Many of us would love to own a big, luxury barge. Traditional luxury cars just have something about them that no other kind of car has. Unfortunately, these cars are usually very expensive. To buy one of these cars, you often have to be on a seriously huge salary or have a lot of disposable income backing you up. But, that doesn't have to be the case. If you know where to look, you can get a proper luxury car with all the modern conveniences you could want for less than $50,000!
The cars on this list are from various manufacturers. They're also of various ages. Quite a few of them are relatively old, but some of them are actually fairly modern machines! A couple of them are also from manufacturers that are outside the typical luxury car sphere. But, they're all brilliant luxury car bargains that you won't regret buying!
10 Mercedes-Benz S-Class (2006-2013) - From $4,000
You can't do a list of luxury cars without mentioning the Mercedes-Benz S-Class. The S-Class has a reputation for being one of the best luxury cars in the world, and it's very easy to see why. It's the car of choice for wealthy businesspeople and politicians all around the world. It's an expensive car new, but older generations of S-Classes can be had for much more sensible money. The generation to go for, if you're a used buyer, is definitely the one produced from 2006-2013. This generation has a wide variety of different models. This includes a couple of AMG versions and the silky-smooth S600, which is powered by a 6.0 liter V12.
Thanks to depreciation over the years, this generation of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class is probably one of the biggest luxury car bargains you can find. You can get an early example from as low as $4,000! Of course, you'll need to spend a bit more to get a really nice example, or one of the top-spec models. But, you really do get a lot of car for your money buying one of these, and you certainly won't have to spend more than $50,000!
9 BMW 7 Series (2001-2007) - From $4,000
The BMW 7 Series is a luxury car that can get overlooked. But, it's been around for a long time, and a lot of people rate it very highly! Perhaps the best generation of the 7 Series when it comes to value for money is the one produced between 2001-2007. Its Chris Bangle-penned styling was very controversial at the time, but people have grown to like it more as time has marched on. The fact that BMW's current styling has become even more controversial than Bangle's era has probably helped the car's looks age well, too!
This generation of BMW 7 Series is one of the cheapest cars you can get on this list. You can get examples on the used market for as little as $4,000! A 7 Series that cheap will be a tired example, but you won't have to spend much more than that to get a good one.
8 Kia K900 (2012-2021) - From $11,000
The Kia K900 is a luxury car that you perhaps never knew existed. But, it does, and it's actually one of the best luxury car bargains out there! The K900 was available with either a 3.8 liter V6 (either naturally-aspirated or turbocharged) or a 5.0 liter V8, and some models also had all-wheel drive. The AWD V8 model is a bit of a sleeper car too, with its ability to accelerate from 0-62 in 5.7 seconds! The only real problem this car has is the badge that's on the front of it. A lot of luxury car buyers are badge snobs, and wouldn't be seen dead in a Kia! As a result, the K900 is seriously overlooked.
You can't get the Kia K900 brand new in North America anymore. It got shoved out of the model lineup after 2018 in Canada and 2021 in the United States. But, that doesn't mean you can't find quite a few of them around on the used market! A used K900 can be picked up for $11,000, although you'll likely end up paying more than that in most cases. That's an incredible bargain for a car that's only a decade old at most!
7 Genesis G90 (2015-Present) - From $19,000
Genesis is a fairly new brand, so it's pretty likely that you either haven't heard of it or come across it quite yet. But, it has started to gain a reputation for making great luxury cars! It's the luxury brand of the Hyundai Motor Corporation (the same company that makes Hyundais and Kias), and it sells several models globally. Its most opulent and luxurious model is definitely the G90, a proper full-size sedan that's supposed to compete with the big established German models. Early models could be ordered with a 5.0-liter V8, but these days you can only get it with a V6 in either hybrid or non-hybrid form.
The Genesis G90 is very expensive brand-new, but because Genesis is a fairly new brand and hasn't had time to establish itself properly, the luxury car depreciation has hit the G90 really hard. Early G90s can be had for $19,000 now. For a luxury car that's only existed since 2015, that's really incredible value for money on the used market!
6 Bentley Continental GT (2003-2011) - From $15,000
It would be a bit strange to do a list featuring luxury cars and not at least mention the Bentley Continental GT. When this car hit the market in 2003, it changed the game for Bentley. The first all-new model made under the ownership of the Volkswagen Group, it was an incredibly solid and incredibly luxurious grand tourer, with a brilliant and powerful W12 engine. Everyone who had plenty of money to splash out wanted a Continental GT. Actors, musicians, athletes, and businesspeople alike bought them.
