Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Auto

Consumer Reports: These are the best used luxury cars you can get

Luxury doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg, as long as you know where to look.

Joel Patel
By

With cars costing more than ever before and dealerships having a hard time getting and keeping inventory, now is a good time as any to look into purchasing a used car, especially if you’re looking to stick to a budget. While shopping on a budget can be difficult, you can still find a reliable, well-equipped, and luxurious vehicle. The trick is knowing where to look.

Consumer Reports recently came out with its list of the best used vehicles from $10,000 to $40,000, and a few luxury cars made the cut. In order to be named one of the best vehicles in their price point, a car had to perform well in the outlet’s road tests and have above-average reliability for multiple years.

2015 Acura TLX exterior front end angle from passenger side in front of green trees.
Acura

The best used luxury cars under $25,000

If you’re looking for a luxury vehicle with a budget of $10,000 to $15,000, Consumer Reports suggests the 2014-2015 Lincoln MKZ due to its handling, which it says rivals European sports sedans. The hybrid option tested at 34 mpg overall.  If the Lincoln doesn’t line up with what you’re looking for, the outlet claims that the 2013 Mercedes-Benz E-Class is a good option.

Related

With a budget of $15,000 to $20,000, the best luxury cars will come from Japan. Consumer Reports named the 2015-2016 Acura TLX and 2013-2015 Lexus ES as the best two choices. The outlet claims that the TLX “has a quiet cabin, came nicely equipped, and was available with a manual gearbox in V6 models.” The ES, on the other hand, can be seen as a high-end version of the Toyota Camry. It’s a good choice as it’s “comfortable and quiet” with the hybrid model being frugal on gas.

Recommended Videos

Shoppers with a budget of $20,000 to $25,000 have a few more choices to explore. In this price bracket, Consumer Reports recommends multiple vehicles, including the 2015-2016 Acura TLX, 2018 BMW 3-Series, 2016 Lexus ES, 2016 Lexus ES Hybrid, 2015 Lexus GS, 2018 Lincoln MKZ, and 2016 Mercedes-Benz E-Class. If you’re looking for a luxurious SUV, you’ll want to check out the 2013 Lexus RX Hybrid.

2019 BMW 3-Series front end and rear end angle parked on a driveway in front of a house.
BMW

The best used luxury cars under $40,000

Make the jump up to the $25,000 to $30,000 range and luxury cars like the 2017-2018 Lexus ES and the 2017-2018 Mercedes-Benz E-Class. Consumer Reports claims that the “ES has a quiet and comfortable interior, gets a good 25 mpg overall from its V6, and is very reliable.” The outlet praised the E-Class for its smooth, yet powerful turbo four-cylinder engine.

The last price category is for the $30,000 to $40,000 range. The only luxury car in this segment includes the 2020-2021 BMW 3-Series, which Consumer Reports said was “nearly without fault.”

Clearly, if you’re looking for used cars with some luxury, you can’t really go wrong with the Acura TLX, Lexus ES, and Mercedes-Benz E-Class, as long as you get the right model year.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Joel Patel
Joel Patel
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Joel Patel is a Northern Virginia native that became enamored with cars at a young age when he was tasked with holding the…
Report: Only one-third of car dealerships have an EV available for purchase right now
An electric vehicle being charged.

An electric vehicle being charged. myenergi/unsplash

Many of those searching for an electric vehicle in the past year have concluded that there are slim pickings at their local car dealerships. According to a recent study released by the Sierra Club, those deductions are accurate. It’s been determined that the auto industry is sadly failing to meet consumer demand for electric vehicles in the United States.

Read more
Mercedes Benz’s new AMG SL 43 is a gorgeous RWD, F1-inspired beast
If you need to go fast and look good doing it, we've got the car for you
Front view of AMG SL 43

Two years ago, Mercedes-AMG unveiled the SL Roadster, also known as the R232. Mercedes-AMG reimagined it by adding a new fabric roof, modern tech modification, and a standard two-plus-two seating layout. Two variants of the R232 were immediately available for sale in the U.S. — the AMG SL 63 and AMG SL 55.

There was just one thing missing — the entry-level SL Roadster dubbed the AMG SL 43, was not made available in the U.S. despite it being sold in Europe. Luckily, Mercedes-AMG just announced that the AMG SL 43 will be available to order in the U.S. starting this summer.

Read more
Polestar 3 and Volvo EX90 production is taking longer than anticipated
Production delays hit Polestar 3 and Volvo EX90: What’s behind the extended production time?
Polestar 3 and Polestar 4 on stage during unveiling ceremony

Last month, Volvo unveiled the new 2025 Polestar 4. It’s an electric SUV that will compete against the Tesla Model X — but it will be cheaper with a price tag of around $60,000. The 2024 Polestar 3 and Volvo EX90 were also unveiled late last year as part of the Swedish carmaker’s plan to bring an all-electric vehicle lineup to the U.S.  

Both the Polestar 3 and Volvo EX90 were scheduled for production in mid-2023 with delivery slated for later this year. However, the production plans have changed and Polestar says we have to wait until early 2024 for the new Polestar and Volvo cars. What's the reason for the pushback? It has something to do with software issues. 
Polestar needs more time to develop and test the software
According to the Swedish automaker, it needs "additional time for final software development" before manufacturing the Polestar 3. Since the Volvo EX90 shares the same platform as the Polestar 3, it will also be affected. However, the automaker clarified that the upcoming Polestar 4 won't be affected and it will be delivered on the initial schedule.

Read more