Luxury cars, can't learn to love them

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I have started thinking about getting a luxury car recently.
Have beed driving Japaneese value cars a lot, currently drive Outback. Never had anything in the likes of Benz, Volvo or Audi.

Went on and test-driven Audi, Volvo, BMW recently and didn’t feel much of a difference with my Subaru. Overall felt the same, the only visible difference for me was HUD and ventilated seats. While HUD is fun, I am sure novelty will wear off in a couple of weeks.

I want to want a lux car, but I can’t. What am I missing here?

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You didn’t feel any difference in ride quality ??

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If you drove a non-base spec bmw/audi/mb/etc and didn’t notice the differences in interior materials, design, driving characteristics, etc, then more power to you. The priorities that matter to you aren’t inline with what the luxury brands offer.

Personally, every Subaru that I’ve ever sat in is full of cheap, hard touch plastic, infotainment is dated, etc. That stuff doesn’t matter to some people.

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But none of the bmw or Mercedes audi base models are even close to being equivalent of a Subaru. They still are more jam packed.

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Mine is top of top of the line, so interior is fine. Bells and whistles are there. Infotaiment isn’t great, but I am driving, not watching TV. Nav is on android auto anyhow, and the rest just doesn’t matter to me, I never use it for anything else.

I was interested in the actual ride, feeling of the wheel, etc.

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That’s not really true. Base model, low optioned vehicles from the euro brands are missing a lot.

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This is exactly my point. If you feel that the interior of even a top spec Subaru is fine and the infotainment and stuff doesn’t matter to you, then driving a car that improves those things is going to be of little value to you.

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I guess, this is my point. Should I really expect the difference in the driving feeling, or is it all about interior?

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What models did you test drive? I can tell you there is a big difference between a 4 cylinder Audi A4 and a 6 cylinder Audi A6.

No internet stranger can answer that for you. The question for you is, what specifically are you looking for in a luxury car? What is your monthly budget?

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What model year Subaru you are driving and what models/trims did you test drive?

In a comparable trim, The biggest difference you see in materials. Refinement in added luxury features etc.

Don’t let anyone tell you what you should feel about driving a specific car, you have to decide in yourself.

People expect different things from their cars & only you can answer what you are looking for and what you find as improvement.

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Should have mentioned a model, of course. All small SUV, XC60, q5 and X5.

I do not have a fixed budget, rather I want to make sure my spending is justified (as in makes me happy).

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The brands you listed all sell lower-end turdmobiles that appeal primarily to badge queens (but don’t forget about the TECH in the A Class! :roll_eyes:).

I don’t think you’d hop out of your Outback and into a new S Class and reach the same conclusion.

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I imagine, an S class would be very different (as well as WRX, for example), but it does have to be an SUV.

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Test drive one of these, if you can find one.

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On my last lease, after many, many different test drives the finalists were a 2019 Outback Limited 6-cyl (the cheapest lease that checked all my boxes), and the XC60. I also spent a ton of time driving the Outback and Forester in each trim, back-to-back.

I could articulate why, IMHO

  • Outback > Forester
  • Limited > Touring, and more importantly why
  • XC60 > Outback
  • VCFS > Chase (after 3 Chase leases)

but you aren’t driving my car, nor I yours. If you don’t notice a difference, it’s not for you. Just keep driving what you like.

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Thanks for suggestion, but perhaps my “no fixed budget” comment was a bit misleading. For 160K I’d rather build a 3rd full bath in my house (which I don’t need). Let’s stick to the cars with MSRPs below 80-90k.

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Your experience would be very relevant to me (i had Forester before). Would you tell me what was appealing to you in XC vs Outback Limited?

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I think you can definitely look at GLEs, X5s, Q7&8s, but make sure to research the trims.

You should be able to see a difference.

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A Range Rover sports would fit that budget , a Porsche will fit that, a jagaur would fit that. A Maserati too

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No one can choose a car for you, but the examples were intended to illustrate the point.

There are few pure “luxury brands,” but there are luxury models.

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