Which luxury cars are best and worst for value for money?

Luxury cars typically cost a lot to buy, but they needn’t break the bank in running costs – provided you choose carefully. 

You wouldn’t expect a luxury car to be cheap, but you might expect a lot of car for your money. Our best-value luxury car truly lived up to its billing with nearly all owners raving about its superb comfort levels. And while it may be a luxury model, it still scored above average for value overall in the Which? Car Survey.

The worst value luxury car, however, is within striking distance of the bottom of the survey. Owners complained about its hearty appetite for fuel and oil. A number of drivers also described it as being both uncomfortable and difficult to get into – not good attributes for a luxury machine.

Highest rated luxury car for value for money

If there’s one thing owners of the Saab 9-5 (1997-2010) all agree about, it’s just how comfortable their car is. As a result, 9-5 drivers keep coming back for more; one owner is now on their third 9-5 and another is on their 11th Saab.

Thanks to Saab owners’ satisfaction with their cars, the 9-5 chalked up a strong value-for-money score of 84.5%. A large number of owners described the 9-5 as ‘very comfortable’, with one adding: ‘for the price, nothing else gives the same amount of space, comfort or performance’.

Another Saab owner said, ‘I love the fact that I have a reliable, solid, quality car, loaded with extras, without having had to pay the steep prices associated with German makes.’ The car makes an ‘excellent long-distance car with a massive boot’ and is ‘safe, reliable, easy to drive, with excellent in-car entertainment’.

Lowest rated luxury car for value for money

Way down at the other end of the luxury car table is the Audi A5 Sportback (2009-) with a score of 67.3%. Unlike the Saab, many Audi owners criticised their car for being uncomfortable due to its firm ride. The A5 Sportback is also hard to drive smoothly, according to several drivers.

Contributing to the poor value money score, the A5 ‘uses a great deal of oil – needing approximately one litre every other month’, the ‘petrol consumption is some 10mpg worse than advertised’ and the ‘highly expensive’ built-in satnav is ‘a disaster’ and ‘doesn’t take full postcodes’.

The A5 Sportback is ‘uncomfortable on motorways and A roads’ and ‘the 19-inch wheels give a hard ride’, jeopardising its billing as a luxury car. Other owners have criticised the S-Tronic automatic gearbox for being ‘jerky’ with the ‘random jerkiness of the accelerator’ meaning that ‘you cannot “creep” forward’. ‘The brakes are occasionally very sharp, causing me and any passenger to lurch forward’.

Beyond these failings, owners also complained that ‘access is difficult for large or older people’, ‘rain water enters the boot area when opened’ and ‘it feels like a large car, so parking can sometimes be a challenge’.

Source http://www.which.co.uk/news/2014/06/best-and-worst-luxury-cars-for-value-for-money-369668/

Marbella has become the home for luxury cars in Spain

Marbella, its good news for us that Marbella has now become the home for luxury cars in Spain!

You only have to take a cruise up the Golden Mile from the centre of town to Puerto Banus and you will pass, or more likely be passed, by an exotic collection of machinery including Porsches, Ferraris, Bentleys and more recently McLarens.

The town sells more luxury cars than practically anywhere else in Spain.

So it is no surprise to find so many upmarket dealerships in town, including VIP Cars and No1 Cars Marbella in a nearby industrial zone, which offer a full range of services by British trained mechanics.

Heading in the other direction towards Estepona, you will find C. de Salamanca and Guarnieri selling the types of cars most can only dream of – Maseratis, McLarens and Rolls Royces.

Another well established dealer Miguel Domenech has been selling dream cars for over two years having made the decision to relocate from his native Sevilla and considers the Costa del Sol one of the best places to sell.

“In the last six months we have seen the market getting busier and busier,” he told the Olive Press. “I was involved in the luxury car business in Sevilla and when the crisis hit it was at its worst, but I didn’t want to leave the high end of the market”.

So what is Miguel’s dream car for the Costa del Sol? “Well, I drive to Sevilla a lot so for me it has to be something practical like an Audi A4 or A6 Avant.

“The most popular cars among my clients however are the Mercedes and BMWs. Though I suppose my perfect car would be a convertible Bentley!”.

