The 2008 models are starting to arrive. I’ve driven two so far–the Dodge Avenger and the Ford Escape–and just uploaded pricing for these and five other early 2008s. The big news is that infotainment systems are gaining many new features. Satellite radio is a few years old now. OnStar is even older. Navigation and Bluetooth are now available in cars the list for less than $25,000. They’re being joined by HD radio, thorough iPod integration, SYNC, traffic information systems, hard-disc-drive-based media and navigation data storage, multi-screen multi-player entertainment systems, and more.

I hadn’t given much thought to the implications of all these new features until a discussion with Brendan of Autosavant.net the other day. Brendan is an expert on leases. I was wondering if leasing companies apply a different residual to expensive options that are likely to depreciate heavily. He says they only do this sometimes, but it seems that they probably should every time.

Options always depreciate more quickly than the basic car, and expensive options depreciate most of all. Some luxury cars are available with multi-thousand dollar interior trim upgrades and entertainment systems. We focused on the latter. For example, the Bang & Olufsen audio system optional in the Audi A8 and S8 lists for $6,300. Brendan’s point was that with the flood of new infotainment features, which he expects to continue, will make nearly every current system of little value at trade-in time.

His reasoning? People who don’t care about such systems won’t pay extra for them regardless. As one such customer once responded to Brendan during his dealership days, “There ain’t no dance floor in the car.” And those that do care about such systems will want to pull out the old system and replace it with the latest and greatest. In other words, these systems will be worth about as much as a computer of similar vintage.

Makes sense to me.