385 hp, which isn't far off double what Honda's hybrid powertrain offers. It's roughly half as economical, though, so there's a disadvantage to opting for the more-exciting sedan. Key Features Sports seats and sporty steering wheel Red seat belts and a matching top marker on the steering wheel for an aggressive finish All-wheel drive and a silky-smooth nine-speed automatic RepairPal reports that annual maintenance bills can sit near $800, double that of the Accord. On the flip side, it's easy to see where the money goes on a car like this. The Mercedes sedan has fit and finish that is leagues better than what Honda can offer, and that's not to say Honda interiors are poor, more that Merc really goes the extra mile.The C43 makes me want to go back in time and kick myself. I was one of the people who wondered why a person would buy a mildly spicy AMG product with all-wheel drive. If you're going to buy an AMG, just work harder and buy the biturbo V8 C63 and eventually go through the pearly gates in a massive ball of fire, grinning from ear-to-ear. But then Mercedes-AMG introduced the current C43, which is infamously powered by a turbocharged four-cylinder that makes annoying boy-racer pops and bangs. The current C43 makes me miss the days of the old C43 and its twin-turbocharged V6. Like the Panamera, it's not equipped with the most charismatic V6 engine ever produced (that's Alfa's job), but it's leagues ahead of anything offered in the C-Class these days.- Gerhard Horn, Senior Editor CarBuzzAt $30,500 for a solid example today, the C43 has already shrugged off most of its depreciation, meaning buyers might not lose much at all on the purchase price over the next few years, which won't be the case with a new Accord of any grade.