A luxury car for the price of a Corolla? Yep, I'll take one. Maybe two. It's an irresistible deal for lots of folk and buying a used luxury car makes ownership a lot easier. Not just because they're cheaper than new ones; the build quality is such that they still have a lot of life left. And with styling changes being infrequent, it's often hard to pick a six- or seven-year-old model from a new one.
How did you guess that the next sentence would start with "But"?
But some are far more affordable than others. The problem with looking for a used BMW 3 Series or C-Class Mercedes-Benz is that practically everyone else is doing the same thing.
That's why used BMW 3 Series are so expensive. Actually these cars have some of the best resale values in the industry and Mercedes C-Classes are only a whisker behind.
So you have to think outside these brands. You'll find the prices are friendlier and the quality often on a par.
There are some well-made examples that for various reasons stack up as genuine bargains on the used car market. Take Jaguar's X-Type.
The entry-level X-Type, with its small capacity V6, cost more than a BMW 318i when new but a few years down the track it's cheaper. That's because buyers who have done their homework know that the X-Type was born out of Jaguar's takeover by Ford and is built on the Ford Mondeo platform. They therefore sniff and say
it's not a real Jag. Fools. Can't they read the badge?
Volvo's S60 is a bargain for a different reason. It was introduced to breathe new life into the stodgy old Volvo brand and pull in younger buyers but they obviously weren't paying attention and pretty much all the buyers were people who'd always bought Volvos anyway.
The IS200 from Lexus is a far more conservative car than its replacement, the IS250, and in common with the Jaguar and Volvo it's a bit on the bland side.
If none of these things worries you, well congratulations, you've just found a Rolex for the price of a slightly used Swatch. As bargain-priced entrees into luxury brands, they're hard to beat.
What of the Audi A4? It's the best drive here and if you can find one, the
all-wheel-drive Quattro version doesn't cost a lot more. The A4 never ignited the market the way more expensive Audis do but they still tend to appeal to enthusiast drivers, so caution is required. Pay close attention to the engine, transmission, brakes and suspension and be extremely wary if any modifications have been made.
You'll find many of these cars have had two owners. Lots were bought by company fleets for their executives and were sold after three or four years. In such cases the service history needs to be checked carefully and it is worth paying a bit extra for a one-owner car with a full service book. If the car has had two owners make sure you're comfortable with the current owner's reasons for selling.
And your dear old mum has a point. For the same money you can get a 2006 Holden Commodore with less than 50,000km, or a brand new Corolla. Service and parts are more expensive and insurance is often higher.
One last point: You were attracted to these cars because of their price. It would be rather naive to expect their resale values to improve.
Jaguar X-type **1/2 (RATING TWO AND A HALF STARS)
A good selection of these at less than $30,000, with some as low as $25,000. They are mostly 2001 and 2002 models with about 100,000km, a few less, some much more. Most have the entry-level 2.1-litre V6 which only feels brisk because the car is geared so low. A well-appointed cabin suggests an English gentlemen's club but the car drives much more like the Ford it is based on. Rear seat room is tight.
Audi A4 ***1/2 (RATING THREE AND A HALF STARS)
Lots of these around in both sedan and wagon variants and a good deal with manual transmission and Quattro all-wheel-drive too. The cars with least distance are the four-cylinder models dating from about 2000 to 2003 - look carefully and you'll find some examples with just 60,000km but many have more than 100,000, Audi's "multitronic" gearbox is a continuously variable auto and one of the best available.
Lexus IS200 ** (RATING TWO STARS)
A rather insipid car that's not as sporty or satisfying as its replacement, the IS250, but these are usually safe to buy because they've mostly been treated very well. The attraction here is a pretty good standard equipment list, more generous than the others. There are a few around with manual transmission. This sort of money gets a model from 2000 to 2003 and most have done less than 100,000km, some a lot less.
Volvo S60 **1/2 (RATING TWO AND A HALF STARS)
Promoted as a sporty and hip - and it wasn't. But it was still popular with existing Volvo owners and the styling is contemporary - it may be a Volvo but at least it's not one of the old, box-like numbers. It's well-made and reliable. Used S60s are pretty safe buying, too. For this money you'll get one of the early five-cylinder models dating from 2001 to 2003 with anything from 50,000 to 80,000km on the clock.
Verdict
We'll take the Audi. As well as providing the best drive experience here, it also has the most street cred. Just take plenty of time to familiarise yourself with the dash before driving because, as with all Audis, it's information overload - sometimes it can take a while to find the digital clock amid all the displays. Between the Volvo and the Jag we'd take, wait for this, the Volvo. It's quicker and more fun.
The price range quoted reflects popular variants, from entry-level models with higher kilometres to higher specification models with lower kilometres, but do not include low-volume models or limited editions. Prices are representative of asking prices at dealerships and do not indicate the worth of trade-ins. This is a general guide to the bulk of examples. All used cars are different and some will be encountered that do not comply with descriptions presented here. We always suggest driving a range of examples before settling on a particular car.
