10 Best Used Luxury Cars to Buy in 2018

2014 E63 AMG front three quarter ・ Photo by Mercedes-Benz

Trying to choose between the best used luxury cars to buy today is no easy task. Not only are the different models pretty well matched against each other, but they’re also competitive with some of their brand-new counterparts. That’s because they can all deliver cutting-edge technologies, high-performance powertrains, and an amazing range of luxury features.

Of course, along with all those advantages, pre-owned premium cars have another important benefit: significantly lower pricing. Regular depreciation alone can knock tens of thousands of dollars off the MSRP of a luxury vehicle. This can be exactly what you need to own a car that’s still out of your budget in the new-vehicle marketplace. To further broaden your options, we’ve also selected cars from a wide variety of the different luxury brands and segments. 

2015 Lexus GS

If you’re looking for the best used luxury cars to buy, the Lexus brand is a great place to start. The company’s rock-solid reputation for long-term dependability, along with its traditional attention to premium comfort, puts cars like the 2015 Lexus GS right at the top of our list. In fact, the 2015 GS was named the No. 1 Midsize Premium Car in the 2018 J.D Power Vehicle Dependability Study, which tracks reliability after three years on the road.

But the GS is more than just dependable. It’s also impressively luxurious, with standard perforated leather seating, sophisticated walnut-wood cabin trim, and the Lexus Climate Concierge. You can also add premium performance to the mix with the F Sport package.

Photo by Lexus

2015 Buick LaCrosse

As we did our research on the best used luxury cars to buy, we also noticed the 2015 Buick LaCrosse had a strong showing in the 2018 J.D. Power VDS. The LaCrosse actually was the top-rated Large Car in the study. With that in mind, we next checked out the Buick’s many premium features.

It turns out that the car has plenty of them, especially when configured with its Ultra Luxury Interior package. In that configuration, you can relax in semi-aniline leather seats amidst exotic Tamo ash wood trim. The front-seat headrests alone have four-way adjustability. These premium materials are complemented by upscale technologies, including a standard mobile Wi-Fi hotspot, a Bose Centerpoint audio system, and numerous high-tech safety measures.

Photo by General Motors

2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class

The best used luxury cars to buy from the German brands all have much to offer. Yet when you compare the 2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class with its Audi and BMW rivals, the only one with a Top Safety Pick honor is the Mercedes. And let’s be clear, the E-Class earned a full Top Safety Pick+ certification. This included the highest possible grades for all physical crash tests as well as for front crash-prevention technology.

Premium features? You can slip behind the active multi-contour driver’s seat, crank up the Bang & Olufsen audio system, and enjoy Nappa leather upholstery, heat, ventilation, and a soothing massage. For a wake-up call, you can punch the gas pedal in the E550 4Matic. That will unleash a 402-horsepower biturbo V8 engine.

Photo by Mercedes-Benz

2016 BMW 7 Series

As our previous entry proved, a Top Safety Pick award is a key criterion for our selections of the best used luxury cars to buy. However, a lot of the flagship sedans from the upscale brands — like the 2016 BMW 7 Series — aren’t tested by the IIHS in the first place. Instead, the 7 Series caught our attention because it was chosen as one of the best cars of 2016 by the independent experts at Consumer Reports.

The full-size 7 Series was all-new that year and carried all of the latest BMW technologies. Among the highlights: an infotainment system that can be controlled through touch-free hand gestures and a panoramic glass roof that uses LEDs to create a “starry night” effect overhead.

Photo by BMW

2017 Audi A4

Launched as an all-new model in the spring of 2016, the Audi A4 stands out from the competition by combining full-scale luxury and compact dimensions. Indeed, despite its nimble footprint, the 2017 A4 can provide Audi’s “virtual cockpit” instrument panel, a 19-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system, mobile Wi-Fi, a full-color head-up display and climate-controlled leather seating.

Also available for the A4 are walnut or oak inlays that help create a feeling of elegance inside the car’s cabin. Leveraging Audi’s leadership role in exterior lighting, the A4 seals the deal with dramatically designed full LED headlights, signature LED daytime running lights, and standard LED taillights.

Photo by Audi

2016 Lincoln MKZ

The best used luxury cars to buy come with a lot of premium features and a relatively affordable price tag. Consider the 2016 Lincoln MKZ. Although Lincoln’s mid-size sedan isn’t as expensive as imported rivals, it supplies a much higher return on your investment. This pays off with luxury dividends like multi-contour front seats with Active Motion massage. Naturally, those seats can be heated and ventilated, too, and they’re covered in the same kind of soft leather that’s used for the heated and leather-wrapped steering wheel.

Up top, the MKZ offers one of the widest-opening panoramic roofs of any car on the market. High-end technologies for the MKZ range from a THX II certified audio system to active parking assistance.

Photo by Lincoln

2015 Infiniti Q70

Recommended by Consumer Reports when it was new, the 2015 Infiniti Q70 is now one of the best used luxury cars to buy from that year. As a starting point, the Q70 lives up to its role as the brand’s flagship with a comprehensive package of premium features. Many of the typical goodies are available, including semi-aniline leather seats, ash-wood cabin trim, full LED lighting, and leading-edge infotainment technologies.

But the Q70 also goes above and beyond with unique personal-luxury touches. For example, the car’s top-of-the-line audio system supplies shoulder-level speakers built into the front seats. Additionally, to attract more customers, the Q70 welcomed a new long-wheelbase version for the 2015 model year. It’s an ideal alternative if you need a roomier-than-normal cabin.

Photo by Infiniti

2015 Porsche Panamera

The best used luxury cars for enthusiasts include the 2015 Porsche Panamera. The Panamera certainly serves up Porsche-style performance: In the Turbo S, which was new for 2015, a 570-horsepower twin-turbo V8 can take you from 0-60 in about 3.7 seconds—and enable a top speed of 192 mph.

If you’re wondering about the car’s performance as a pre-owned premium sedan, well, according to the 2018 J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study, only Lexus had a more reliable 2015 lineup than Porsche. And you can rely on the Panamera for premium cabin materials, a Burmester audio system, climate-controlled front and rear seats, soft-close doors, and a competitive selection of safety technologies. As for powertrain technology, the 2015 Panamera also offers a plug-in hybrid setup.

Photo by Porsche

2016 BMW 2 Series

We’ve doubled up on two brands while choosing the best used luxury cars to buy. The first was BMW, which we honored earlier for its flagship 7 Series. This time, it’s the 2016 2 Series. An entry model for the brand, the 2 Series nonetheless delivers a fair number of uplevel benefits. Heated leather seats, a heated leather-wrapped steering wheel, and BMW’s Active Driving Assistant are all available for the car.

The 2 Series also shows numerical consistency with two body styles — coupe or convertible — and two third-party recognitions that are quite notable for used-car shoppers. As a new car, the 2015 2 Series earned both a “recommended” rating from Consumer Reports and a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS.

Photo by BMW

2015 Lexus ES

Lexus also has a second model among the best used luxury cars to buy. The 2015 ES, like the previously mentioned GS, boasts high levels of ultra-luxe content. Leading the way are elegant cues such as a wood-trimmed and heated steering wheel, climate-controlled seats swathed in semi-aniline leather, and an 835-watt Mark Levinson audio system.

Moreover, the 2015 ES and GS are both segment winners from the 2018 J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study. Just keep this tip in mind: The ES won the Compact Premium Car segment and the GS topped the Midsize Premium category. But the ES is three inches longer than the GS. The real difference here is that the former has front-wheel drive and the latter has rear-wheel-drive.

Photo by Lexus