10 Used Luxury Cars That Are Cheap But Make You Look Rich

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May 19, 2023

10 Used Luxury Cars That Are Cheap But Make You Look Rich

The great thing about luxury cars is that, even amid raging inflation, they

The great thing about luxury cars is that, even amid raging inflation, they continue to depreciate like crazy.

In today's world where social media and showing-off rules supreme, the type of car you drive is quite important to perpetuate the chosen idyllic lifestyle. Sadly, luxury cars are quite expensive and, in many cases, cost more than an arm and a leg to purchase.

With life getting more and more expensive – especially for luxury items – you don't want to spend $100,000+ for a glitzy vehicle to parade in. Fortunately, there are a whole bunch of luxury cars available on the market for relatively cheap on the used market.

Here are 10 used luxury cars that are quite cheap, but still make you look rich, no matter the circumstances. Just beware of the inevitable servicing and maintenance costs associated with some of them.

Utilizing the excellent official automotive websites of Kelly Blue Book and CarEdge, we extracted some important figures in conjunction with pricing.

The Chrysler 300 of the 2000s was a revival of the Chrysler 300 Letter Series and was designed and built in collaboration with Mercedes-Benz – during the time Daimler and Chrysler merged. As a result, the 300C featured the suspension components from the Mercedes E- and S-Class, along with the tried and trusted 5-speed automatic transmission.

The engines included two V6s and two V8s – namely the 2.7 and 3.5-liter V6s and the 5.7 and 6.1-liter HEMI V8s. The Chrysler 300 is relatively reliable and is still really quite cheap – all while being mistaken often for a Bentley or Rolls-Royce by non-motoring folk. This level of prestige is available for just $6,000.

The Jaguar XJ sits at the very top of the British automaker's hierarchy, reigning over its domain with grace and power. The XJ is the most comfortable and elegant of the Jaguar line-up, sporting the best engines and technologies. The last generation XJ may have been the best, but the older generation models still had the ‘badass’ presence. The top of the XJ trims was always the XJR – a high-powered V8 version that rivaled the likes of the BMW 7 Series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

The 2006 XJR featured a supercharged version of the 4.2-liter V8 found in the XJ8, but producing 400 hp instead of the standard 300. It is a great-looking vehicle that commands respect and that will make you look rich – for under $10,000.

Related: 10 Things Every Gearhead Should Know About The Jaguar XJ

The original Boxster arrived on the scene in 1996, right when Porsche had some financial issues. The cheaper Boxster helped to get the company out of the red – along with the Cayenne – and solidified the model as not just a cheaper 911, but rather a fully-fletched Porsche model. The Boxster was only sold in soft-top convertible form until the Cayman arrived in 2006. The Boxster launched with a 2.5-liter flat-6 producing 200 hp, while the Boxster S debuted in 2000 with a 3.2-liter flat-6 producing 250 hp. The Boxster S came with a 6-speed manual transmission, with a 5-speed automatic being an option. The Boxster is a great sports car, which is still being talked about nearly 27 years later.

The Boxster costs from just $9,000 on the used market, with good condition examples coming in from over $10,000. The excellent and extensively modified versions cost well above $15,000, with some reaching the $25,000 mark.

The Mercedes-Benz S-Class is the standard for the mass-produced luxury sedan and is one of the most desired vehicles on the planet. It blends luxury, comfort, and performance seamlessly, allowing some fun while remaining cocooned in quilted leather and technology. The fifth-generation S-Class regained the model's composure and rocketed the car into the modern era. The regular V8-powered S-Class – the S550 – debuted with a 5.5-liter naturally aspirated V8 producing a respectable 380 hp and 391 lb-ft of torque.

This is not much compared to today's V6 and inline-6 engines but still had adequate grunt to make things interesting. This awesome car is available on the used market for just $11,000, compared to the $115,000 starting price of a new S-Class.

