A lot of luxury cars these days are coming out with new technology, and constantly looking for ways to beat each other out. Of the list of cars in the poll, which would you guys pick?
IMHO, I’d go with the Hyundai Genesis, simply for the fact that it costs $11k-28k less than all of the other cars on the list, and still competes rather well with the rest.
BMW 550i - $62,000
Lexus LS 460 - $66,000
Hyundai Genesis 4.6L - $38,000
Infinity M45 - $49,000
I’d have to go on looks alone, and the Lexus looks the most distinctive, the most like a higher-end car. With that groove down the side, the BMW looks too much like the current Accord.
In order,
Lexus
Infinity
BMW
Hyundai
The Hyundai. It is cheaper, it has the best mechanical warrantee. What’s not to like?
The Lexus by far. When you’re paying that kind of money for a car, you’re buying more than just transportation. Lexus is quality. The styling, the assembly, the interior are heads and shoulders above all the others on your list.
BMW 550i - $62,000; Must have Beemer “snobbery” attitude implanted as an extra-cost option, tires require special Bavarian air to inflate, however car actually has a performance pedigree
Lexus LS 460 - $66,000; Overpriced Toyota with useless cosmetic frippery
Hyundai Genesis 4.6L - $38,000; Decent, well made car, good warranty, excellent value
Infinity M45 - $49,000; Overpriced Nissan with useless cosmetic frippery
of the four, I’d lean more towards the BMW, mainly because they actually build sports cars, and even though the 550i is saddled by a power-robbing, inefficient sludgebox transmission, it’s still the most performance oriented of the lot
that said, the Hyundai definitely strikes a good balance of price/value/reliability, and would probably be the one I’d consider seriously if I was into luxury cars
It’s a Hyundai?
I’ll never be able to hear that name without imagining Alec Baldwin yelling “You drove a HYUNDAI to get here, and I drove an 80,000 dollar BMW!” to Ed Harris in Glengarry Glen Ross.
It’s still associated with the low-end of cars in the minds of most people who would care about a luxury car. It’s snobbery, but it’s just a fact of life.
If I was forced to choose, I’d go with the BMW, but I hate how it looks. I hate how all of them look. If I had $62,000 to put down on a car I’d get a Jensen Interceptor and have it fully restored.
I don’t know, the Genesis has gotten really good reviews. I think Hyundai really knew what they were doing when they designed this car. 2009 Hyundai Genesis 4.6 Review | The Truth About Cars
I think when it comes to picking what kind of car I’d get, the brand of the car is not really on the top of my list anymore. Cars these days are made very reliable, so it’s not like the way it used to be 20 years ago, where certain manufacturers were basically lemons on wheels.
If you are shopping for a luxury auto why do you even consider price? If price matters then shop for the best value car, period.
If you want luxury you buy what you want, price be damned. Luxury means that you are buying what you want because you want it. It’s not a matter of dollar value. Also, if you are buying anything that carries the tag of “luxury” and you are not paying cash you are an utter fool.
The Lexus LS is a substantially larger car than all the other ones. It is a full size car comparable to the 7 Series BMW and the Infiniti Q45. The Lexus GS460 would be a more appropriate comparison.
Of those four, the BMW, but frankly I’d prefer something smaller and/or sportier. And if I’m going to be spending that much I’d be getting generally what I wanted, so…
These are four totally different cars. The only simililarity is that they’re all “luxury four door” cars.
BMW 550i - $62,000 - More or less a true sports car, I drove one at the BMW performance track in Greenville, SC. It’s a total blast. The 3 series and 5 series drive much more similar than you’d think. The 7 series starts to get a little too fat to really drive hard.
Lexus LS 460 - $66,000 - My boss has one and I’ve driven it a few times because he hates to drive. It’s superdee-duper nice, but it’s not a sports car like the BMW, total luxury soft rider, but with plenty of power.
**Hyundai Genesis 4.6L - $38,000 **- I don’t know how so many people can be saying good things about this car. It’s way too new to make those calls. Let’s see what people are saying 3 years from now. I’ve got nothing against Hyundai, but this is a brand new platform, brand new engine, the first time they’ve tried to get luxury fit and finish. Lots of things to go wrong in the first few years.
Infinity M45 - $49,000 - Very much like the BMW, just $13k less. But I drive an Infinity G35, so I’m biased.
Out of curiosity, is a Cadillac just an “overpriced GM with useless cosmetic frippery”? You toss out these names as though they were negatives.
Anyway, Lexus is the one I know the most about, so I’d likely go with the LS460, followed by Infiniti, BMW and Hyundai.
The most important attribute of the cars in that class is what the neighbors think. Or, more accurately, what you think they’ll think. That’s why you buy one of that class. And in that competition Hyundai comes dead last by a mile. Maybe not in 15 years, but right now it’s a |000zr.
To me, Lexus & Infiniti are just gussied-up cheap Japanese econoboxes. I know that’s factually inaccurate. But to me, and my 1960/1970s-based automotive worldview, German= performance & style, Japanese = cheap. So I drive a BMW.
I’m slowly coming around, and in another 5-10 years I may be able to see Lexus or Infiniti as signalling luxo, not poseur. But not yet.
OTOH, the late 20-somethings I work with have the opposite view. For the era they grew up in, Lexus/Infiniti = style, luxury & performance, plus modernity. Meanwhile German = expensive, persnickety, & rapidly becoming obsolete.
I’m sure I’ll see a Hyundai Genesis in our lot soon. It’ll be interesting to see their reaction.
2 Hyundais instead of one of any of the others.
I drive a BMW 335xi, and I’d buy another one in a heartbeat. It’s just a blast to drive. It may not have all the luxury features of the Lexus, but it has most of them and the driving experience makes it the car I want to own. If I have the money, I’d put them in this order:
BMW
Lexus
Infinity
Hyundai
If the cost of the others was a stretch, I would definitely consider the Hyundai. It’s a nice looking vehicle and has gotten some good reviews. But it can’t compare to the others in terms of features or performance.
Interesting. My girlfriend drives a Hyundai and we’re currently under a strong marketing blitz from them about the Genesis. We’ve been invited to a test drive where we get free gifts and the like. I’m sure it’s a nice ride and all, but I don’t need to drive anything with a V-8 engine as a daily driver anymore. I do plan on going to the test drive and seeing if I can make the thing do burnouts or donuts though. 
Yes, the Caddy is a Chevy with useless cosmetic frippery
As you can tell, I’m not a fan of useless cosmetic parts…
an Escalade is a Suburban with a “bodykit”
a CTS is an Impala with a “bodykit”
a Lincoln Navigator is a Ford Excursion with a “bodykit”
leather seats, walnut trim exterior cosmetics, big shiny rims, and other such useless affectations do not improve the vehicle’s acceleration, 0-60, braking, or skidpad performance and are, IMO, irrelavent
what I see as “negatives” is not the core chassis the car is based on, but all the useless fancy geegaws the manufacturer slaps on it and marks up the price stratospherically
Toyota/Nissan/Chevy/Etc… I have no problem with, their tarted-up siblings, Lexus, Infiniti, Caddy, etc… I do, you’re basically paying for a name
If forced to pick from that list, I’d probably go with the Lexus.
My real answer is an Aston Martin DB9.
As someone else pointed out the Lexus doesn’t belong in there. The LS is the flagship. One of my division CEOs drives one. It’s pretty bad-ass comparable to a S-Class. Lexus has done really well building up its image, as I find Camrys to be only a subtle difference between the two. The GS should be in there, and it’s going to be almost as cheap as the Hyundai.
Speaking of which, the Hyundai is getting great reviews from reliable sources. The comparison is to when Lexus first came out, everyone laughed and few on this board still think that it’s a Toyota with leather seats. I think there is some value in going for the luxury brand, but not as much as before, and definitely not in all models (currently). Though I haven’t driven one, the Hyundai is trying to do the same thing. I believe the reviews are in near consensus that it has achieved just that. I’m not a big fan of buying the new platform/engine change, much less the absolute brand new model as I never truly believe that all the kinks are out. To someone with the time, patience and money, it might be worth the gamble. It certainly does look nice.
My personal preference would be to go for the BMW. My GC just got one and it’s very nice. Big enough to feel like a luxury boat sedan, powerful enough to feel like a true sports car.