Audi e-tron is a depreciation kingGas prices have exploded in the last month, and chances are you're looking for something to alleviate the pain of this fuel crisis. You could do a lot worse than a 2021 Audi e-tron. This was Audi's first real dip into the EV market, and the naming convention was a bit confusing. The company was putting all of its electrification efforts under the e-tron banner, having launched the plug-in hybrid A3 Sportback e-tron in 2013 and dabbled with an R8 e-tron electric supercar in 2015. It was the 2019 Audi e-tron, a mid-sized crossover based on the Volkswagen MLB Evo platform, that pushed the company into serious BEV territory. Audi further muddied the waters by launching the Porsche Taycan-based e-tron GT in 2021. Oh, you have an e-tron? What kind?There isn't much about this particular e-tron that makes it stand out among a field of EVs, even its contemporaries. It isn't the fastest, most efficient, nor does it have the longest range, but it just might be the depreciation king. This car was over $80,000 out the door when it was brand new just five years ago, and according toKelly Blue Book, you can get one now for less than a quarter of that amount. Fair purchase prices range between $20,700 and $25,200 for the standard e-tron (depending on trim level), and the Sportback model adds a premium of about $2k on the bottom end of that spectrum. With a stylish exterior and typically Audi luxury interior, it was a reasonably quick seller in those first couple of years. It was, famously, the most registered car in Norway for the calendar year 2020, after all. Following a facelift in 2022, this car changed its name to the slightly less confusing Q8 e-tron. The car ended production in 2025 with the closure of the Belgian facility that built them. Audi said the car could be revived by moving production to North America last summer, but hasn't said more about it since. What are the specs?Audi e-tron crossover in front of some stepsBefore you dash off to buy a heavily depreciated five-year-old German electric vehicle, you should probably know more about it, so let's touch on the details. For the 2021 model year, Audi gave the e-tron a bit more range to be competitive in the market, but five years is a long time in EV development, and this thing has been left in the dust by basically every other EV on the market. The 2021 e-tron carries around a 95 kWh battery pack that is good for a rated 218-222 miles of range. When it was new, the battery could be charged from zero to 80% in about 30 minutes on a 150 kW DC fast charger. Level 2 charging at home would get your e-tron from flat to full in a little under 10 hours. These aren't exactly mind-blowing stats, and the range may have degraded a bit over time if previous owners didn't properly charge the vehicle, but if you have an average American commute of about 12 miles, this will more than suffice for all of your daily needs. In fitting Audi fashion, the e-tron is imbued with Quattro all-wheel drive on all trim levels, in this case due to a single motor on each of the axles, front and rear. In "boost mode," Audi rated the system horsepower at 402 ponies, with a hearty 490 lb-ft of torque to go along with it. It could sprint from 0-60 in just 5.5 seconds. That seems pretty good for a large family crossover. How much can you actually buy one for?Audi e-tron driving down a city streetThese specs might not have been what customers were looking for with an $80,000 expenditure back in 2021, but buying a used Audi e-tron today is a relative bargain, assuming you can deal with the short range. According to KBB, these machines have lost approximately 63% of their value just in the last three years, carrying a resale value of just $19,450 and a trade-in value of an appalling $15,000. If you bought one brand new, you're probably better off just driving it until the wheels come off at this point, your trade-in is basically worthless. Heck, if you got a loan five years ago, you're probably still paying a monthly payment on it and owe more than its value. And to make matters worse, KBB says the car will just keep depreciating in the next few years, with a projected value of just $13,678 by 2028. Doing some cursory searching, I was able to find a few 2021 model year Audi e-trons for even less than the Kelly Blue Book value, admittedly with some miles on the odometer. This white example in Columbus, Ohio, with 88,777 miles is just $16,500 for example. Similarly, this Siam Beige Metallic example in Lindon, Utah, has 84,762 miles on the clock, and the dealer wants just $15,995 for it. Considering the e-tron has replaceable battery modules and top-quality German engineering with a super comfortable interior, this is an EV I'd take a risk on, especially at these ridiculously low prices. What do you think, is this the kind of depreciation you're willing to gamble on? Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox, and add us as a preferred search source on Google.
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