
Generally, big cars are more expensive than smaller ones. Size can affect the space, price, and styling of a car. Hunt down the LS 460 L if you can: the extra length provides acres of legroom in the back, and the optional Executive package added DVD players, a table, and shiatsu massaging seats to the rear.If you plan on buying a car, you may be torn between large and small options. Okay, that last one is just a bit of theater, but so what? SEE ALSO: 2013 Lexus LS Reviewįor $15k you can even find yourself in an early fourth-gen model, which arrived in 2007. It included such modern features as adaptive cruise control, rain-sensing wipers, voice-controlled navigation and moving air vents. They’re quiet horses, with the LS maintaining a whisper-quiet interior even at highway speeds. This was the last LS to come in just one length, and also offer just one engine: a 4.3-liter V8 producing 290 hp. The design is big and blocky, with some serious S-Class vibes in its hewn-from-granite proportions. Lexus kept things simple for the third generation. The third-generation model isn’t the milestone model the original was, but it retains the bullet-proof reliability and rider pampering that first put the car on the map. The Lexus LS changed the big-car luxury game when it launched in 1989. Pros: An experience unlike anything else, tiny footprint, EV.Ĭons: Limited range, tight storage space. That fancy carbon-reinforced chassis and body also protects it from rust. The i3 calms you once you’re behind the wheel, and its narrow bike-like tires make it surprisingly entertaining to thread through the city. It’s airy and spacious, with unique textures and a pleasant minimalism. Stepping into an i3 for the first time is something unlike anything this side of a supercar. 2017 saw ranges increase, but that won’t fit in the budget here. 2014 models were capable of just 81 miles per charge, though REx models-which add a gas-powered range extender-nearly double that to 150 miles. No, BMW’s fancy CFRP-bodied sub-compact is best for city use, as its tight dimensions suggest.

But the little BMW i3 is one of the best second-hand buys on the market today-provided it lines up with your car use. We admit it, this one is both a little left-field, and a tight fit within the budget. Pros: Honda engine, fun-to-drive, low running costs.Ĭons: Beaky styling, portly curb weight.
Spacious cars how to#
The TL doesn’t forget how to have fun once the corners arrive either. It’s a larger, softer car than the C-Class or 3 Series, but that means more room for you and friends to cruise in comfort. And at this price, you’ve got your pick of any model. While the in-car tech dates the TL, it remains easy to use. What’s more, the SH-AWD could even be optioned with a six-speed manual, and 245-series, 19-inch summer tires. Front-drive examples used a 280-horsepower, 3.5-liter six-pot, while the all-wheel drive model bumped displacement to 3.7 liters, resulting in 305 ponies. This final generation of TL-the TLX effectively replaced it and the smaller TSX-came with two variations on Acura’s V6 engine. In this case, it’s essentially a Honda Accord with added poise and power.

The Acura TL is a bit like the Lexus ES 350 earlier in the list: it’s a luxury redo of a very mainstream sedan. Pros: Powerful and tuneable engine, classic BMW handling, body style options.Ĭons: Fuel pump problems, injector issues-did we mention that buying guide? 03. Lexus’ excellent 14-speaker Mark Levinson sound system is worth hunting down too. Stability control and ABS were also standard, with an early pre-collision emergency braking system and dynamic cruise control optional. Standard features include leather seats, dual zone climate control, and keyless entry. That gives it some serious straight-line poke, but this sedan is more about gliding along in comfort than carving corners. It sticks to a 3.5-liter V6, sending a healthy 272 horsepower to the front wheels via a six-speed auto. Despite its age, the fifth-gen ES boasts stats largely similar to the current model. Our self-imposed spending limit puts the fifth-generation model squarely in our sights, which covered the 2007 through 2012 model years. Don’t act so shocked: Lexus has a long-standing reputation for reliability, and that makes its cars easy picks for years of trouble-free opulence. Kicking off the list is a Lexus model, and fair warning: the Japanese brand will show up again before the end. We’ve combed through used ads to find the best deals in the used luxury market. Buy a car with a clean service history and it should reward you with multiple years of premium enjoyment. That makes them excellent used buys, since they don’t have much further to fall. Most luxury cars also shed their worth at a frankly alarming rate.