As you'd expect, the Continental GT was a really expensive car brand new. But, depreciation has worked its magic, and examples of the first generation of the car can now be had for bargain prices! You can pick one up for as little as $15,000 if you're feeling brave, but if you want a nice one you'll definitely have to spend a bit more than that. Still, you definitely won't have to spend as much as $50,000 to get one that'll serve you well!
5 Jaguar XJ (2010-2019) - From $9,000
The Jaguar XJ is somewhat of an odd one out in the luxury car world at times. It is a very well-known luxury car, and it's somewhat popular too. Yet, it tends to be overshadowed by its peers from the big German manufacturers. That is a bit of a shame, as the XJ is a genuinely capable luxury car that can keep up with the German offerings! There are many generations of XJ, and they can vary significantly in quality. Perhaps the best one to go for is the final generation that was made from 2010-2019. This one doesn't have the dated looks of the generation that came before, and the supercharged XJR version is seriously powerful!
Because the Jaguar XJ isn't as desirable as its peers, it depreciates much more steeply. As a result, you can pick up some early models of the last generation for as little as $9,000! Of course, if you want a nice example or an XJR version, you'll have to pay a fair bit more. You really can't get that many better modern luxury bargains than this version of the XJ.
4 Bentley Continental Flying Spur (2005-2013) - From $23,000
The Bentley Continental Flying Spur is the sedan sibling of the Continental GT. As a result, it's got all the same qualities that made the Continental GT a game-changer for Bentley when it came out. That includes its solid build quality, fantastic comfort, and that glorious W12 engine! This gained it the same wide variety of wealthy owners as the Continental GT, and it's really not hard to see why.
Like its Continental GT sibling, the Continental Flying Spur's value has been significantly dented by depreciation. As a result, first-generation examples can be seriously cheap now! Flying Spurs can be had for as little as $23,000. You'll want to spend a bit more than that, though, if you want a really nice example.
3 Lexus LS (2006-2017) - From $5,000
There aren't many luxury cars out there that have a more solid reputation than the Lexus LS. This understated Japanese cruiser is easily one of the most reliable cars you can buy anywhere, of any kind. There are documented examples of LSs reaching well past the 250,000 or even 500,000-mile marks, and there's at least one that's got close to a million miles! If you want a good, solid LS with all the modern luxuries you could need, the generation made between 2006-2017 is your best bet. This was the first generation of LS to include a hybrid option, and it's got loads of tech that'll make your life a lot easier.
If you want an LS460 petrol, you can pick one up for as little as $5,000! If you want one of the hybrid LS600h models, you'll have to pay a bit more at a starting price of around $10,000. Whichever version you go for, you'll be getting a fantastic luxury car bargain that'll last you for years.
2 Bentley Arnage T (2002-2009) - From $18,000
The Continental GT and Continental Flying Spur are both incredibly luxurious cars. But, what if you wanted the ultimate level of Bentley opulence? Well, the car to go for was the Arnage. The Arnage was the car that the wealthiest and most traditional Bentley customers were supposed to get. The Arnage T was the high-performance version, and to make it that way Bentley gave its 6.75-liter V8 twin-turbochargers. The result was Bentley's equivalent of a muscle sedan, and it was glorious!
The Bentley Arnage T was definitely one of the most expensive production cars you could buy back when it was new. But, like its Continental brethren, depreciation has worked its magic. You can get an early example of the Arnage T for as little as $18,000 now. That's something that would have been absolutely unthinkable back when these cars were new! While you'll still need to spend a fair amount of money to get a good one, you definitely won't have to spend beyond $50,000 to get into the world of Arnage T ownership.
1 Tesla Model S (2012-Present) - From $15,000
Putting the Tesla Model S on a list like this might be a bit controversial. It's been a very divisive car at times, and some people don't even consider it to be a luxury car because of how technology-focused it is and the many quality control problems it's had. But, as a new car, it's priced well into the luxury bracket! The Tesla Model S is the only electric car on this list, and the Performance models are the fastest out of the cars here in some aspects!
If you're happy to settle with an early base model Tesla Model S, you can pick one up for only $15,000. That makes it a serious bargain for what it is, although not as much value for money as some of the other cars here. It does have that factor of it being an electric car, though, and if you specifically want something that doesn't rely on internal combustion this could be a great one to go for.