 

Could the Rolls-Royce Phantom be the best car on the planet?

How much does true luxury cost these days? Well for nearly half a million dollars, you can buy yourself a truly luxurious car that can offer you the best speed, interiors and latest digital technology, but which of these will give you true luxury?
What do I mean “true luxury?” Well, let me break it down for you. A large luxury sedan is something like the all-new Mercedes-Benz S-Class or Audi A8. Getting behind the wheel will have you pampered and feature the latest and greatest technology. BUT, the interiors aren’t entirely sumptuous and when you hit some bumps you will feel them.

True luxury vehicles are cars that are conceived on what seems like another planet. Everything is, simply, the best and the vehicle reflects that in every measurable metric.

Though other marques may be social media mavens or produce the most memorable Super Bowl commercials, there’s only one that can sit atop the throne and have brand equity that places it number one in the luxury domain. Think: What other brand has attained the status of being top-notch and can be applied to any other inanimate object? How many times have you heard about another product that it’s “the Rolls-Royce of…’x’?”

This neatly brings us to our subject, the Rolls-Royce Phantom — in this instance, the Series II.

The Phantom is the flagship nameplate, which now features a standard wheelbase sedan, a long wheelbase sedan, a convertible and the rarely seen coupe. It was the first new Rolls vehicle produced under BMW ownership and was launched in the early 2000s.

When you’re confronted with the properly massive sedan you truly understand the gargantuan nature of this automobile. It’s the size of most luxury sport-utility vehicles; however, it is relatively narrow which is good for navigating busy urban centres.

Up front you’ll find the large, trademark grille that bestows a Roller. Of course, the Flying Lady does her pop up trick upon unlocking the car and it hides when the vehicle is off. From the façade back you’ll note strong lines that embody elegance and presence.

If you didn’t realize what you were getting into before, when you pull the handle of a Phantom you’ll definitely know this is not your ordinary luxury vehicle. The door weighs a lot and requires effort to open it. The good news is if you’re a rear seat passenger you have a button to press and hold to close the suicide door. I hope you didn’t think all of that wood, leather and metal amounted to nothing.

Plopping down behind the enormous and thin steering wheel, you’ll note that the bottom of the wheel — not the top, like in sportier vehicles — have thumb grips. Clearly this is a clear message that the Phantom is to be ridden in. Getting more comfortable, you’ll also realize that the seats are simple. There’s not a ridiculous number of adjustments and there’s good reason for this: they’re comfortable as is.

Probably the element that gains the most attention is the plush carpeting. I have been in many sumptuously appointed homes but nothing has ever had a carpet like this. Bentley and Jaguar have nothing on this. It’s thick and soft to the touch. It feels almost criminal to be placing your feet on the carpets but c’est la vie.

If you have the joy of going for a cruise in the back seat you’ll soon appreciate how the thickness of the carpet makes your ride that much better and comfortable.

Looking at the switchgear, it’s all bespoke and quirky as you’d expect in any British automobile. Things aren’t located where one would expect. The seat controls are hidden in the armrest and the Park Distance Control (PDC) and Boot — trunk — switches are found in the ceiling’s control pod.

The infotainment unit is BMW’s iDrive just the graphical user interface (GUI) has been “reskinned.” It’s sort of funny because the rest of the cabin is simple and elegant, yet BMW‘s iDrive can be complex and confusing to some. Personally, I have grown to like it over the years and I find it logical. There’s just a two week learning curve for novice users.

I could go on for another 1,000 words about the high quality leather and remarkable wood veneers that Rolls-Royce uses in the Phantom, but frankly, I don’t want to bore you with my car geekiness. Let’s move on to the driving experience.

There’s no other way around it, though I’ve driven just about everything under the Sun, nothing compares to the Phantom. Everything about the Phantom is so far removed from even the best large luxury sedans that it makes you feel as though it was intended to be a real car and everything else is simply a go-kart.

The 6.75-liter V12 motor that produces 453 horsepower and 531 lb.-ft. of torque is eerily quiet and will never even come close to interrupting an in-cabin conversation. If you inspect the glass you’ll note it’s double-pane and it helps make wind noise virtually non-existent.

