Similar to the way a gentleman dresses, a car speaks volumes about the person piloting it. As a symbol of success, luxury cars are often the go-to vehicles for more affluent individuals but what most people don’t realize is that you don’t have to break the bank to own a high-end luxury car. Cars that once retailed for over $100,000 are now a bargain at nearly half the cost. With a typical vehicle life cycle of 10 years, it generally doesn’t always make sense to buy new as the changes between the years rarely justify the cost. We always preach that perception is key to success and here’s why we think these 6 vehicles are the best cars to make a statement, yet only cost a fraction of what they once sold for.
You know we love our Aston Martin V8 Vantage’s here and it’s no coincidence we’ve had two in the past. Aston Martin has arguably some of the best automotive designs which makes the V8 Vantage sleek and sexy enough to turn heads from all over. For those that don’t know what an Aston Martin, a simple mention that James Bond drove one is all the approval others will ever need. It looks like a million bucks but can be all yours for as low as $70,000 used.
Photo credits: Julien Fautrat Photography
Photo credits: Julien Fautrat Photography
Another car we’ve once had in our arsenal is the Lamborghini Gallardo, a true everyday supercar. Although the Gallardo is simply outclassed by today’s standards, there’s no denying that the Gallardo is still one of the best looking cars on the road with the bark and bite to back it up. There’s no mistaking a Gallardo for anything else than a Lambo simply because only it can pull off sharp angles and crazy colors. The Gallardo is now as low as $80,000 used and with it being an Audi underneath, you can bet that it’s reasonable to maintain.
Photo credits: Stephan Bauer Photography
Photo credits: Stephan Bauer Photography
The Bentley Continental GT is by no means a proper sports car but it does do quite well as a GT cruiser. The Bentley is also showing its age but still carries enough presence to cause people to double take to see who is behind the wheel. The Bentley Continental GT has gone through subtle exterior changes that make it hard to distinguish between new and old. It certainly is one car you should buy with caution as reliability is not a strong point but at $60,000 used, it’s a risk you have to be willing to take to cruise in style.
Photo credits: Andrew Cragin Photography
Photo credits: Andrew Cragin Photography
There’s no better SUV out there that will make people turn heads than the Mercedes G55 AMG. The G Wagon is a timeless design that has not aged at all. Because of its very militant and boxy design, which is far from typical Mercedes design philosophy, the G55 demands respect and presence when on the streets. It has aged very well and an early G55 AMG can be had as low as $40,000 and still look almost like new.
Photo credits: Manuel Magana Photography
Photo credits: Manuel Magana Photography
Any big body sedan instantly shows you mean business. This is certainly true for the Mercedes S Class AMG which is a technological force to be reckon with. With nearly 600 HP available and endless torque, the S Class AMG will smoke any car that dares try. As with all AMG variants, the S Class has many small details from the menacing exterior to the high output engine under the hood. Once a $200,000 car, the S Class AMG can be all yours for $45,000. Typical Mercedes depreciation.
Photo credits: Y Chen Photography
Photo credits: Y Chen Photography
The Lotus Evora was never a car that quite caught on and seemed like a poor man’s Ferrari at best but that’s not to take away on a great looking car that handled extremely well even though it was severely underpowered. To be fair, not many people are even familiar with the Lotus brand as they only make two cars for the United States market. With prices as low as $50,000 for a Lotus Evora, most people would think you paid double based on looks alone.
Photo credits: PWPhotography
Photo credits: PWPhotography
