Used Luxury Sedans Priced Below A Loaded Honda Civic Today
New car buyers always shop with their eyes, looking at all the shiny, expensive machinery before their heads bring them back down to earth to realize that their affordability quotient is much lower. But in today’s unstable economic environment, even the most basic of cars can push the new-car offer sheet over $30,000. That means you’re not only giving up on your luxury dreams, sometimes you’re even giving up on your well-equipped mainstream car dreams.
Take the 2026 Honda Civic. It starts at $24,695 but can breach $35,000 by the time you load up a 2026 Civic Si and factor in all the delivery fees. Comparisons are few, and you’re basically stuck in the same higher-end compact sedan market if you’re looking for the peace of mind that comes with a new-car purchase. However, if you have flagship luxury aspirations for your compact-car wallet, and are willing to put in the research time, you can find some interesting used-car luxury sedans that only a few years back would command in excess of $50,000.
2021 Maserati Ghibli S Q4 GranLusso
Current Used Price: $30,000
Originally selling from $90,535, thesoftly-contoured AWD 2021 Maserati Ghibli S Q4 GranLusso gets its exquisite engine note from a Ferrari-developed 3.0-liter twin-turbo V-6 making 424 horsepower and 428 pound-feet torque.
Modern Maserati reliability has improved considerably, but due to the Maserati Ghibli’s roots, its ownership costs remain high primarily because there isn’t an extensive Maserati service network, and the car often requires premium parts that aren’t always easy to source, leading to CarEdge’s projected $3,304 five-year maintenance cost.
2019 Jaguar XJ50 V8
Current Price: $29,900
Built to commemorate 50 years of the Jaguar XJ sedan, the $100,925 2019 Jaguar XJ50 V8 (there was also a V6 model) uses a supercharged 5.0-liter V-8 producing 470 horsepower and 424 pound-feet of torque, making it one of the more historically-relevant luxury sedans available for Civic money.
The supercharged V-8 is generally well-liked by owners but does have a history of issues (some catastrophic) that take up a lot of the projected annual repair bill of $1,232, according to RepairPal, so strict attention is demanded from the owner, who may also want to keep an eye on electronics and suspension systems.
2020 Genesis G90 5.0 Ultimate
Current Price: $29,900
The 2020 Genesis G90 took on a moremodern design that elevated the new brand beyond the Hyundai generic look, and equipped the Genesis flagship, which originally started at $76,725, with a 420-horsepower 5.0-liter V-8 (generating 383 pound-feet of torque).
In keeping with the Hyundai Group’s purchase and after-purchase affordability, the Genesis G90 is one of the easiest and cheapest full-size luxury sedans for ownership costs, with CarEdge projecting maintenance costs of $2,822 over five years, with generally favorable reliability data.
2018 Mercedes-Benz S 450 4Matic
Current Price: $28,900
The Mercedes S-Class is recognized as one of the luxury market’s benchmark flagships for its ride, handling and cabin execution, and for 2018 squeaked in under $100,000, with the AWD 2018 Mercedes-Benz S 450 4Matic, powered by a 362-horsepower 3.0-liter twin-turbo V-6, starting the bidding at $98,845.
According to RepairPal, the average repair and maintenance cost for a Mercedes-Benz is $908 per year, and the S-Class is one of the more sophisticated cars on the market, leading authorities like Edmunds to peg it in excess of $1,232, though the flagship sedan is one of the more reputable cars on the new and used markets.
2019 BMW M550i xDrive
Current Price: $28,800
Recognized as one of the first executive sports sedans, the BMW 5 Series topped off its 2019 lineup with the $75,445 AWD M550i xDrive powered by a 456-horsepower 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8, which brought the 5 Series sedan close to, and maybe a better bargain than, the M5 without the $108,000 price tag.
Another of the more reputable luxury models in the marketplace, the 2019 BMW 5 Series comes with the caveat that there’s a price to pay for luxury at purchase time and after it, and that’s exacerbated when you get up into the more performance-driven models, so the 2019 M550i can cost somewhere between $620 and $1,173, according to RepairPal.
2016 Audi A8 L W12
Current Price: $28,200
2016 marked the last year of the W-12 Audi A8, topping the range in the $140,125 long-wheelbase 2016 Audi A8 L W12 with the 6.3-liter naturally aspirated W-12 producing 500 horsepower and 463 pound-feet of torque, making it an exclusive buy for the price of a Civic (only 327 were built from 2012 to 2016).
The oft-overlooked Audi A8 may be the best example of a cheap luxury-car purchase, but then there are the ownership costs, with RepairPal rating it at just a star and a half (out of five) and estimating annual repair costs at $1,298, based on parts availability, labor complexity, and W-12 engine-specific repairs.
2020 Cadillac CT6 3.6 Luxury
Current Price: $28,100
In 2016, Cadillac introduced its highly sophisticated flagship sedan bearing the new CT nomenclature that culminated in the 2020 Cadillac CT6, starting at $59,990 with the CT6 3.6 Luxury model powered by a 3.6-liter V-6 making 335 horsepower and 284 pound-feet of torque.
At the other end of the spectrum from the A8 W12, the Cadillac CT6 is a top-tier luxury sedan that benefits from an extensive service network, straightforward mechanicals and widely-available cheap domestic parts, adding up to a projected annual repair and maintenance bill of $614, according to RepairPal.
2019 Infiniti Q70L 5.6 Luxe
Current Price: $26,500
The 2019 Infiniti Q70 came in two lengths (each powered by a choice of V-6 or V-8 engines), with the lineup topped off by the $73,375 Infiniti Q70L 5.6 Luxe, using a naturally-aspirated 5.6-liter V-8 that makes 416 horsepower and 414 pound-feet of torque, before the sedan was retired as Infiniti shifted its entire lineup to SUVs.
The Infiniti Q70 benefits from solid Nissan mechanicals, such as the naturally aspirated V-8 and platform that’s shared with other athletic cars in both Infiniti and Nissan lineups, leading to a relatively low $653 annual repair bill, according to RepairPal, just because of its tendency to not need repairs.
2019 BMW 750i xDrive
Current Price: $26,200
The BMW 7 Series sits alongside the Mercedes S-Class as flagship benchmark sedans, with the $101,445 all-wheel drive, tech-intensive, performance-driven 2019 BMW 750i xDrive (powered by the 445-horsepower 4.4-liter twin-turbo V-8) considered one of the best used-car bargains available.
In line with its flagship positioning, the BMW 750i is estimated to cost $1,411 in annual repairs by RepairPal, and CarEdge estimates maintenance costs to top $5,000 over five years, given the complexity of the twin-turbo V-8 and all-wheel drive system, documented cooling system issues, the air suspension system, and electronics.
2017 Lexus LS 460 L
Current Price: $25,500
Since its introduction in 1990, the Lexus LS has crafted a reputation for build quality and refinement, and the 2017 Lexus LS 460 L (long wheelbase), with its buttery-smooth 4.6-liter V-8 (359 horsepower and 347 pound-feet of torque), borders on must-have status, considering its original $79,815 MSRP.
The Lexus LS sedan is a complex luxury sedan with a sterling reputation for reliability, durability, and longevity, and it shows in an annual repair and maintenance bill of just $767, according to RepairPal, on the strength of its ability to stay out of the shop for all but the most rudimentary maintenance.
Sources: OEMs, Kelley Blue Book, RepairPal, CarEdge, Edmunds, J.D. Power
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