Though the Phantom weighs in at over 5,800 pounds, it has more than enough power. Zero to 60 comes in 5.7 seconds, which is quick for any automobile. On the freeway, surprisingly, it doesn’t do as bad as one would suspect lugging around all that weight as the torque easily gets you past any slow pokes. One thing I found interesting is that when you really push the “go” pedal, the vehicle doesn’t lurch forward with rude manners, it elegantly wafts along.

During my time with the Phantom, it chalked up 13 mpg. Though cliché, I am pretty doubtful anyone in-market will care.

My specific tester was equipped with the Dynamic Package, which provides extra strengthening to the Phantom’s chassis, stiffens the suspension and recalibrates the transmission. By pressing the Sport button, you’ll feel all of these things take effect as the steering gets a bit more weight to it, the eight-speed automatic transmission gets more aggressive and, overall, the car hunkers down for speedier travel. It’s not intrusive to passengers but it provides the driver with much-needed confidence to move the luxury-tuned barge at speed.

Its ride quality is most accurately described as feeling akin to a floating carpet. You can tell that it must be one of the company’s highest priorities in research and development, and that nothing is allowed to compromise it. Even over railroad tracks there is no perceptible feeling of bumps though you hear the vehicle travel over them. You simply forget they’re there.

While I typically look forward for a drive from my northern New Jersey home into my Manhattan or Jersey City office, I have to admit it can be bumpy and pain inducing at times — especially after this year’s rough winter. That wasn’t the case in the Roller. When I first picked up the Phantom I trekked down to the office at 8:00 a.m., which is the WORST time to travel in the New York tri-state region. Though I sat through two hours of traffic, I arrived at my destination completely relaxed and carefree. Following that, I had a great day of productivity. This is why a car of this calibre makes sense. Never have I ever experienced such a carefree experience. Not in a Bentley, an S-Class or any other high-end luxury auto.

To sum up the experience, it can be crystalized as a traveling living room. Except it’s probably built better and is more comfortable than any living room you’ve been in. Now I “get it.”

While Rolls-Royce is a company that has expanded into a variety of new models, and offers more sporty and tech-enabled vehicles, it remains true to its heritage of building the best luxury auto produced. There’s a reason why those interlocked R’s are recognized across the globe: the company earned it.

The Good:

– The ride quality is unlike any other vehicle I’ve travelled in — it’s easily the most comfortable, isolated ride
– The V12 powerplant is an engineering marvel as it can power a near three-ton auto with ease and grace all the while being remarkably quiet
– Nothing says presence and class like a Rolls-Royce

The Bad:

– I did hear a very slight rattle from the passenger side of the auto that became annoying
– When you arrive in a Rolls-Royce, it is an event — if you don’t like attention, this isn’t the vehicle for you
– It’s price isn’t for the faint of heart, if you have to ask you cannot afford it — for the curious, its base price is set at $402,940.

The Lowdown:

Though some like to make the argument that you can acquire a large luxury sedan for a fraction of the price and get the same satisfaction, they’re wrong. Dead wrong. That’s called settling. Simply put, this is a vehicle that’s built to be the best for the best. If that’s how you set a benchmark, you need not look any further as this vehicle is completely extraordinary compared to all else.

Source http://www.autospies.com/news/REVIEW-Is-A-Rolls-Royce-Phantom-REALLY-The-BEST-Automobile-On-The-Planet-Only-ONE-Way-To-Find-Out-81458/

Why you should invest in a luxury car

The luxury car market is growing and changing every day to suit the needs of prospective clientele. Where once before you could only dream of owning one, now luxury car manufacturers are looking at ways to make their brands open to more people.

Sales of luxury vehicles will continue to grow for many years to come, according to Jaguar and Land Rover.

The group marketing director for the British brands, Phil Popham, says there is plenty of growth potential for brands that produce premium vehicles and sell them at a premium price.

“We believe that the premium segments have got significant growth in future,” said Popham, who was in Australia this week as part of a visit to the Asia Pacific region.

“The world has and is becoming a more affluent place, there’s more and more affluent people. They are becoming increasingly brand savvy.”

He said success relied on the desirability of the brand being matched by unique and attractive products.

Popham said the growth would be a mix the arrival of new models and organic growth as buyers aspired to owning a luxury vehicle and wealth increased.