The Range Rover is one of the vehicles on sale that offers all things to all people. The higher-end Range Rovers with the powerful V8s and hybrid drivetrains have efficient speed to keep anyone entertained, splendid luxury with its soft leather interiors, great technology, and on-road poise that rivals even a Mercedes-Benz S-Class and – on top of all that – off-road capabilities that make a Jeep Wrangler sweat.

The new Range Rover may be the best of the bunch, but the older models still have the same basic philosophy of comfortable luxury – on or off the beaten path. The L322 generation Range Rover has some major problems, but if Jeremy Clarkson can drive his for more than a decade, so can anyone else. A good L322 Range Rover with a supercharged V8 costs around $12,000. Just be sure to take out a hefty extended warranty.

Related: These Are The 11 Most Common Problems On Range Rovers

The Audi A8 is the Four Rings’ answer to its rivals from Munich and Stuttgart – namely the BMW 7-Series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class. The A8 is a large executive sedan using Audi's famous Quattro all-wheel-drive system in most of its trims. The second-generation A8 is where Audi properly leaned into the segment, creating an elegant and fancy vehicle.

While the A8 W12 and S8 are the coolest of the trims with their W12 and V10 engines, the normal A8 with the 4.2-liter V8 is an excellent choice within the lineup. The V8 produces 340 hp and is mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission. We even found a relatively rare A8L for sale on the secondhand market for just $13,000.

The fifth-gen 7-Series was the turning point for the model where it actively started hunting down the Mercedes S-Class in terms of luxury but still kept the sportier stance in terms of performance. The 750i is a good alternative to the S550, exuding a more fun approach to the typical executive luxury sedan.

Right on the $15,000 mark, we get the sportier of the Big Three German executive sedans. For this price, the 750i is an option, sporting a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8, producing 444 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque. The engine is mated to a ZF 8-speed automatic gearbox, sending power to the rear wheels only.

While the Germans were busy hashing it out in Europe, the Japanese to the East continued making excellent luxury sedans that not only rivaled the likes of the Germans but which were also more reliable. As with the original LS, the 2013 model kept up the trend of being just as good and featuring equally comfortable suspension and technology, but for significant amounts of money cheaper.

Granted, the LS 460 didn't really have a powerful V8 engine like the BMW 750i or Mercedes s550, but it was adequate and could continue to drive for much longer. The 4.6-liter V8 produced 380 hp and went to the rear wheels via an 8-speed automatic. Not that performance matters much when an excellent used luxury sedan – which will continue running for a long time – costs only $15,000.

The Quattroporte V was basically a 4-door Ferrari as it featured a Ferrari V8 up front, the F1-Style automated-manual transmission on the rear axle, and styling done by Pininfarina – Ferrari's go-to design house. The Quattroporte S got the enlarged 4.7-liter V8, which makes one of the best – if not the best – V8 exhaust noise of any car in existence. The Quattroporte has all the luxuries of a car in its class, plus great optional extras including a sporty handling pack.

While $16,000 is reaching outside the typical limits of a ‘cheap’ car, the Maserati Quattroporte is definitely worth the extra money. Out of all the used luxury cars on this list, we’d probably go for the Maserati – and a few thousand extra Dollars to maintain it.

Related: This Is What Makes The Maserati Quattroporte So Special

Unlike the regular Arnage, the T model got the 6.75-liter V8 from the older Bentley and Rolls-Royce models but upgraded with twin turbos instead of a single turbo. The big V8 produced only 450 hp, but the torque figure stood at a huge 645 lb-ft – more than most supercars of the time. This led to many tire-shredding automotive reviews – where the rear tires literally shred themselves to bits.

Going way out the realm of ‘cheap’ – but still costing less than the price of a new Toyota Prius – one could get a 2002 Bentley Arnage T. The Arnage – and its glorious Brooklands coupe cousin – is the last of the old Bentley philosophy.

Michael De Kock is passionate about cars and everything from avocados to particle accelerators. He has studied psychology and knows a little bit about fixing cars (old Land Rovers mostly). He also blogs and has a book, 125 Creative Writing Prompts for Petrolheads, available on Amazon. His philosophy in life: Stop the hate - Adopt a V8.

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