Best luxury cars to buy
Choosing a used luxury car is one of the best ways to get a classy car without breaking the bank
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By Ben Welham
Last updated: 7 August 2025
The second a luxury car drives out of the showroom, it can lose up to 35% of its value. This is scary for new car buyers, but this is where a used luxury car may be much more appealing.
Want to see proof? Take a look at our top picks for the best luxury cars you should consider buying used.
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What is the best luxury car?
Audi A8
BMW 7 Series
Jaguar XJ
Mercedes S-Class
Porsche Panamera
Range Rover
Volvo S90
Audi A8
 "Audi A8")
Audi’s flagship A8 is an awesome, all-aluminium-based machine designed to let you effortlessly cover great distances in enormous comfort. Its looks are nicely understated, in that 'Old Money' sort of way.
No need to brag here; those who know will understand the car you're driving (or being driven in) is exceptionally posh and comfortable.
Top of the line is a V8 model that's as smooth as whipped cream and as powerful as a double espresso. Since many A8s are long-distance mile-munchers, the diesel models are popular with buyers.
BMW 7 Series
 "BMW 7 Series rear three quarters")
Where the A8 is subtle in its design, the used BMW 7 Series has a little more, ahem, road presence – check out those grilles.
But while those intake kidneys are an acquired taste, there's little doubt that the spacious 7 Series has the scale to wear them. Inside, the 7 Series mixes fantastic BMW ergonomics with the latest cabin technology.
The 7 Series also handles like a proper BMW, combining a cushioned ride with great body control to go with the performance of powerful engines.
You can get a muscular V8 like the Audi A8, but the diesels and hybrids are popular for their efficiency.
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Jaguar XJ
 "Jaguar XJ driving")
There’s nothing quite like the ride of a big Jag. The Jaguar XJ doesn't hide its mass with trick electronic suspension like rivals, something that only serves to emphasise its luxury status.
The XJ is no overweight slouch, though, and that's best proved in the red-hot supercharged V8 variant, where more than 500hp can be found in its tightened-up base.
This is a supercar-slayer with British brawn, handsome looks and an interior that retains a greater air of tradition than its rivals. That's become ever more true in recent years because Jaguar discontinued the XJ in 2019, meaning used cars have no successor.
They remain the last in the XJ lineage. Handily, the model has aged remarkably well, and the supercharged V8 and V6 diesels are especially popular.
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Mercedes-Benz S-Class
 "Mercedes S-Class driving")
Perhaps the used Mercedes-Benz S-Class should be at the top of our list because it's arguably the benchmark when it comes to luxury cars.
It's a pioneer; the S-Class introduced safety tech like airbags, seatbelt pre-tensioners and electronic stability control to passenger cars, as well as cutting-edge systems like radar-enabled adaptive cruise control and crash-reducing brake assist.
Every iteration has advanced the march of automotive technology, yet despite being so complex, the S-Class has always been built to last.
These are posh, beautifully built and wonderful-to-drive machines, especially if you can access an AMG version, where thumping V8 power is added into the mix.
Sam Sheehan, cinch motoring expert, said: "Refined, sophisticated and opulent, the Mercedes S-Class is one of the best-equipped and most comfortable ways to travel.
"As a driver or passenger, it’s fast, smooth and almost silent."
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Porsche Panamera
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When it launched back in 2009, the first four-door Porsche (let’s not count the SUVs) trod a new path as a luxury saloon that could genuinely handle like a sports car.
Sure, the V8-powered cars mentioned above are each thrilling in their own right, but none has managed to feel so truly athletic as Porsche's class entrant.
With eye-popping variants like the V8-powered Panamera Turbo S out there, the Porsche holds a significant USP against its rivals – and it has the looks to match, with a swooping body shape and low driving position that feels ideally matched to its on-road capabilities.
Porsche has produced petrol, diesel and hybrid versions of its Panamera, so there are efficient options as well as ones that offer blistering performance.
Range Rover
 "Range Rover")
If your luxury lifestyle involves country pursuits, then you can do no better than a Land Rover. And by that, we mean the ‘big’ Range Rover, not the Velar, Sport or Evoque that sit beneath it.
Riding high, looking over the hedgerows, ensconced in a beautifully trimmed, leather-lined cabin, there are few finer ways to travel.
And this opulent 4x4 is an authentic off-roader, so if you find yourself on a muddy green lane or faced with a flooded road, you needn't turn around in a Range Rover.
It can go off-road with the best of them, with powerful petrol and diesel engines – and, most recently, plug-in hybrids – working with clever four-wheel drive hardware to get you practically anywhere.
New buyers usually spend six-figure money to access such a machine, but used ones can cost half that.
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Volvo S90
 "Volvo S90 driving")
The biggest Volvo saloon is popular with chauffeurs for good reason. The Volvo S90 is supremely comfortable in the back, easy and relaxing to drive year-round, and it's even more under-the-radar than the discreet Audi A8.
This is typical of Swedish design, with pureness and simplicity trumping brashness and road presence. Although there's little mistaking the high rank of the S90 when you're inside one because the interior is swish, beautifully finished and well-equipped with technology.
Volvo's engines, too, are great examples of engineering, with petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid versions that all mix punch with efficiency.
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Discover used cars for sale
As you can see, there's a big range of used luxury cars on offer, catering to a range of budgets and styles.
Check out our range of used cars to find your next motor.
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