In 1996, I wasn't 1/8 of the car enthusiast I am now. Having had some success (not bragging because I've had plenty of hardships), I purchased a slightly used Mercedes-Benz S600 that was an impulse buy and a terrible waste of money and a terrible terribly unreliable piece of machinery. I'm glad I found Lexus. I owned a 1998 LS400 and now a 2005 LS430 Ultra Lux. I am in love with the car and the effort put into making it the machine it is. I never did get over my love for Cadillacs but probably will not return until I feel it rivals import models from the ground-up. I am glad however, they've made some great improvements over the years.

Anyway, I was at my house in 1997. Said friend is now a business associate. When he mentioned what he drove I was ignorantly unimpressed. That is, until I saw the car in person. He picked me up in his 1996 Lincoln Continental in "Gold Parchment Metallic" - I believe it was called. He was quite a young guy to drive such a car in most people's opinions at the time. It was winter and it had to be about 9:00pm Eastern time. Another friend and I walked out of my house and the friend with the Lincoln was wearing a high-end red sweater. The whole look just came together. The swoopiness of the car's design in and out, the floating gauges, the color and my well-groomed friend who had (and still has) a baby-face all permeated the same image. The friend who was with me outside the car looked at me and a word came to our minds..."Class". That was it...the look was so classy. Nowadays, finding a 1995-1997 Lincoln continental is a gamble so I am looking for something comparable.

You might think I'm crazy, but the 1997-2001 Infiniti Q45 gave off a similar look. The new MB S550 has it but A)Its more than I want to spend B) I'm not convinced MB will not give me a trouble-free ownership experience and that's a problem since I'm far from my nearest MB dealer and C)Been there, done that...wasn't happy.

Is there a car...(I'm thinking Jag) that would give off that classy yet swoopy look I'm craving? Even if it's a few years old, I'll go on a hunt and find one that was well maintained. If you don't mind, let me know your thoughts.

 

4 door or 2 door?

The old XKR comes to mind, and so does the older aston martin db7. Those cars screams class.





Those might be out of your price range, you should look at the 05 or older Maserati Quattroporte, you can pick one up for around 40~50k now.

 

Great write up btw, I enjoyed reading it.

 

Bentley?

Did we have a price range?

 

A Jag would be nice, but every older one owned by my friends involved thousands of dollars in repairs every year.

 

I think the latest A8 body is extremely classy and under the radar.

 

Based on OP's story above, I think latest A8 is over the budget.

 

Thanks for the replies. I think the Audi and Jaguar suggestions are touching me the most. I should also clarify that I'm a sedan guy and not a coupe or convertible guy, but the XK was a wonderful suggestion.

Admittedly, Maserati and Bentley would be far beyond my budget. I'm also afraid of garnering too much attention. For business, I use a 1998 Ford Explorer sport (good truck for what it is, but I'm seeking to replace it soon too because I fear that at 184k miles, some vital components might be on their way out...but that's a whole other story) as my main vehicle. Thats the the vehicle my clients see most of the time.

Now, understand that the nature that exists in my line of work commands that I meet directly with clients at remote facilities (I own a small Property Management company that caters to Homeowner's Associations) and sometimes the meetings are spontaneous and are often with demanding people full of snide remarks. If I show up in anything too fancy, I'll be the guy who is making too much money and business could suffer as a result. The 2 or 3 times ever that my clients saw my Lexus vehicles, I would often say it was my brother-in-laws or something to that effect just to make it appear that I'm not capable of making such a purchase. Keep in mind that I seldom buy new and tend to buy off-lease vehicles. I feel I could pull a Lincoln or Cadillac but I'm just not feeling them just yet.

Now an older Audi A8 or Jaguar XJ may be just along the lines of what I'm looking for. Unfortunately, I have a feeling what the ownership experience might be like (especially with the Audi). As you can probably tell, I prefer understated, yet elegant cars (MB S600 bad choice), but I have grown so fond of the peace of mind Lexus gives me. If I drift into an Audi A8, which is a car that I've been in lust with for a while now, I could be costing myself dearly (literally). Believe of not, a few XJ8 owners (even ones with years and miles) have been relatively satisfied with the vehicle. The depreciation this car suffers makes it a real consideration.