He also said emerging markets such as China and India brought potential for significant growth, while markets such as South Korea presented opportunities due to the greater acceptance of imported vehicles.

Sales of luxury cars have been steadily growing for more than a decade, with most manufacturers selling in market segments they haven’t traditionally competed in.

The bulk of that growth has been from intense competition from German brands Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi.

Whereas in the 1990s they produced a selection of luxury sedans and a sports car or two each now produces dozens of body styles covering SUVs, hatchbacks, coupes and the traditional luxury fare.

Much of the sales growth for those German brands has been at the lower end of the market, with each now selling city cars priced below many mainstream offerings.

But Jaguar says it will not follow the German brands as far down the price scale, saying it was too difficult to compete.

“We have no aspirations to be a volume brand, because that’s not our experience, that’s not our expertise.

Popham said the margins and investments required meant it did not make sense.

“[We’re not going to be] getting down into the smaller segments, where we haven’t got the economies of scale, we haven’t got the expertise, it would cost an incredible amount to invest,” he said.

“We’re not going to be a 2 million car company like BMW.”

“But we do want to be seen as a benchmark, we do want to be considered as one of the big players in the premium segment, a benchmark in terms of a our product attributes, in terms of our credibility and in terms of our geographical coverage.

“We have got ambitions to be a substantial player in the segments in which we compete, which is the premium segment.”

Popham said that could mean producing small cars.

“I wouldn’t say we would never introduce smaller cars … it really depends upon the trends,” said Popham.

“We’ll always look around our portfolio of products in terms of trends, where are the growth segments, where do we think we can have a credible product that will make money.”

Source http://www.drive.com.au/motor-news/luxury-cars-have-significant-growth-potential-20140514-389ss.html

What cars are the Mothers of the world choosing to drive?

Mothers day may be over but they are still in our minds when it comes to the cars they drive. What is the car of choice when it comes to Moms? Is the minivan still the favourite or are Mothers opting for a bit more luxury these days?

In honour of Mother’s Day, AL.com is turning the spotlight on moms — and their driving habits.

Auto website Edmunds.com recently conducted a poll of 1,000 moms, which showed that they spend more time driving their children around than they do helping with homework.

More than 66 percent of moms also consider themselves to be better drivers than their spouses, and 37 percent of them would choose pampering for their car over pampering for themselves.

So what they drive must be pretty important, right?

Edmunds also compiled a list of the top 10 coolest vehicles for soccer moms. The website’s choices range widely, from pricey options like a Tesla Model S and BMW X3, to more economical offerings such as a Kia Soul and Ford Flex.

See a photo gallery of the full list.

“If you’re a parent who thinks that family life means your days of driving a genuinely eye-catching vehicle are behind you, think again,” Edmunds says. “There’s a good selection of choices out there that allow you to responsibly pilot your brood without losing cool points in the process.”

Meanwhile, no minivans made the list. In fact, the survey showed 70 percent of moms flatly refused to drive one of these quintessential “mom-mobiles.”

Not so fast, says Honda, which builds its Odyssey minivan here in Alabama. So far this year, Honda has sold nearly 40,000 Odysseys, a 4 percent improvement over last year.

The Odyssey currently ranks No. 3 in market share in its segment, behind the Dodge Caravan and the Chrysler Town & Country, which also have posted sales gains over 2013, according to Kelley Blue Book data.

So the bottom line is, some folks — moms included — really do like their minivans.

And the Odyssey in particular gets cool points for being driven by Indy racer Simon Pagenaud in the rigorous Pikes Peak International Hill Climb Race, said Honda spokeswoman Sara Pines.

“The Honda Odyssey is a mom’s best friend,” she said. “Smart and busy moms know the Odyssey gives them the ease of  power sliding doors, a power tailgate, a rear view camera, available ultra wide rear entertainment system, and the amazing HondaVAC built in vacuum — everything needed to juggle a typical day with kids in style and comfort.”

For all those moms out there that want and deserve a bit of luxury, why not treat yourself by hiring one of our luxury cars for the day.

Source http://www.al.com/business/index.ssf/2014/05/mothers_day_on_wheels_the_cool.html