Buying a brand new premium sedan versus low mileage used luxury sedan (2013, German)

[jaypee]

Originally Posted by Spaten_Drinker

There is no such thing as a luxury Japanese car. Adding more features and options to a Camary and calling it a Lexus does not make it any more "luxurious". It is the equivalent of buying a fake Rolex.

So the Lexus GS and LS are Camrys?

[kanhawk]

Originally Posted by Spaten_Drinker

There is no such thing as a luxury Japanese car. Adding more features and options to a Camary and calling it a Lexus does not make it any more "luxurious". It is the equivalent of buying a fake Rolex.

The new Lexus 460 LS is around $80,000 MSRP. I have not ridden in one but I sat in one at an auto show and looked it over very carefully and compared it to the other luxury cars there. It had the most comfortable seats of any of the luxury cars. The interior looked to be a very high quality.
If it is not a luxury car, and I don't claim to be any judge of whether it is or not, I'd like you to explain to me how it isn't. Maybe some of the lower end Lexus class sedans are gussied up Camrys, but the 460 LS seemed to me like true luxury.

[MckinneyOwnr]

Originally Posted by Spaten_Drinker

There is no increased cost for maintenance for a luxury car. Oil and tires cost the same regardless of the vehicle they are used on.

This statement couldn't be more false.

Go look up the costs of an oil change on a Ferrari or Maserati, or price tires for a high performance car that are only made by a handful of brands.

[Kiovo]

Key word is low mileage. Maintenance is worth it no matter what car you own.

Low mileage + CPO = WIN

[Veyron]

Originally Posted by nas-gr

DO NOT BUY A USED GERMAN LUXURY CAR. They lose value for a reason and you will regret it down the road (paying out of pocket for costly repairs!) Personally I would look at the Acura lineup (I love the new TL), Lexus or even Buick and Cadillac. Do some research on which cars are the most reliable and go out and test drive the ones you like, and it's best to buy 1-2 years old to save some $. Not necessarily "up there" but Toyota Avalons are pretty nice too, and so is the new Ford Taurus. Just stay away from used german cars.

Sadly this is true. Most used German cars luxury or non luxury are poorly maintained. I had a Volkswagen passat 1.8 t 2004; you had to be very strict and precise with maintenance. To replace a cv axle you needed the oem parts and you had to replace the bolts on it because they where all torque to yield. It called for specific engine oil, 5w-40 synthetic specifically made for German cars. The engine coolant had to be special because using a lesser grade would make the coolant gel and clog up the cooling system.

These parts where extremely expensive. One oem cv axle cost about 300$. I fixed the car myself and still found it expensive to repair. People often take shortcuts on German vehicles and you can't do that. That's why alot of German cars have a bad rap for being unreliable. They are extremely specific and delicate when it comes to maintenance. People use cheaper parts and think they are still going to work but it never does or it doesn't work properly.

My passat was very reliable and drove well because I fixed it myself using the right parts.

Unless you plan on fixing the car yourself get ready to pay a high fee for parts and labor.

Also I would not under any circumstances buy a German car off of craigslist if I were a non tech or at least bring a technician with you to look at the car to make sure it has been properly maintained with oem parts.

Other then that, I would buy a used German vehicle off a dealer that's been certified but that's about it.

[Veyron]

Originally Posted by dude_reino

Use luxury without a doubt. Let someone else take the depreciation hit. Maintenance on a Lexus/Infinit/Acura isn't that much different than their standard brands. Benz may be a different story.

You can't go wrong with a 2004 -2008 acura Tl, especially the Type S. There isn't much difference between standard japanese cars and their luxury counterparts especially acura; most of their cars are fwd.

The biggest difference between Acuras and Hondas are the engine sizes, and features. The entry level acuras usually have bigger engines, slightly more features, better suspension, but thats about it. The premium acuras have more features and awd system.

The entry level acuras are kind of like premium hondas vs being incredibly distinguishable. That, has its perks and downfalls imo.

Nissan and infinitis are a bit more seperated in terms of quality. Alot of infinitis are getting v-8s and the powerplants on alo of infinitis are much more powerful then their cheaper counterparts. Also, infinitis usually have much more features then their nissan counterparts.

Example the nissan altima and its counterpart the infiniti g. The G has an awd system comes with a 3.7 liter v-6 and you can't get this on an altima. Also the suspension system on the G is much better.

[28173]

Originally Posted by CCc girl

used MB or BMW any day

add Audi for me as well - would only consider German ones since I like performance and drivability...

