Buying A Used Luxury Car
The Market
A real Luxury Car is something that's been designed to be exactly that - and nothing else. Not a tarted-up 4x4 or MPV People Carrier. Not a smartened-up Supermini or Family Hatchback. Not even a Compact Executive or Executive Car. You can buy luxurious versions of all of these of course - but that isn't the primary role those cars were originally designed to fulfil.
A true large Luxury Car is different. Whether it's a Rolls Royce or a Daimler, a BMW 7 Series or a Mercedes S-class, an Audi A8 or a Jaguar XJ8, there are no compromises on cost or function, equipment or design excellence. You're buying the very best. Which is why most makers roll out their best ideas on these cars before filtering them down to lesser models. Not a cheap approach of course - which is why the spectre of depreciation hits harder here than in any other sector of the market.
Luxury Cars - with a number of notable exceptions - don't hold up well on the used market, often with good reason. They're usually laden with electrical gadgets that are expensive to put right and annoying when they don't work. They also, of course, cost more to service, insure and fuel up. A number will have done a high-mileage and still others will have been poorly looked after as owners sought to avoid the high bills charged by the franchised dealers who should really have looked after them.
If that paints a rather gloomy picture, then don't be too discouraged. If you're vigilant, you can of course pick up a bargain. Indeed, so well-built are these cars that buying a late low-mileage example from one of the approved franchise used car schemes often makes far more sense than buying new. By the same token, it's also often quite safe to buy a high mileage older vehicle - as long as you choose carefully. Just don't be seduced by lots of gadgets, luxury trim and huge carrying capacity. None of it will seem as attractive when the first servicing bill comes in.
Cheap & Cheerful
There isn't much street cred in running a really old Luxury Car - unless it's a Seventies/Eighties Rolls Royce or Bentley - or something specialist like a Bristol. You'd be surprised how affordable some of these cars are. Eighties buyers chose between Bentley's entry-level ‘Eight' and plusher ‘Mulsanne' models ('84-'92), while Rolls Royce customers had the First Generation Silver Spirit ('80-'89) or the Silver Spirit II / Silver Spur II ('89-'93). Buy from an independent specialist - someone who knows the car inside and out, can vouch for its history and will look after it for you. Budget for the expensive workshop rates and parts prices. In other words, go into it with sensible caution and with your eyes open. The result will be a unique ownership experience.
Not something you could attribute to Jaguar's boxy Fourth Generation XJ6/Sovereign/Daimler range which lasted from 1986-1994 and had continual problems you'll want to avoid. A better bet is a Second Generation BMW 7 Series ('86-'94) but Mercedes' Fourth Generation Mercedes S-class ('79-'91) is the better-built option. If you can afford something newer, the MK1 Lexus LS400 ('90-'94) still makes a great used buy, reliable, fast and cathedral quiet. For those in search of a little more driving brio, Audi's rare V8 is worth the curiosity value but the early all-aluminium A8s are far more modern in outlook. Jaguar's new-shape Fifth Generation XJ6/Sovereign/XJR/Daimler range ('94-'97) is the first used Jag you could reasonably recommend.
Affordable Mid-Rangers
‘Affordable' is a relative term here of course, for once you're into relatively recent examples of cars like these, you're also into serious money. Be naturally suspicious of anything that's too cheap - but don't be afraid of a bargain either. An early Nineties Fifth Generation Mercedes S-class ('91-'99) is a great used buy that will make you feel like a plutocrat every time you take it down to Tescos. Or of course, you could go one step further still and go for a Bentley Brooklands ('92-'97) or a Rolls Royce Silver Spirit III / Silver Spur III ('93-'96). BMW's MK3 7 Series ('94-‘02) doesn't imbue quite the same feeling of superiority but it's higher-tech, better equipped and better to drive, comments also applicable to the MK2 Lexus LS400 ('94-'97).
For something more recent, the Lexus LS430 is well worth a look if silent cruising is your thing, but the Sixth generation Mercedes S-class (launched in 1999) set the class standard for quite some time. Eventually even this car had to give way to more modern rivals. Audi's A8, BMW's Seven Series and Jaguar's XJ all debuted in 2003 and managed to make the Mercedes look a little old hat, Another car that may well appeal is Volkswagen's Phaeton, an attempt by the German manufacturer to stretch its brand values upmarket. The public have taken some convincing and as a result, used examples are surprisingly affordable. The W8 models in particular are superb luxury cars.
Desirable But Potentially Pricey
Come equipped with an even a fatter bankroll and the options are very tempting. Starting at the very top of the market, there's the Rolls-Royce Phantom limousine that is starting to show up in small numbers in authorised dealers. There's also the Maybach 57 and 62 models to consider if the Phantom is a little conspicuous. Getting a little more terrestrial, you can't afford to overlook the latest Mercedes S Class, and the Lexus LS600h hybrid is the prefect way to cock a snook at the congestion charge while enjoying all the trappings of a state of the art luxury car.
The Audi A8 remains a beautifully finished and discreet luxury car and it might just be at its best in sporty S8 guise, powered by a 5.2-litre V10 engine that's not too dissimilar to the unit in the Lamborghini Gallardo. Don't discount the aluminium bodied Jaguar's XJ either. It's probably the most sparkling drive of the lot.
What To Look For
Don't buy anything unless you know its history. Walk away from any car that hasn't been properly maintained - the potential bills just aren't worth the risk, even if it seems cheap. As you might expect, once you get to this level, there aren't any cheap parts or cheap service rates so get things right at the outset. If you're not buying from a franchised dealer (and sometimes even if you are), it's vital to get an independent AA or RAC check carried out. This is almost certain to turn up something that will give you a bargaining chip with the seller. Here especially, you need to watch out for ‘clocked' examples. Shiny steering wheels/gear knobs and sagging seats on ‘low mileage' models can give the game away. If in doubt on any of this, go somewhere else.
As with Executive models, the fact that most of these cars will be ex-company-owned, is a good thing if, as in most cases, that has meant motorway miles and regular servicing. You'll find plenty of well looked-after privately owned vehicles of course - but their owners may be even more unrealistic in terms of their asking prices, especially if it's something prestigious.
Outside, look for scuffed or scraped alloy wheels (expensive to sort out) and uneven front tyre wear (tyres cost a fortune and will wear particularly hard on Audi A8 quattro four-wheel drive models). Stone chips will be common but anything more will cost you, particularly on painted bumpers. Body panels are particularly expensive: watch out for reverse parking damage caused by inattentive spouses. Any rust suggests accident damage which may have been poorly repaired. The usual family scrapes and stains shouldn't be so evident inside but if so, walk away.
Older models may have tired power windows, mirrors or sunroofs and even on quite recent cars, the air conditioning will probably need reconditioning: if it doesn't freeze you rigid, then it isn't working properly. An excessive din on start-up can point to imminent problems and oil leaks are common on older cars. Watch for juddery brakes and power steering leaks and beware of smoky high mileage models. And test the automatic gearbox carefully (there are virtually no manual models at this level): problems will cost you dearly to put right.
About the Author
By Author Jonathan Crouch. Anybody thinking how can I sell my car for cash should visit the UK's cash for cars comparison site www.dealerbid.co.uk
