Previous Lexus GS400 owner (1998), loved that car but left for a 2005 Audi A8L because I wanted more back seat room for the kids. Once that car hit 120K miles it was getting very expensive to maintain, so I sold it for a 2013 Audi A8L 4.0T which I love. Problem is it is now at 95K miles, and small issues are popping up. The problem is even small issues are very expensive to repair. There is also the known “turbo screen” issue which I feel could pop up at any time. Due to this I want to unload my car. What I can decide is what to get next. Obviously I like very well appointed cars with some nice luxury features and interior quality. Along with that I want something that is much easier and less costly to maintain. Did I mention my ‘05 A8 alternator cost over $1000 to replace because it is water cooled?!? Who designs something so stupid?

I don’t need something the size of my A8L any more, looking at a midsized car. Wouldn’t mind a midsized SUV as well. Quick but doesn’t have to be stupid fast like my 4.0T. Have a sporty ride but nothing too harsh. I love my wife’s Volvo XC90 but would never own it off of warranty. One thing to mention is I generally buy my cars preowned (why would I drop $100K on an A8L when I can buy it a few years old for $40K?), but if it’s not too much I would consider new. I have no self driving capability in my Audi but I do enjoy it in my wife’s Volvo. That would be a nice feature to have.

As I drive around I look at other cars but nothing excites me. Mazda 6 seems nice from what I can tell but my wife swears I will hate it. Considered another Lexus GS but I really do hate the joystick thing in the car, along with no tech like CarPlay or self driving. Any good recommendations I can take a look at?

Thanks!

 

What's your budget?

 

I’d like to keep it around $35K, but could go a bit more (or less) if necessary. With COVID my priorities around cars have dropped a bit...

 

Not sure what the budget is, but Kia K900 is a good dark horse candidate. The new gen is way more buttoned down than the land yacht of the first generation. You get good technology, has Highway Drive Assist, similar to the system in your XC90 with active lane centering paired with the adaptive cruise control. Good ergonomics, and giant touch screen with Carplay/android auto.

Nice long warranty, and should be able to get a decent discount. Have seen lots of examples like this where you are getting upwards of $10K off.

https://www.brandonkia.com/new/Kia/2...ource=cars.com


Shoot just saw the budget update... hmm. Could get a good Stinger with the same turbo V6 under $35K pretty easily. I think that would be more fun than the Mazda6.

 

Have you considered:

• CPO Audi SQ5?
• Hyundai Palisade (although you'd have to buy new and go above your budget)
• CPO Audi A7 (or better yet fork over a little more for an S7)?
• MB E class
• BMW 5 series
• Kia Stinger or Genesis G70, G80
• LS460 - you won't get some of the most advanced tech, but you would get a ridiculously smooth ride. You could probably get a 2016 in your budget.
• Tesla 3 or Y? They'll be above your price target, but you'll get the most tech, ridiculous performance, and depending on how much you drive per month, you could save quite a bit. I fill up my LS once/week at $50 each time, so moving to a Tesla would save me $2,400/year in gas. So if you could get one for $50k (ish), it's somewhat equivalent to a $42k ICE car over a 3 year period.

 

Since you are also looking at a mid-sized car, and can spend 35K or a little more, and are willing to go brand-new, see if any Buick dealers nearby still have an unsold Regal GS on the lot. It is reasonably well-built, carries a 6/70 drivetrain and 4/50 general warranty, is probably quick and sporty-riding enough for your needs.

 

Great post, happy to help you spend your money.

your wife is right, as nice as a mazda 6 is for what it is, it's no Audi A8 LOL. It won't be anywhere near as nice as a GS let alone an A8.

So a midsize sedan or suv that's pretty nice and probably used to cost less. Not too broad a choice then.

How about a used RX350? Or another GS?

You don't seem averse to potential reliability issues unless they cost a bundle, so you could consider a used (CPO) X5, GLE, Q5, and on and on, or sedan equivalents 5, E, A6, etc.

You could probably get a used or new Genesis G80 for a good deal... excellent car.

 

If you want to stick with Lexus get a used LS500.

For around $35-40k, you can also get F10 M5 or CPO M6 GranCoupe.

Used MB S550 are great values used.

 

FYI, many of these cars I would love, but they are what I am trying to avoid. Higher $$ maintenance vehicles. It’s so hard to get a sport driving, very nicely appointment car that has the reliability of a basic Japanese car with good tech and ergonomics. Rules out Audis, BMWs and Mercedes. I would go for Lexus but I really do dislike the current infotainment system. Kia/Hyundai actually do have some nice offerings. Considered Acura but I also really dislike their interiors as well.

I see lots of recommendations for the German cars as well. Mmarshal, I like your thought on the Buick. Never really looked at one but it may be worth a drive to check it out. I can’t believe there is so a void in the market for a low maintenance version of the mid-size luxury sports sedan...

 

Keep in mind that EVs have very little maintenance costs as all they need are tires for the first couple years. After that, you need brake fluid and brakes last about 100k miles.

Have you considered the Mazda CX-5 turbo or new RAV4 Prime. The RAV4 Prime has a $7500 tax credit too.

 

Totally hear you. I'd potentially look at a CX-9 - it's a beautiful interior, drives well, feels like a manageable size. Maybe the CX-5 as someone else pointed out for something a little smaller.

But based on your concerns of maintenance cost, I think you should absolutely look at an EV (Tesla 3 or Y). Once you factor in gas savings and what you've been paying for occasional maintenance (I owned an S5 so I get it) you may be looking at a cost neutral situation on a $50k Tesla compared to a $35k German auto.

 

^^^ tesla tolerable, even desirable, if you can accept the 'lottery' of whether you'll get one without a whole bunch of defects including paint, panel alignment, creaks, things that don't open/close when they're supposed, to, etc.

 

A used M5, M6, S Class...those won't be expensive to maintain at all....Hahahahaha ROFL.

What about a Camry XSE or XLE with the V6. Honda Accord. Not really "Luxury", but very comfortable and nice. Or a very slightly used ES. You get some driver assist features like lane keep and radar cruise in all those. Genesis "self driving" assist features work well in reviews I've seen.

 

LOL None of those are great values other than the used Lexus. Worst thing he could do is buy a used High performance or High End German luxury car.

 

The OP is coming from high mileage Audis - i think he is used to German reliability/ maintenance.
If he was coming from Toyota Camry then I would not have suggested luxury German cars.

A used Sclass from 2016/2017 will be very reliable And it’s better than most new cars today.