Luxury cars are great when purchased new, however, as soon as their factory warranty and service plan expire, they can become a hassle to continue. This applies not only to the purchase of spare parts, but also to the daily maintenance of the vehicle.
Modern luxury cars are more reliable – largely – than their older versions, and they are usually cheaper to run. Browsing through the classifieds for cars, one can come across a multitude of older luxury cars for sale. These cars can be extremely tempting for a more comfortable daily driver or project, but they’re all there for a reason. Luxury cars depreciate faster than a rocket returning to Earth, so owners only receive a fraction of their original cost when they sell them. Luxury cars too usually have more tech and features that can go wrongand since this technology or features are usually the first in a car, it can cost an arm and a leg to repair or replace.
So while cheap luxury cars can look like an absolute steal compared to their less premium counterparts, they can end up costing a lot more in repairs and long-term service. To prevent that from happening, here are some cheap luxury cars to avoid as they will ruin you with the cost of constant repairs.
8 Jaguar S-Type
The Jaguar S-Type is a very maneuverable car. It was one of the best cars when produced between 1999 and 2007. It was developed when Ford owned the majority of Jaguar resulting in a large share share. While the styling of the S-Type was hotly debated, the driving dynamics were not. It was praised for its exceptional ride quality and smooth powertrain.
All that said, the S-Type was not without its problems. Premature ignition coil failure, engine wear and the abundance of electrical problems plagued pre-facelift modelsbut Jaguar has done a fantastic job of addressing these issues, which were mostly resolved after the 2004 facelift. That being said, the S-Type can still make owners part with more cash than they had not negotiated, with average engine repairs starting around $1,600. So while it’s still a cheap British luxury car to buy, it could get quite expensive when things go wrong.
7 BMW 7 Series E65
The BMW 7 Series E65 is probably one of the ugliest cars in modern motoring. It came after the incredibly styled E38 – one of the best designs for a car ever. By comparison, the E38 looked athletic, poised, and ready for constant, consistent highway cruising well beyond the legal speed limit, while the E65 was a bloated hunk of metal, wood and leather, combined to create something even Donald Trump. would not be seen in.
While style is subjective, reliability is not. The E65 is famous – or rather infamous – one of the most unreliable BMWs of all time. Dynamically and technologically, the E65 was a good car with a lot of “firsts” for BMW, where the bulk of the problems lie, and repairing or replacing these parts is very expensive.
6 Audi A8 D3
The D3 generation Audi A8 was a good car. It was equipped with good engines and superb ZF gearboxes, which did their job as expected. the annual maintenance costs are even less than $1,000, however, the problem with the D3 was the electrics and suspension. Electricity was unnecessarily complicated and when something happened it was usually a sign that it was just the beginning.
The suspension, however, was by far the most troubling part of the car. It featured an adaptive air suspension that made the car feel like it was rolling on a cloud. Unfortunately, the cloud would break, causing all the air to escape, damaging the compressors and leaving the A8 lower than a Lowrider. It usually costs a ridiculous amount of money to fix.
5 BMW 5 Series E60
Another of the legendary unreliable BMWs, the E60 was simply a money pit after the factory warranty expires. It didn’t help that it wasn’t the prettiest BMW to ever grace the road. Another factor that influenced the terrible overall reputation of the E60 was the introduction of the M5 and its big V10 engine.
The V10 in the E60 M5 was one of the best engines ever made, but no one ever wanted to own it because it was constantly trying to eat itself. the the connecting rod bearings would wear prematurely and when that happened, it would almost certainly lead to catastrophic engine failure. If it wasn’t for the connecting rod bearings, the electronic throttle actuators could seize up, causing the tiny gears inside to clog, resulting in a bad engine. A pretty terrible car to own.
4 Porsche 928
The Porsche 928 was designed as the The German brand’s first true grand tourer, which would eventually replace the 911. Instead, the 928 became a model in its own right and has since been the company’s only front-engine V8 GT car to date. Unfortunately, the 928 was one of the least reliable cars of the 1980s.
The problem with the 928 was that it was quite expensive to buy when new, so owners didn’t realize the true cost of repairs until after the warranty expired. As a result, 928s can be had for relatively cheap today, but the cost of deferred maintenance is what puts a lump in the throats of would-be owners.
3 2001 Bentley Arnage Red Label Turbo
The Arnage was introduced in 1998 and was designed to replace the aging Mulsanne within the Bentley lineup. There was a corporate battle between BMW and the VW Group, with VW eventually taking control of Bentley. Initial production Arnage was equipped with a BMW M62 V8, which was given to Cosworth for an air, which allowed the engine to receive two turbos.
While the BMW M62 was a good engine, many owners simply neglected to maintain it properly, which resulted in the majority of early Bentley and BMW models being unreliable. The updated 6.75-liter twin-turbo V8 doesn’t fare much better in the reliability department, requiring new head gaskets every 60,000 miles or so. which can easily cost north of $6,000 on its own. So even though the Bentley Arnage may seem like a cheap buy at around $23,000it could be a ticking time bomb.
2 Maserati Quattroporte
The Maserati Quattroporte is a brilliant car – when it works. The revived 2003 Quattroporte was equipped with a glorious Ferrari V8 and a F1 transmission. This combination worked well when racing around a track, but for cruising—which the Quattroporte was primarily used for—the drivetrain was jerky and uncomfortable. Luckily, Maserati solved this problem with the Quattroporte Automatica in 2007, resulting in a brilliant car.
Maserati as a whole is a relatively unreliable brand, with even the new Quattroporte ranked 40 out of 40 in reliability tests. Parts are also extremely expensive, as is general maintenance equivalent to an average between $2,000 and $3,000 per year. Yes There is something wrong with the transmission, it would probably be beneficial to just sell the car. All because Maserati is a more exclusive automaker, not a mass producer like BMW or Mercedes-Benz for example.
1 Range RoverVogue
Land Rover has a long history of unreliability, which is odd because they make some of the best and most versatile cars on the market. Going back to the 1 series, straight to the current Defender, all models lack reliability. There are countless articles on the internet warning against buying a Land Rover or Range Rover that is past its factory warranty period.
Doug DeMuro even had quite the experience with a BMW/Ford-era Range Rover, and he explained how much he paid for an aftermarket warranty versus what the warranty company paid in repairs for his Range Rover. – whose difference is shocking. Jaguar Land Rover even stopped production of their new Defender as they were about to be sued over their reliability issues. Even the new Land Rovers cost a average of $4,500 per year interview alone. It’s amazing that a mass-produced company that’s been around for so long and has such a heritage, should be still struggling with issues like these.
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