Do you own a luxury car? And why do you own it? (rental, convertible)

[Cardiff Giant]

Because they give me a loaner when I take it in.

Aside from that, me and my wife work hard for what we have. We don't live above our means, don't take exotic trips, etc. If I want a nice, comfy ride to commute to work in so be it!

[yowps3]

I drove the Lexus IS350 F-sports other day and have to say that car is as sharp as a knife, the car handles extremely well, the performance was amazing, you push the pedal and the power is instant and extreme pushing you back into your seat, the car is too quiet when driving, floor it and you get a nice growl..

The car is extremely comfortable & composed.. The leather is true semi-analine leather and very comfortable, the car had amazing sound system with 14 speakers mark levinson system.. The design, quality and fit & finish of the interior was impeccable..

The engine is smooth, quiet & silky and power delivery is extremely nice and smooth

You just cannot compare luxury cars with normal cars.. Even though some luxury brands rely more on badge the less on substance.. But in Lexus case, they're beautiful cars..

[Luv2byte]

I have a BMW z3 roadster 3.0i 2001. Bought it two years ago, great price, looks expensive but was well under nada price. It's a great, economical & amazingly fun car that is an alternative to my big ol suv. I love the sexy & simple styling of the car.

[NJBest]

Originally Posted by yowps3

Lexus IS350, 0-60 in 4.8sec nuff said

I got an IS300 right out of highschool. I hate that they took the IS out of the new ones.

[SpeedyAZ]

Originally Posted by NJBest

I got an IS300 right out of highschool. I hate that they took the IS out of the new ones.

I know what you mean, the previous IS were so much nicer, the new ones are just...blah. The IS300's are one of the few Lexus vehicles I like, they're neat.

I own a luxury pickup truck (F-150 Platinum ed.) and a sports car. I've thought about purchasing a true luxury sedan (Caddy CTS or Mercedes S550 probably) but I just can't see myself driving it enough to justify spending the money. I commute to work in my truck and I need it to tow a boat so can't really get rid of it. On the weekends, I usually tool around in my Corvette and enjoy the convertible aspect especially in the Arizona climate. If I bought a new Mercedes or Cadillac...I just don't know when it'd ever leave my garage.

Maybe sometime I'll buy one for the hell of owning a TRUE luxury vehicle but for now, I'm content with my two vehicles.

I'm still jealous of NJBest's S400 Hybrid though.

[xlroadster]

Originally Posted by SpeedyAZ

I know what you mean, the previous IS were so much nicer, the new ones are just...blah. The IS300's are one of the few Lexus vehicles I like, they're neat.

I own a luxury pickup truck (F-150 Platinum ed.) and a sports car. I've thought about purchasing a true luxury sedan (Caddy CTS or Mercedes S550 probably) but I just can't see myself driving it enough to justify spending the money. I commute to work in my truck and I need it to tow a boat so can't really get rid of it. On the weekends, I usually tool around in my Corvette and enjoy the convertible aspect especially in the Arizona climate. If I bought a new Mercedes or Cadillac...I just don't know when it'd ever leave my garage.

Maybe sometime I'll buy one for the hell of owning a TRUE luxury vehicle but for now, I'm content with my two vehicles.

I'm still jealous of NJBest's S400 Hybrid though.

I'm on the opposite boat as you, haha. Driving the CTS is so enjoyable that it rarely sees the inside of the garage!

And a side question: was scratching a small itch looking at the Grand Sports. I've never been interested in looking at Corvettes until I started seeing them in places I frequent. How do you enjoy your car?

[SpeedyAZ]

Originally Posted by xlroadster

I'm on the opposite boat as you, haha. Driving the CTS is so enjoyable that it rarely sees the inside of the garage!

And a side question: was scratching a small itch looking at the Grand Sports. I've never been interested in looking at Corvettes until I started seeing them in places I frequent. How do you enjoy your car?

I LOVE my '08 Corvette convertible. Absolutely the best vehicle I've ever owned for performance, fun, all-around driving dynamics. My idea of fun is a big V8 engine, low slung profile, and just a deep muscular sound coming from the exhaust...the 'Vette definitely achieves each and every requirement. Some like more fine tuning and more luxury with their sports vehicles which is why M3's and Porsche's are such a hot commodity in my general area but I can smoke most any of them with my base model 'Vette. I'm truly in love with this car, wouldn't want any other sports car except maybe a 2013 Corvette 427 Convertible which goes on sale this summer and I expect to cost right around $85K base-model. I'd probably give my left arm for one...I need my right to use the stick.

I'd highly recommend testing one out even for giggles, they're a BLAST to drive. I'm enamored with this vehicle, it absolutely blows my previous '05 Corvette convertible out of the water with the LS3 engine plus the dual mode butterfly exhaust. I owned an '86 Porsche 911 Targa for a few years and while it was a nice vehicle, I'm much more a fan of the big displacement engine.

I'm curious as to how the performance of my 'Vette LS3 convertible compares with your XLR-V. What horsepower you getting out of that Northstar?

[Rawkfist]

I don't own a luxury car...but I'll chime in.

I'd bet 90% of people who own luxury cars do so for the status. The other 10% are car enthusiasts who spend their time on City Data Automotive forums talking about cars

So in short, I don't think asking here will get you any useful real world statistics about the types of people who drive luxury cars...because most people on forums talking about cars are car enthusiasts to begin with, and don't buy luxury cars for status!

[Mathguy]

Originally Posted by xlroadster

There's a thread in the frugal forum that has a hard time understanding why anyone would buy a luxury car other than seeing it as a status symbol of sorts.

So do you own a luxury car? And if its not as a symbol of status, why do you own it?

I own a higher end 2-seater sports car. I also own a more standard vehicle for family needs.

I own it because I like sports cars and came into money due to the death of my spouse. I am otherwise VERY frugal....I own everything I have and max my 401k. However, life is too short as I have learned and so having a car like that is an easily affordable extravagance after paying for everything else.

I really find it odd that people cannot grasp that different things in life bring people joy.

[Mathguy]

Originally Posted by Rawkfist

I don't own a luxury car...but I'll chime in.

I'd bet 90% of people who own luxury cars do so for the status. The other 10% are car enthusiasts who spend their time on City Data Automotive forums talking about cars

So in short, I don't think asking here will get you any useful real world statistics about the types of people who drive luxury cars...because most people on forums talking about cars are car enthusiasts to begin with, and don't buy luxury cars for status!

THis is a wise post. However, some people just have a lot of money so an athlete making 20mil etc. may just be more willing to pay for performance and luxury than some guy making 70k a year.

Pretty simple.