October Market Report: A Quiet Start to Autumn
Market Overview October 2026
After September’s strong recovery we expected a counter-move. It hasn’t arrived. The market is entering autumn remarkably calmly: the W124 adds another 3.0% to €12,648, the E38 sits essentially level with the September report at €15,042, and the Z3 even gains 3.1% at the end of its season. What is being unwound are last month’s overshoots: the E46 gives back 3.2% after its +20.2% jump, the E36 exactly 6.6% after +9.9%. The only genuine collapse hits the W220 — more on that below.
New in this report is the Median column — the middle price, below which half of all listings sit. Where average and median diverge sharply, a few expensive cars are pulling the average up. The Trend column shows the calculated price movement per 30 days across the last 180 days, the same figure we show on our model pages. All data as of 22 September 2026.
BMW Market Report
The classics hold, the volume models hand back part of their September gains:
| Model | Average | Median | Δ Sept. report | Trend (180 days) | Listings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E38 7 Series | €15,042 | €14,750 | → +0.2% | −€480/30 d | 87 |
| E39 5 Series | €7,530 | €5,400 | ↑ +3.8% | +€69/30 d | 88 |
| E46 3 Series | €8,800 | €6,450 | ↓ −3.2% | +€168/30 d | 49 |
| E36 3 Series | €9,855 | €8,990 | ↓ −6.6% | +€201/30 d | 55 |
| E30 3 Series | €20,887 | €18,900 | ↑ +1.2% | −€411/30 d | 58 |
| Z3 | €16,154 | €13,990 | ↑ +3.1% | −€46/30 d | 92 |
| E39 M5 | €36,595 | €38,700 | ° | +€71/30 d | 56 |
The E38 is the month’s most interesting case: at €15,042 the price level is unchanged against the September report, yet the 180-day trend still points firmly down at −€480 per month — the weakest figure in the brand. Translated: the current standstill is a pause in a downtrend, not a turning point. The median of €14,750 sits close to the average, and supply remains broad at 87 listings. The E39 gains 3.8% to €7,530 and, with 88 listings, remains the everyday youngtimer with the widest choice; its median of €5,400 shows that half of all 5 Series can be had below €5,500.
The compacts are correcting: the E46 gives back 3.2% to €8,800, the E36 6.6% to €9,855. In both cases the September jump was a supply effect rather than a demand surge — their 180-day trends (+€168 and +€201 per month) nevertheless remain the strongest in the brand. The E30 market has cleaned itself up: September’s €69,999 top listing is gone, the most expensive car now sits at €56,900, and the average still edges up to €20,887. The Z3 gains 3.1% against the season to €16,154 across 92 listings; its median of €13,990 reveals that the move comes from the top — M models and coupés up to €52,900 are pulling the average. For an ordinary 1.9 or 2.8, the median is the better guide.
° For these models we have been capturing considerably more listings since mid-September; a percentage comparison with the September report would be misleading. We show the 180-day trend instead.
Mercedes-Benz Market Report
The classics hold their ground, the younger sedans carry the correction:
| Model | Average | Median | Δ Sept. report | Trend (180 days) | Listings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W124 E-Class | €12,648 | €9,900 | ↑ +3.0% | +€33/30 d | 87 |
| W140 S-Class | €15,392 | €13,375 | ↓ −1.6% | −€129/30 d | 88 |
| W126 S-Class | €19,786 | €15,500 | ↓ −2.3% | +€268/30 d | 66 |
| W220 S-Class | €7,295 | €5,400 | ↓ −24.4%* | −€586/30 d | 41 |
| W211 E-Class | €8,005 | €4,999 | ↑ +1.5%* | −€53/30 d | 56 |
| R107 SL | €34,971 | €32,700 | ° | −€343/30 d | 64 |
| R129 SL | €25,870 | €24,500 | ↑ +2.7% | −€38/30 d | 68 |
* New in the report; change against our data from 1 September 2026.
The W124 confirms its September rise: +3.0% to €12,648 with supply unchanged at 87 listings. The median of €9,900 is the more honest yardstick for a well-kept 230 E or 300 E — the gap to the average comes from collector cars up to €42,500. The W140 eases slightly (−1.6% to €15,392) across a steady 88 listings, as does the W126 (−2.3% to €19,786) — although the latter has the brand’s strongest 180-day trend at +€268 per month, and the distance to its €15,500 median shows that coupés and 560s are doing the pulling.
The outlier of this report is the W220 S-Class: €7,295 on average, 24.4% below our 1 September data. The reason is in the range — the most expensive listing then stood at €39,900, today at €24,000. The top cars have sold through, what remains is a market with a €5,400 median in which buyers price electronics and Airmatic risk in without mercy. At −€586 per month, the W220 is also the weakest model in the entire report. The W211 E-Class, by contrast, stays stable (+1.5% to €8,005). Among the roadsters the R129 is firm (+2.7% to €25,870) and its entry point has risen again, from €7,000 to €9,999. The R107 sits at €34,971, with a €78,000 top listing lifting the average — the median of €32,700 is the realistic mark.
