Used Luxury Cars For Sale

Used luxury cars for sale

For some people there’s no better way to travel than in a luxury car - and for a certain percentage of those, no better place to be than in the back seat. Luxury cars are among the grandest and most expensive vehicles on the road, but they don’t remain that way forever - changing tastes, new car buyers always wanting the latest and greatest thing, and high running costs means luxury cars depreciate quickly, and this can make them surprisingly affordable to buy used.

Whether you’re looking at a nearly-new model that has already lost five figures from its new price, or shopping for something a decade or two old that costs less than a modern supermini, there’s a luxury car for almost every budget. Just remember that a low purchase price doesn’t mean low running costs…

What is a luxury car?

All cars are a luxury purchase to some degree, but a luxury car really takes things a step further. There’s no fixed definition and car manufacturers have tried various concepts over the years, but traditionally, luxury cars tend to take the form of a large saloon car (and more recently SUVs) that major on comfort, space, features, and effortless performance.

So while a carmaker might label their supermini with leather seats as being luxurious, there’s usually a little more to it than that. Models like the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW 7 Series, Audi A8, Lexus LS, Range Rover and Jaguar XJ are where the luxury car market is considered to start, while the Mercedes-Maybach range, or any Rolls-Royce or Bentley, represent the pinnacle of luxury cars.

Why buy a used luxury car?

Like a large and imposing house, luxury cars don’t come cheap. They tend to house large engines and are packed with the latest features - several manufacturers essentially trial their latest technology in these cars, which will then spend the next decade or two filtering down to cheaper models.

However, these cars are also some of the fastest-depreciating on the market, so a used luxury model can look like a spectacular bargain after just a year or two. As an example, at the time of writing you can find two-year old examples of the Mercedes-Benz S500 AMG Line for around £80,000, around £30,000 less than the model costs to buy new. Go further back in time, and some of these big luxurious saloons can undercut a new Dacia Sandero on price… or even less. They still deliver the luxury car experience too, so you lose very little by not buying new.

How do I choose the ideal used luxury car?

Brand image plays a massive part in choosing a luxury car, new or used. You probably have a good idea of what brands you most closely relate to - and assuming this luxury car isn’t your first car-buying experience, you could well be trading up from a smaller or less expensive model in the brand’s range. So whatever high-tech features a rival vehicle might have, you may just choose the luxury model from the brand you’re most familiar with.

The biggest choice when buying a used luxury car today is probably whether you want to go for the traditional saloon or coupe shape, or step up (almost literally) to an SUV. The likes of Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Bentley have offered genuine luxury SUVs for many years now, the full-size Range Rover has been a luxury car for its past three or four generations, and even Rolls-Royce has got in on the act with the Cullinan. A three-box body style is no longer a requirement.

Of course, budget will ultimately be a factor, not just in how much you can afford to put down initially or each month to buy a car, but also in how much it might cost to run. Diesel and hybrid powertrains may help keep fuel costs as low as they can reasonably be for such vehicles, but don’t expect insurance or tax to be cheap on any. Given their size, you may also have to factor in where to park your new car, if you don’t have a suitably expansive driveway.

Where can I find used luxury cars for sale?

Luxury cars represent a relatively small niche in the marketplace, mainly due to their high initial pricing, so aren’t as familiar a sight on forecourts as smaller and more affordable models. But they tend to be quite profitable for new and used car dealers and some companies will specialise in selling only luxury models, so these are a good place to start when shopping. Used car sales websites can help out, though most won’t have ‘luxury car’ as a search term, so you may want to concentrate on particular brands, body styles, and engine sizes.

Basic used luxury car checks

If you’re new to luxury cars it’s well worth reading up on particular models beforehand through reviews and used car buying guides, to get an idea of what a certain car has to offer, and whether it has anything you need to keep an eye out for. These cars might make tempting used buys thanks to heavy depreciation, but they still have luxury car running costs and servicing bills, so going into any purchase with your eyes wide open will help to minimise the risk of an unexpected cost.

If you’re shopping towards the newer end of the market too, demand nothing less than perfection. At this level of the market, nobody should scrimp on servicing, tyres, or simply keeping their car clean and in good condition, so consider anything being amiss as a gigantic red flag.