When people think about luxury cars, they often think about extravagance. And this is pretty understandable. The word luxury, by its nature, implies extravagance. It’s suggestive of having a lot of wonderful things that you don’t really need but make you feel good anyway. The problem is that people shopping for a luxury car don’t always want this. There are many people out there who think of comfort, ease of use, and sheer aesthetic pleasure when they think about luxury.
But is it actually possible to get a luxurious car without investing in a lot of things you don’t really need?
The answer is definitely a yes. After all, that’s why we’re now seeing a surge in popularity of “affordable luxury cars”. But it’s important to know what the difference is between affordable luxury and extravagant luxury. Going to a car dealership and asking to see their luxury cars will probably see you being shown to the section with the former!
For a lot of people, particular brands come to mind when affordable luxury is the subject. Toyota has certainly made a name for themselves in this regard, especially when you think about the Lexus. They make cars that are huge on sex appeal, have smooth upholstery, and a heck of a lot of interior space. What’s really telling is that the public often believe that they’re ridiculously expensive. After all, how many times has Kanye West rapped about his Lexus? But dealers like Inchcape Lexus show otherwise. The Lexus is an example of a vehicle that focuses on quality without getting extravagant about it.
WikimediaBut what exactly do we mean by extravagant? When people think about that word, they think about stuff that basically goes way over the top. And there’s absolutely no doubt that many luxury vehicles go over the top when it comes to pricing and available features. It’s the superfluous features that you need to look out for when being shown a luxury vehicle.
Sometimes, it’s simply a case that the car interior is more like a luxury lounge at a club than it is the interior of a vehicle. They come with things like accented lighting and chilling stations for champagne. They have the ability to adjust the back seats so the passengers in the back are all but completely horizontal. They have handcrafted upholstery made of ridiculously expensive materials. (And most of the time they aren’t all that different from what you’ve find in other cars!)
WikipediaThis is what you’ll be shown if you’re not careful about shopping for luxury vehicles. Of course, the things I’ve listed don’t even scratch the surface. Some luxury cars just go way too far and enter the realm of the ridiculous. Some cars will have things like vents made of luxury material – as if that’s something the world needs. Rolls-Royce has a line of cars that can simulate a starry night on the inside. And then you’ve got the Jaguar Land Rover’s levitating gear knob.
When “luxury” means great additional features, that’s fine. But when those features are extravagant for the sake of it and simply become useless? That’s when you should walk away.