Audi Market Report
Our data basis for Audi has widened sharply since the September report — we now capture considerably more listings for almost every model. Percentage comparisons are therefore dropped, except for the RS2:
| Model | Average | Median | Δ Sept. report | Trend (180 days) | Listings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C4 A6 | €7,244 | €3,683 | ° | +€172/30 d | 60 |
| C6 A6 | €4,481 | €3,999 | ° | +€93/30 d | 53 |
| D2 A8 | €6,720 | €5,250 | ° | −€211/30 d | 57 |
| 8N TT | €5,889 | €4,725 | ° | −€182/30 d | 75 |
| RS4 B5 | €47,868 | €48,500 | ° | +€590/30 d | 57 |
| RS2 | €60,962 | €65,000 | ↑ +7.0% | −€349/30 d | 34 |
The C4 A6 produces the report’s most striking number: a €7,244 average against a €3,683 median. Two markets exist side by side here — worn-out diesel saloons at €2,000 to €4,000, and well-kept Avants, S6s and quattro models up to €29,000. The C6 A6 remains the high-mileage pick: €4,481 on average with 258,183 km on the clock, and only a single listing above €10,000. The D2 A8 costs €6,720 (median €5,250), clearly cheaper than its contemporaries W140 and E38 — though at 284,723 km on average it has also covered considerably more ground.
With 75 listings, the 8N TT is the most widely offered Audi in this report; €5,889 on average and a €4,725 median make it the cheapest sporting entry in this overview — we will look at it in detail next week. The investment tier stays firm: for the RS4 B5, average (€47,868) and median (€48,500) almost coincide — a mature, transparent market, and at +€590 per month the strongest trend in the report. The RS2 gains 7.0% to €60,962; its median of €65,000 sits above the average because a handful of project cars from €2,599 drag the mean down.
Seasonal Patterns and Mileage
For Mercedes and Audi this is the first October in our data series — reliable autumn patterns so far exist only for BMW, and they are instructive: last year the E38 was still 2.5% above its annual average in October, then fell 21.7% below it in November and 23.2% in December. The E39 (December −10.3%), the E46 (November −8.8%) and the E30 (November −7.2%) showed the same pattern in milder form. Experience says the seasonal low for BMW sedans is not October but November and December.
Mileage remains the most reliable price driver:
- Roadsters: R107 ~123,000 km, R129 ~132,000 km, Z3 ~129,000 km — enthusiast cars on seasonal registration
- Classic sedans: E36 ~150,000 km, E30 ~161,000 km, W124 ~163,000 km, E46 ~172,000 km
- Youngtimer sedans: W140 ~192,000 km, W126 ~196,000 km, W220 ~205,000 km, W211 ~206,000 km, E39 ~208,000 km, E38 ~221,000 km
- High-mileage: C6 A6 ~258,000 km, D2 A8 ~285,000 km
How strongly mileage determines price shows in the correlation: for the W220 (−0.67), the W211 (−0.64) and the 8N TT (−0.59), every kilometre costs money. For the RS2 (−0.33) and the C6 A6 (−0.30) the link is weak — with the RS2 it is history and originality that decide, and with the C6 virtually every car is a high-miler.
Outlook for November
- Seasonal weakness in BMW sedans: if last year’s pattern repeats, the E38 and E39 will hit their annual low in November and December — the E38’s 180-day trend of −€480 per month supports that
- Further softness in the younger S- and E-Classes: the W220 and W211 are the only Mercedes series with negative trends, and the W220’s floor is nowhere in sight
- Thinning roadster supply: the Z3, R107 and R129 are not getting cheaper, just rarer — genuine bargains only surface in winter
- Stable investment prices (RS4 B5, E39 M5, W126) — here the 180-day trend points up; the RS2 is the exception at −€349 per month, despite its monthly gain
Buy, Wait or Watch?
Buy now if you…
- Want a W220 S-Class and have nerves for its technology: €7,295 on average, €5,400 median — the big S-Class has never been cheaper in our data
- Are eyeing an 8N TT: 75 listings, €4,725 median — at season’s end the choice is as wide as it has been all year
- Are looking for an E36: −6.6% to €9,855, which wipes out the September premium
Wait until…
- The E38 reaches its seasonal low: the price level has stalled, the trend points down, and last year argues for November and December as the cheapest months
- The Z3 leaves its summer level: +3.1% at season’s end is unusual, and winter prices were noticeably lower last time round
- The W124 has digested its second consecutive rise: if you are not in a hurry, winter has historically brought the calmer prices
Keep watching…
- The R107: its €34,971 average is driven by a €78,000 top listing, the €32,700 median is the honest measure
- The E46: +20.2% in September, −3.2% now — the series is settling between €8,500 and €9,000
- The RS4 B5: +€590 per month is the strongest rise in the report; November will show whether it holds on the wider data basis
October delivers the least spectacular message in months: the market is holding. What shot up in September is coming back in measured steps, what was solid stays solid. Only where the expensive individual cars disappear — as with the W220 — does the average slide noticeably. Which is exactly why this report now prints the median next to every average.
All price data is based on our market analysis of 22 September 2026. You will find detailed price information on our model pages: