It is true that there really has never been a better time to buy a new car, but if truth can be relative, then it is even more true that there has never been a time like now to slot yourself into a pre-loved vehicle. And if it is a late model limo you'd like, well you are really in luck.
Petrol prices have fallen from their highs in mid 2008, but the used car market is still running scared of big-engined heavyweights, whether luxury sedans or SUVs. Let us assume for this story a budget of $30K to $35K. You would prefer a car with a build date starting with a '2' rather than a '1' but if the car in question is to be an S-Class Mercedes, then a very high '1', say 1999, will do.
What type of vehicle gives you the best value for this kind of money? Should you choose German, British, Japanese, American or perhaps even Australian? One of the first questions you need to consider is depreciation. If you expect to re-sell this car in two or three years, there might be some big differences here. Of course, if you have no plan to sell it, then depreciation is nothing more than something written by someone else on an irrelevant piece of paper: good as it is, Glass's Guide counts only if you are buying or selling.
Mercedes-Benz followed up its excessively gargantuan and generally extravagant W140 S-Class with the downsized and altogether classier W220 series, which arrived in Australia in 1999. You can squeeze into a six-cylinder S320 model of that year for little more than $30K. If you lean more towards the Bavarian brand, you can buy the last of the old style 740iL models of 2000 or even 2001 vintage.
Care for something much newer? Then how about one of the last Ford LTDs ever made, a 2005 or even 2006 car for less than our $35K ceiling? It will still smell new, especially that fantastic Australian hide upholstery. The current shape Holden Caprice did not go on sale until July 2006 and is thus priced out of our range. Its predecessor is, simply, too dated to consider in this company.
Remembering that Ford owned Jaguar until recently, you could stick with the same automotive group and buy one of the last of the previous shape XJ Jaguar Sovereigns, sold new in 2001. Or you could opt for a contemporaneous Lexus LS430. Very different in style from either of these is the 2005 Chrysler 300C with its famous Hemi 5.7-litre V8.
It is an interesting thought that while mainstream cars increasingly resemble one another, the top-end machines all have distinctive personalities. The buyer who craves a Lexus would probably never want to be seen in the Chrysler with its gangster movie overtones. While, despite the stories written by many motoring journalists, Mercedes and BMW buyers rarely cross over from one marque to the other. Then there is Audi, but frankly there are so few A8s on the used car market in this price range that it becomes an almost academic exercise.
BMW 740iL (E38)
It is a strange thing to consider the styling of what is now the 7 Series before last; its crisp lines first seen in 1994. In a sense, by changing the design language spoken by BMW, Chris Bangle has also made the previous cars look unbelievably dated. This neat, clean, lean limo now looks, well, old. It was probably never a car you bought for its elegance but, rather, for the sum of the qualities which includes that unique brand of BMW sporting quality. For many, the BMW propeller spins more evocatively than the three-pointed star.
The 4.4-litre 210kW V8 is a gem, although it cannot provide the Seven with the kind of urge that distinguishes the 540i of the same period. It is quick rather than blistering in pace. Zero to 100 km/h takes about eight seconds, compared with barely more than six for the equivalent 5 Series. Fuel economy is better than you'd expect and on the open road it is quite easy to keep consumption below 10.5 litres per 100 kilometres.
No BMW could be described as soft in terms of ride quality and you are always conscious of the surface beneath you in the 740iL. Body control is excellent and the handling is surprisingly nimble for a car of this size. The driving position is just about perfect. Vision through the deep glasshouse is excellent and the left side exterior mirror obligingly dips towards the kerb when you engage reverse (a BMW innovation from the E32 7 Series of 1986).
However the ultimate driving machine can give trouble. Cooling system problems are quite common and many require replacement of the radiator. Pixels can vanish from the instrument readout and you will then require a new cluster, which must be coded to the car. In summary, if you have your heart set on an E38 7 Series, you should also have a few grand stashed away in case of failure to proceed.
Find used BMW 740iL models for sale here
Chrysler 300C Hemi
With 250kW of power and 525Nm of torque, Chrysler's 300C Hemi lives up to its famous name. The marque's 'letter cars' achieved enduring fame in the 1950s via their successful assaults on racing at Daytona and other venues. Here is effective retro design which manages to combine strong historical themes in a modern way. The big in-your-face radiator grille implies the presence of a significant engine. And the Bentley-style mesh arrangement preferred by many customers makes an even stronger statement of power.
The interior is less tastefully executed and some of the materials suggest a lower price class, although the leather trim is attractive and the seats very comfortable. Indeed, this is a good place for a long trip and the fuel economy readout is encouraging. The Hemi engine features an arrangement where cylinders automatically shut down under light throttle openings or when you lift right off and this undoubtedly helps it to achieve returns of around 10 litres per 100 kilometres on the highway.
That's one side of its character. Use the available power and you will experience the sprint to 100km/h in a little less than seven seconds. The engine sounds magnificent and has already featured in movies, most notably in A History of Violence where the idling black 300C adds menace to the soundtrack. Daytona lives on in this desirable sedan.