Now, In the end, the decision is mine and I do not live my life fearing what others think of me (business aside). But I respect the opinions of those on this forum, simply because I find those on this forum to be of the highest class, extremely open-minded and possessive of the utmost respect on the internet. It is without sensitivity about my own ego that I ask you...

Do you think that a pre-owned 2004 and up Jaguar XJ8 would appear feminine and/or mismatched with a 230lb, stocky male who is just under 5'10"? I do dress for my work culture but given the image I've painted (like I said, I am not overly sensitive), what do you think?

 

Later Jags have much improved quality and dealer service is first rate. It is a low car but that is an appeal of it.

 

Unfortunately, I don't have what it takes to own a Bentley and drive it about town. I'm speaking from a monetarily and responsibility standpoint. I still have a few issues I need to tackle before I can responsibly afford something in that price range.

A questions for you, Faymester. How did you enjoy your 1999 STS? That was a car if still available in the 1998-2003 (2004 SLS only) incarnation, I would buy hands down. I was in love with that car the moment I saw it, especially in...White Diamond I believe was the color.

A friend of mine used to sell for a Cadillac dealer and would drive pre-owned STS/SLS models as a commuter car back in 2002 or so. I became very familiar with their features, but unfortunately, never pulled the trigger one one. I always look twice when I see them on the orad though. GM pulled off a great design for that car in 1998. They pulled off something that is, in my opinion, something auto makers often fail to get right...making a machine beautiful and masculine at the same time.

 

Sorry, third paragraph, third sentence should read "when I see them on the ROAD though".

 

I'm with you there. It's hard to beat the versatility and usefulness of a 4 or 5-door design. Coupes/convertibles may be fun and classy, but there isn't much you can actually DO with them.



I often get on the topic of so-called "image", and what a bunch of nonsense it is. Never mind if someone else will think your car "feminine" (I hear that "feminine" stuff all the time about VWs, Beetles, other small convertibles, and minivans. Other stale (and often inaccurate) automotive stereotypes tossed around are that Buicks are for old people, high-powered sports cars are for young males, Saabs and non-turbo Subarus are for Lesbians, Volvos are for librarians and professors, and minivans are for soccer-moms.

Get what YOU think is good-looking, what fits your budget, what you enjoy driving, and what will be reliable. Since you like sedans, and are looking with something with class, two new domestic products may be worth a look....the new Ford Taurus and the Buick LaCrosse. Both, IMO, are classy-looking, and have generated a LOT of interest both here at CL and in the auto press.

 

I hear what you're saying. Don't mind me, I just think too much.

I love what the domestics are doing and I hope to see a whole lot more from them in the near future. I saw the ford Taurus at the NYIAS, but we were unable to see the interior. Thanks for posting the pics.

I'm rooting for the home team to turn the industry on it's ear just like Lexus did in 1989. Maybe not everyone was bowled over, but I'm extremely impressed with the Cadillac CTS-V. Now it's BMW's move with the upcoming M5...sadly, I do not think they'll allow themselves to sit in a shadow cast by a Cadillac for long.

 

MIke they are nice but do you think they are "swoopy"? I think they are more squarish, why I didn't include the CTS, M45, S80...

 

You hit the nail on the head of the images of Audi and Jaguar. In an interesting way, we're helping shape my next acqusition (if budget allows) lol.

I appreciate you helping me think out of the box because, and I do not mean this as an offense to anybody, but you can only see so many BMW 3-series driven by a spoiled brat or Mercedes-Benz E350 with a p1 package driven by some spoiled girl who is dangerously swerving as she's texting before you start feeling like the image has been tarnished and the thrill may be gone. Sorry for the painful run-on sentence.

Lexus, although probably America's best selling luxury make again sells more than just an image, imo. The justification for the purchase is right there when you notice the smooth operation, the toys that seldom break, the sound of the seat motors that don't seem to be giving up on you (unlike my MB) and many other factors both tangible and intangible.

I appreciate seeing the current GS on the road. If the person leases, some of us may know, they had far cheaper alternatives...and soe with arguable more "prestigious" nameplates. They must have wanted that GS. That gets my appreciation every time. There are other makes that won over a similar buyer and I'm glad. For the last ten years it felt to me there were three types of people - those with a Mercedes, those with a BMW nd then those with evrything else. Glad to see Audi doing well, Cadillac and Lincoln putting it back together etc.

I really want a more daring and adventursome LS next time around. Not that I'm complaining, but that would be wonderful!