[Veyron]

Originally Posted by kanhawk

By definition I am using premium as cars that are cut above your basic sedan but not in the true luxury category.
In the $40- $45000 which range which I can put up soon ,I could buy a brand new Buick or Chrysler 300 or a entry level Lexus ES class or Mercedes C class.
But there are 3 to 4 year old used Lexus LS class and Mercedes S class sedans and Cadillac CTS-Vs that are $70-$90000 when new that selling for $40,000 with 30000-50000 miles or so from 2008 to 2010 model years.

If you had the cash, would you by the brand new Buick/Chrysler/Lexus ES/Mercedes C class or would you by the super luxury used 3 to 5 year old Lexus LS/Mercedes S Class/Cadillac with 30000-50000 miles?

I think your asking the wrong questions.

How fast do you want to go? Whats your desired 0-60 time?
What kind of mpg do you care about?
What features do you care about? Do you care about blindspot detection, back up camera, High intensity headlights, a supurb navigational system, seat warmers, seat massagers, ?
What kind of drivetrain are you looking for? FWD, RWD or AWD?
What kind of suspension are you looking for?
What kind of appearance are you looking for? My geuss would be that you are looking at american and european styling the most?
How much are you willing to pay on maintenance?
How practical do you want you car to be?

Me personally if I were going to buy a luxury car I would want people to know I have a luxury car. Japanense luxury is good but europeans still hold the prestige. When I see an infiniti g37 or a lexus I just see a nissan and a toyota camry.

When I see an s4 or an m5, I see an s4 or an m5. Again, this is me personally; I would go for a used luxury sedan specifically, german because I can fix the car myself and I can check to see if its been properly cared for.

For my luxury car and not my daily driver or fast car, I would still care about 0-60 a little, features, drivetrain, some practicality and prestige. I would not care about maintenance prices and gas mpg. To me a luxury car is something you show off and flaunt sort of like a nice watch or a nice suit. I would get a Luxury vehicl not a psuedo luxury or premium vehicle.

To answer your question..
This is me personally I would go for a 2006 BMW M5
2006 BMW M5 Silverstone on White interior, New tires, Dealer Serviced
This one is 25,000$
and comes with a v-10 engine which outputs 500 hp. It comes with a 6 speed manual or a seven speed semi automatic. The engine is also award winning. If you take the limiter off I think it can hit 200mph and its 0-60 time is 4.2 seconds. The manual comes with hill assist and the automatic version comes with launch control.
Here's an interior shot


Also another great candidate would be a 2008 M3 with a twin clutch

It comes with a 4.0L v-8 that outputs 414 hp and with a twin clutch system your shifts are even faster.
In the M-series you get bigger brakes, a pretty good suspension and all your standard features. Leather, sunroof, power windows, a/c, a good sound system but when you step on the pedal you go and I mean go.

Other then the Bmw m series I would look at the S series from audi
**Audi S5 - 2008**
Here's a 2008 S5 for 30,000


It comes with a 4.2 liter v-8 outputs 350 hp. It's awd and sports audi's quaottro system. Bigger brakes, heated leather seats etc etc.

Other contenders would be an
s4, an a8, or 650

Like I said before, bring a mechanic with you to make sure these cars are in good condition and the parts on them are oem. German cars are bittersweet. They are great cars only when they have been properly maintained and prepare yourself to shell out some serious dough to maintain them. When they are in good condition they are miles ahead in front of competition.

[Tall Traveler]

I have a BMW 7 series and I've put 90,000 miles on it without any problems with the car. Routine service and tires are quite a bit more than a new car such as an Avalon or Chrysler 300. I would definitely want a 7 series or S Class Mercedes over a $40K new car but do consider that costs to maintain will likely be double.

[kanhawk]

Originally Posted by Veyron

I think your asking the wrong questions.

How fast do you want to go? Whats your desired 0-60 time?
What kind of mpg do you care about?
What features do you care about? Do you care about blindspot detection, back up camera, High intensity headlights, a supurb navigational system, seat warmers, seat massagers, ?
What kind of drivetrain are you looking for? FWD, RWD or AWD?
What kind of suspension are you looking for?
What kind of appearance are you looking for? My geuss would be that you are looking at american and european styling the most?
How much are you willing to pay on maintenance?
How practical do you want you car to be?

These are all good questions. I am in my 50s now, still young enough to want to take road trips but old enough that I really value the most smooth comfortable and quiet ride I can afford. Also, no more 4 cyl. for me. I want a bit more power, at least a 6 cyl. and AWD because I want a car I am confident will handle itself well in poor weather conditions. Reliability is a big plus. I hate breakdowns!
I like the German cars but some posters here are scaring me away from those based on what seems to be a temperamental nature of those cars. Plus I just don't want to spend a huge amount on maintenance. I don't care all that much about presenting an image to anyone that I am driving luxury and don't care all that much about exterior styling, it's more about what is inside and what makes me feel like I am riding in comfort and insulates me from the outside noise and conditions.