WHY HAS THE CITATION EXCEL MAINTAINED

104 % OF ITS MARKET VALUE?

In a market of uncertain indicators such as rising fuel costs the Citation Excel has managed to show its true worth.   Over the last 5 years the Citation Excel has maintained over 104% of its residual value where most of its competition has fallen well below that percentage.

Aircraft engineers will tell you that every aircraft is a series of compromises designed to overcome gravity by managing fluid dynamics while remaining within production capabilities.   Flight is a function of thrust vs. drag and weight vs. lift.   Engineers could design an aircraft that flies near the speed of sound but don’t forget cabin comfort, production costs and runway performance which can be opposing forces to designing a very fast aircraft at a realistic price point.

Private jet buyers have a way of voting on the aircraft they favor in today’s marketplace and residual performance is a strong indicator of which aircraft made the best compromises in its design and production.

The Citation Excel doesn’t command phrases like the “most economical” or “fastest aircraft” or “largest interior”…then why does it have an exception residual value history?

There is no one reason for the Excel’s success; it is defined by the aircraft’s overall performance in each category combined.   The Excel is considered a “slow” aircraft because its top speed is 20 knots slower than a Lear 45 but with nearly identical climb performance the Excel arrives just 3 minutes behind the Lear 45 on a typical 600 nm trip. On that trip the Excel used 12% less runway (31% less runway at a high altitude airport on a hot day) and offered 38% more baggage volume and 16 % more cabin height.

When it comes to market performance the value of the Excel truly excels.   When comparing the Excel to the Lear 45 for the same five year period, the Excel maintains a 17% residual value advantage that represents over $1,300,000 in retained value for the Excel owner.