What under 50K luxury car should I get?

April 22, 2009 8:24 AM

I want to get a luxury 4 door sedan - something that will be a pleasure to drive, not looking to race or customize the car. Something very reliable. Something that will be good to drive in big city.

Hi all,

I'm looking for a very good, reliable, luxurious, and (let's be honest here) impressive looking car. I'm looking to lease, but let's say if I were to buy it, it would have to be under $50K (I'm in USA).

It has to be a 4 door sedan.. I'm looking to drive it mostly on weekends, in the big city. For personal reasons, I don't buy from any company that helped Nazis in WWII, so it can't be from any German company, a Ford, or a GM - so that kind of limits my choices. I was thinking a Lexus, or an Infiniti, but wanted to get more opinions.

Thanks!

posted by zavulon to travel & transportation (17 comments total)

I've owned a G35 and to date (after owning several luxury brands) it is my favorite car. High performance, high reliability, nice interior, exceptional customer service @ dealer, etc.. The new G37 is even better.

I recommend this car whole heartedly with absolutely no reservations. I regret ever selling mine (I will get another)!

A second choice (to me) would be one of the IS series. 250, 350, etc.. These two are compared often and to my recollection Infiniti is always chosen above the Lexus (though I will note the Lexus is likely slightly more reliable).
posted by gnash at 8:45 AM on April 22 [1 favorite has favorites]

I will add that if you can wait a year or two I would pick a Tesla S (assuming they are still around). This is the car I am rolling my pennies for right now.
posted by gnash at 8:46 AM on April 22

Both Toyota and Honda manufactured vehicles/engines for the Japanese Army during WWII...

The Tesla S is an interesting option but who knows when that will actually be released.

The Jaguar XF just comes in under 50k as well and is a beautiful car.
posted by zeoslap at 8:49 AM on April 22

Hyundai Genesis (sedan)
posted by na2rboy at 8:52 AM on April 22

Seconding the Hyundai Genesis; it's an incredible value. And Korea wasn't an axis power.
posted by zsazsa at 9:00 AM on April 22

Lexus ES or GS. The base price of the V6 GS models is closer to 50K. If you get the ES, you can max out on all the options.

And World War II was 60 years ago, probably before you and most of Toyota's employees were born, let it go.
posted by qvtqht at 9:05 AM on April 22 [1 favorite has favorites]

Yeah G35 (now g37 with the 3.7 liter) is where its at. Great car, really nice amenities, and an amazing engine.
posted by jourman2 at 9:11 AM on April 22

Lexus bar none. I have personally been in a 2001 Lexus (LS420) with 250,000 miles on it that looks and drives in showroom condition. The build quality of their cars is outstanding. A LS series is probably too big for the "city driving" condition you lay out, so I'll second the ES or GS. Or an IS, but those are pretty small for a luxury sedan.
posted by zpousman at 9:33 AM on April 22

volvo s80
posted by fumbducker at 10:08 AM on April 22

No one has mentioned Acura yet. Maybe they aren't "luxury" enough for you, but as Honda's more upscale marque, you get their renowned reliability in a nice package with a lot of options. I've owned a Honda Civic and two Acura Integras and loved them all. Now that I'm getting a bit older, my next car will probably be one of the higher-end Acuras.
posted by autojack at 10:13 AM on April 22

The Toyota Avalon is basically a Lexus, at a price that's not low but considerably less than Lexus. My 1999 Avalon is by far the best car I've ever had, and the newer models have stability control, adaptive cruise control, computer-adjusted engine mounts that minimize vibration and lots of other goodies.
posted by KRS at 10:40 AM on April 22

I'd just like to point out that a luxury four door sedan usually means a large car, and large cars are difficult to park in street parking.
posted by meowzilla at 11:35 AM on April 22

get a preowned certified lexus ls4xx

i had a 98 ls400 from 2001-2004 best car i've ever ever ever owned. most expensive too but really worth it if you can afford it. other cars i've owned are honda accord, honda civic, acura rl, lexus es300, nissan maxima....
posted by thilmony at 1:04 PM on April 22

oh and i did a lexus pre-owned lease. price was like 35k, residual value 20k, so just pay the 15k over 3 years plus the "money factor" aka interest. GREAT DEAL I thought for such a great car. ymmv now for those deals. i can't afford that anymore but if i could, i would drive straight to the lexus dealer and get one today.
posted by thilmony at 1:07 PM on April 22

I have a 2006 Subaru Legacy sedan that as far as I'm concerned is as nice as any luxury car (unless you're going to double the price). It drives like a dream... and with the limited package I got leather/sunroof/upgraded sound. The way the Subaru turns would be great for tight parking and maneuvering.
posted by getawaysticks at 3:28 PM on April 22

Save the money and buy a Honda Accord, I've got one of the new body shape and I love it. Colleague of mine had the Acura TL and wishes he'd saved the money and got the Accord.

If you want esoteric, there's a new Lotus coming out. The Jaguar XF is indeed a nice car. There's a good selection of cars out there without having to compromise on your non-WWII requirements.
posted by arcticseal at 7:18 PM on April 22

Thanks for suggestions everybody!

So far, my top options are:

- Lexus ES350
- Infiniti G37
- Jaguar XF

It's going to be fun choosing.
posted by zavulon at 1:37 PM on April 23