There used to be a much more noticeable difference between luxury and regular cars back in the day, but that started changing circa 2000.

Are there still differences? Sure. But whether it's worth it is entirely up to you. Your Japanese models (Honda, Toyota, Subaru) are still more reliable and likely will last longer with fewer trouble than a German luxury model. And will cost you less money too. And people no longer get a wow factor with a luxury car given how ubiquitous they are. I live in a higher end neighborhood and I'd argue that the percentage of cars that are "luxury" has declined over the years as people replaced their Mercedes and BMWs with Subarus and Toyotas, and it's not for financial reasons either. As one of my neighors commented, "we bought nice cars for a while because they were indeed nicer and it was also a reward for working so hard, but now we don't see the point anymore." Where I live, the only car that gets notice is the Tesla.

Luxury German cars have been said to be overengineered, and if you are someone who truly cares and derives value from a powerful engine and all the bells and whistles, then the car can be a great toy for you. But if you just want a comfortable car to get from point A to point B, it's a waste of money.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hmm. I just bought a new Subaru Impreza Limited. Far far cheaper than the (used, low mileage) Lexus I test drove. The only thing that really differed was the engine.

Leather, heated seats? Check.
Big, touchscreen with Apple Carplay? Check
Good sound system? Check
Adaptive Cruise Control and safety features? Check

For the type of driving I do, having a little less pick up did not warrant the extra $20K.

If you can't notice differences between the two cars other than checking of items on a list, then you absolutely bought the right car. Congrats!

do you really a Subaru with eyesight to a BMW- the Subaru is better. Eyesight is also standard vs. a $1700 option even on a 60k BMW. The BMW will have better seats (assuming you aren't talking about a base 3 series) and a better sound system. CarPlay nullifies ant advantage that idrive may or may not have had. The big difference to me is the powertrain and the handling and you have to get into much nicer non-luxury vehicles before you can get something similar to a BMW or Mercedes

Anonymous wrote:Hmm. I just bought a new Subaru Impreza Limited. Far far cheaper than the (used, low mileage) Lexus I test drove. The only thing that really differed was the engine.

Leather, heated seats? Check.
Big, touchscreen with Apple Carplay? Check
Good sound system? Check
Adaptive Cruise Control and safety features? Check

For the type of driving I do, having a little less pick up did not warrant the extra $20K.

If you can't notice differences between the two cars other than checking of items on a list, then you absolutely bought the right car. Congrats!

Anonymous wrote:Seriously, what makes a luxury car worth twice the price of a well equipped Honda Civic or CRV. I’ve test driven the Lexus Rx350 and the BMW 540 and just don’t see what makes them over twice the price.

If you can’t tell the difference after these test drives, for the love of God don’t cultivate the taste! It’s an expensive hobby. I personally drive a high-end Audi and literally everything about it makes me happy—how it handles, how solid it feels, responsiveness, great sound system, etc. But if that’s not you, consider it a blessing and don’t spend the money.

Hmm. I just bought a new Subaru Impreza Limited. Far far cheaper than the (used, low mileage) Lexus I test drove. The only thing that really differed was the engine.

Leather, heated seats? Check.
Big, touchscreen with Apple Carplay? Check
Good sound system? Check
Adaptive Cruise Control and safety features? Check

For the type of driving I do, having a little less pick up did not warrant the extra $20K.

I don’t have a luxury car but my 2019 Mazda CX-5 is amazing. The interior materials are very high quality, the doors are heavier, it drives very smoothly and looks sporty.

For me, the draw of luxury brands have been:

1. More interesting exterior designs.
2. Far superior interior design and material quality
3. Interesting/neat features like dynamic seats, heated door panels, color-changing ambient lighting, etc.
4. Interesting drivetrain configurations, like a 500+HP twin-turbo V8 in a compact car.

^. Agreed. And as another posted noted up-thread, the ergonomics of the seating/controls is far superior.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think this is really interesting as electric cars are basically silent. This was one of the primary advantages of “luxury” automobiles and now it seems that basically every electric vehicle will have it. I had a Chevy bolt for awhile and the ride was completely silent, save for the quiet whirrr of the electric motor, which was novel and lovely. The seats were legitimately terrible though.

Most of the noise of a car at speed is from the road and wind. Modern cars are pretty quiet in terms of induction and exhaust.

I think luxury cars don't have road noise and are quiet in general. In some cars it feels like you a driving in an airplane. They are that smooth. I once road in a licoln SUV that felt luxurious. You can't hear the engine but on top of that you can't hear road noise, you don't feel the acceleration, nor do you feel every pot hole.

Anonymous wrote:I think this is really interesting as electric cars are basically silent. This was one of the primary advantages of “luxury” automobiles and now it seems that basically every electric vehicle will have it. I had a Chevy bolt for awhile and the ride was completely silent, save for the quiet whirrr of the electric motor, which was novel and lovely. The seats were legitimately terrible though.

Most of the noise of a car at speed is from the road and wind. Modern cars are pretty quiet in terms of induction and exhaust.

I drive a Subaru Forester and my husband drives a Porsche Macan (used). There is a big difference but I’m happy with my Forester.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seriously, what makes a luxury car worth twice the price of a well equipped Honda Civic or CRV. I’ve test driven the Lexus Rx350 and the BMW 540 and just don’t see what makes them over twice the price.

I'm assuming you can't also tell the difference between a $500 sofa from Walmart and a $2000 sofa from Ethan Allen.
I'm surprised you couldn't tell the difference between a Honda Civic and a BMW 540.
Here are the differences:
The BMW has a more powerful engine. This translates into a more pleasant ride. It's fun to drive.
The BMW has more comfortable a luxurious seats.
The BMW interior has better material and finishes. It is luxurious and has a better build quality.
The BMW has heated seats, heated steering wheel, cool seats etc...
The BMW has dual zone climate control.
The BMW has a better sound system.
The BMW has automatic self parking
The BMW has a semi autonomous driving feature (traffic jam feature).
The BMW has a better infotainment system and more tech features.
etc..
etc..


I could keep going.

Don’t forget about the anal tickler…

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have an old Lexus, and the ride is extremely smooth. It still looks current, the interior is plush, and I have very few maintenance issues. I love it. When I get a new car, I will get another Lexus.

What year please? Especially does it have the new ugly front grill or is pre ugly front grill?

Pre-ugly front grill. 2006, nearly 190k miles, and drives like a dream.

I’ve owned in the past a Honda, an Infiniti, and a BMW and this is by far my favorite car.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Heated and cooling seats, cushy interior, heated steering wheel, premium sounds, great pickup, quite ride ect.

My odyssey has all of that!

But to op’s point- service is better, ride smoother and the inside is more luxurious

The dealership where I take my luxury car to be serviced is so much nicer!!! Clean, provide coffee, no screaming kids and blaring Fox News in a filthy waiting room. Very upscale.

I think this is really interesting as electric cars are basically silent. This was one of the primary advantages of “luxury” automobiles and now it seems that basically every electric vehicle will have it. I had a Chevy bolt for awhile and the ride was completely silent, save for the quiet whirrr of the electric motor, which was novel and lovely. The seats were legitimately terrible though.