5 Luxury Cars We’d Gladly Buy Used And 5 To Stay Away From
Most cars on the road are driven by people who just want to get from point A to point B and don’t particularly mind or care about what they do it with. Some better-off people also do this, but they usually do it in a more luxurious car, rather than a crummy hatchback or plastic-ridden sedan.
Luxury cars just add that little extra feeling to the journey – usually by taking out the feeling of the road. They have more features and technology to keep its occupants entertained and offer more comfortable seating and a more refined ride, to make long distances feel like a trip to the shops. Most luxury cars are great and become relatively popular amongst the car buying community, however, some just don’t quite make the cut, due to various reasons.
So, to aid any potential luxury car purchaser from making a mistake, here are 5 luxury cars we’d gladly buy used, with 5 we’d stay away as far from as humanly possible.
10 Buy – BMW 7-Series
The BMW 7-Series has been the top-of-the-line luxury car from the Munich-based brand, and is currently in its sixth generation. The 7-Series has always been the main rival of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class but has never really been able to surpass it in terms of outright luxury. BMW knew this, so the company decided to make the 7-Series the sportier of the two, resulting in an awesome blend of wafty comfort and performance to scare some supercars.
Each generation of the 7-Series is a good choice when looking for a luxury barge, but it would be advisable to steer clear of the E65 generation, as it may have some mechanical and electrical issues, which may very well cost more to repair than the used value of the car itself. The E38 7-Series is the most handsome of the lot, with classic BMW styling and a design that doesn’t look old at all.
9 Buy – Audi A8
Like the BMW 7-Series, the Audi A8 is their largest and most luxurious saloon which competes with the Mercedes-Benz S-Class. In its earlier history, the A8 struggled to compete with either of its fellow German executive saloons, however, the last two generations have shown that it is just as good and, in some cases, even better.
The top specification S8 trim is the sportier version of the A8, which usually featured the engine from the RS6. The A8 was also fitted with the W12 from the VW Phaeton, and even had a naturally aspirated V10 in the D3 generation. The A8 is definitely one of the better luxury cars on the used car market thanks to its ridiculous depreciation rate, which currently sits at 62{54200d265998863b76fd4ce36c7d4cb67028262ee579cdcba83d47ef416fdf44} over five years.
8 Buy – Genesis G90
The Genesis G90 is a relatively new entry into the large executive saloon market but has certainly made an impact with its build quality, standard features, and performance. The G90 appeared in 2015, mostly looking like a large Hyundai saloon, but everyone took notice of it with the 2018 facelift, which vastly improved the styling and introduced Genesis’ new design language to the model.
The G90 was available with the 3.3-liter twin-turbo V6 from the Kia Stinger GT, or a big V8 in the form of the 5.0-liter Tau GDi, which produced 420 hp and 383 lb-ft of torque. The new G90 replaced both engines with a new 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6, producing 375 hp and 391lb-ft of torque. The G90 is a great second-hand car with loads of features. It is also quite reliable, adding to the overall appeal.
7 Buy – Lexus LS
The Lexus LS has been around since 1989 when the original LS400 was launched. The LS may not be the most exciting executive saloon in the world, but it is the most reliable. The LS is also available as a hybrid in most model generations, or with a V8. The fourth-generation even featured a V8 hybrid drivetrain which produced 440 hp.
The LS is a very dependable car that will get a potential owner to wherever they would like to go in smooth, leathery comfort and won’t break the bank – if the car is a hybrid. Going for a Lexus LS is also a bold choice that will help make one stand out from the rest of the crowd with their Mercs, BMWs, and Audis.
6 Buy – Rolls-Royce Phantom
The Rolls-Royce Phantom may be a bold choice for a list such as this. After all, it costs second-hand what many of the other cars cost new. But then again, the Phantom is the absolute peak of luxury, the epitome of comfort, the one automobile to put all others to shame.
The Phantom also has the options and customization to substantiate its claim to the throne, with an unbeatably smooth twin-turbo 6.75-liter V12 and more leather than found on an Australian cattle farm. Granted, the upkeep costs of a Phantom may be a bit on the higher side, but then again, owning the most luxurious and comfortable car in existence makes up for it.
5 Stay Away – Maserati Quattroporte
The Maserati Quattroporte as a whole is an amazing car. The first generation of the modern Quattroporte still has the best-sounding V8 engine ever put into production, with its throaty roar that reverberates through bones. The Quattroporte models after it are still good, but they do not quite possess the same spirit as their predecessor.
Whilst the Quattroporte may be a tempting option as they currently go for as little as $20,000, the early models had a massive flaw. When the Quattroporte was reintroduced, Maserati fitted it with the same transmission as Ferrari used, specifically the F1 transmission renamed to DuoSelect, which didn’t work properly when traveling slowly. Luckily three years after the car’s launch, Maserati changed the gearbox to a standard torque-converter automatic and 80{54200d265998863b76fd4ce36c7d4cb67028262ee579cdcba83d47ef416fdf44} of the car’s issues were solved. Still, the remaining 20{54200d265998863b76fd4ce36c7d4cb67028262ee579cdcba83d47ef416fdf44} can get quite expensive.
4 Stay Away – Mercedes-Benz S-Class
The Mercedes-Benz S-Class is the pinnacle of relatively acquirable luxury, trumping the likes of the BMW 7-Series and Audi A8. It has been, still is, and probably forever will be the first choice of large executive saloon. Unfortunately, the maintenance costs can quickly balloon to silly amounts when things go wrong after the factory service plan and warranty expires.
Like with most Mercedes models, the electronics are quite intricate and expensive to replace as the S-Class is the most technologically advanced car in Mercedes’ line-up – bar the EQS. For this reason, we’d stay away from a used S-Class and rather opt for one of its rivals, which are slightly less expensive on the up-keep.
3 Stay Away – Porsche Panamera
The Porsche Panamera is a good car, but an ugly one. The current Panamera fixed the looks issue and massively improved upon the overall design of the car, with the Sport Turismo being the coolest version. However, the first-generation Panamera does have a lot of other factors which influence its purchasability on the second-hand market.
The engines are great and the Turbo S features a twin-turbo V8, but Porsche made the car cold and clinical. It is massively fast and impressive for what it is, but it just doesn’t produce any happy chemicals – like much of Germany’s motoring offerings of the last few years.
2 Stay Away – Jaguar XJ
The Jaguar XJ is simply one of the coolest British cars in automotive history. The car’s design was both understated and immediately noticeable. It would be just at home as the official car of a head of state, or as the cruiser for an organized crime boss. For the 2010 model year, an all-new XJ was introduced which took the luxury saloon segment by storm.
A popular British car show loved the new XJ so much that they made up an award just for it. The issue with the XJ was that it was built by Jaguar Land Rover, a company that does not have the best reliability record. As such, second-hand prices for the XJ plummeted to a point where a really well-specced one could be bought for as little as $30,000 – for a car which started at around $80,000.
1 Stay Away – Range Rover Vogue
The Range Rover Vogue is one of the most versatile vehicles currently on sale, operating as a luxurious limousine, a sophisticated off-roader, a pavement cruiser, and a practical family SUV – all in the same package. Interestingly enough, Land Rover has somehow retained their reputation of questionable build-quality and reliability – strange for a car company that makes excellent cars.
These reliability issues have been so bad that Land Rover even temporarily halted production of their new Defender to sort out some of these issues. There are also many articles relating to the Range Rover and how one should never be bought without either an extended factory warranty or an aftermarket one. Doug DeMuro even commented on his experiences with a Range Rover, and how much his third-party warranty saved him. This is definitely a car company to avoid when looking to buy second-hand.
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