One problem experienced by quite a few owners is sudden stalling of the engine. But that is hardly sufficient reason to decide not to buy one. You would expect the 300C to feel poised, given so many of its underpinnings come straight from an earlier generation Mercedes E-Class. The 300C was probably the best outcome of that particular failed merger. If you want further links with Mercedes, you can always choose the 3.5-litre V6 version instead, although with 183kW and 340Nm, performance is less forceful. Or there's the excellent diesel. And there are wagon variants.
The extreme 300C is the SRT8 (317kW, 569Nm) but you'll have to wait a bit longer for it to slip below $35K.
Find used Chrysler 300C Hemi models for sale here
Ford BA MK II LTD
When Ford Australia introduced its first locally manufactured LTD flagship in mid-1973, it set a new standard for luxury and size. The highly successful Fairlane was the starting point, but the LTD had a further stretch in the wheelbase along with a significant restyle. This model was intended as a less expensive alternative to European models and was welcomed as such by many buyers.
Somewhere around 1985 Ford Australia began to lose the plot. The LTD became less special, to the point where it was almost indistinguishable from the Fairlane. (It had already been the same size since 1979.) Private buyers eschewed what was little more than a more expensive Fairlane and the LTD became the mainstay of the hire car industry and the Commonwealth Government limousine fleet. Whatever glamour the flagship Ford had once possessed was no longer in evidence.
There was general recognition of this malady at head office but insufficient drive or money to rectify the issue. In the last few years of the model's life, some belated attention was paid to improving things. Plusher hide and careful detailing distinguished the LTD's cabin from that of the Fairlane, but buyers continued to stay away.
A three year-old LTD now makes outstanding business sense for the person who plans to keep his car for many years. At considerably less than 50 per cent of its original price, this is probably the heaviest dose of late model luxury you can buy for less than $35K.
The 5.4-litre V8 engine develops 220kW of power and a generous 470 Nm of torque. It drives through a six-speed ZF automatic transmission. Of the cars in this group, only the 300C Hemi out-muscles the LTD. Zero to 100 km/h is accomplished in less than seven seconds, but fuel economy is always better than you might expect and especially on the open road where you will generally use about 9.5 litres per 100 kilometres, provided you feather the throttle at every opportunity.
Like its smaller siblings, the LTD steers beautifully with just the right amount of weight at the wheel. It offers an excellent blend of supple ride and positive handling. Noise levels are as low as most of the Europeans. The LTD takes to rough roads as if it was designed for them, as it was.
Gripes about these cars are minor. Handbrakes require careful adjustment or will not work at all. Power steering leaks are common but easily repaired.
The interior is appealing but lacks the absolute indulgence of, say, the Jaguar which boasts so much traditional woodwork to go with its leather. But the wood and leather wheel is a nice touch. And there is more room than in any of the others. The huge boot combines with split-fold rear seats to make this the most practical of our sextet.
Find used Ford LTD models for sale here
Jaguar X308 Sovereign
Jaguar is still trying to get over its 1968 XJ6. That fantastic (if occasionally less than perfectly trustworthy) car created its own legend which Jaguar would have trouble reworking for the 1990s, let alone the new century. Series II and Series III variants followed and the new shape XJ40 belatedly arrived in 1986. But in modernising its big sedan, Jaguar sacrificed much of the beauty for a deeper boot and improved aerodynamics. The X300 and then the X308 picked up styling cues from the Series III XJ6 in an effort to improve things but finished up looking outdated even when new. For all that though, the X308 retains a certain allure and is unmistakably a Jaguar -- for better or worse.
The 'worse' has to do with the service record. Jaguar used Nikasil cylinder liners. This material combined unhappily with ultra-low sulphur fuel to cause premature engine wear, a problem experienced by many X308 customers. Quite a few of these were given new engines at no cost but Jaguar never admitted to any responsibility. A switch was made to steel liners during 2001. Not all cars suffered and if the one you are considering has done, say, 160,000 km and is running fine, there is no cause for concern because petrol is better now than a few years ago.
There have also been issues with plastic timing chain tensioners and it was quite late in the model run when Jaguar acknowledged that steel was a better bet. In summary, then, get one of these cars checked scrupulously before buying and choose the latest example you can find.
Jaguar's 4.0-litre V8 engine makes 216kW of power and 393Nm of torque and gives strong but not electrifying performance. Zero to 100km/h takes about nine seconds. Fuel economy is surprisingly good with 10.5 litres per 100 kilometres typical on the highway.
In many respects including performance and economy the Jaguar is quite close to the BMW, but it has a softer ride and does not appeal quite so much to the enthusiast. The interior packs decades of Jaguar's traditional British approach to luxury and it is the most sumptuous of the cars under discussion. Owners of older Jaguars will be impressed by the fit and finish, which is far superior to the standard achieved by the firm in the 1980s.
Lexus LS430
When Toyota introduced its Lexus brand with the LS400 sedan in 1990 the intention was to offer customers a higher quality car with a better ownership experience. Many previously loyal Mercedes and BMW owners made the switch. The downside of the LS400 was that it provided less elegance and less driver involvement. You'll have noted perhaps that there is no such thing as a Lexus Owners Club.
The LS430 continued the outstanding reliability record of its predecessors but there was still nothing novel or especially appealing about its appearance. If you can get beyond that, however, for many people this car is the best one here.
With 207kW of power and 417Nm of torque, the 4.3-litre engine propels the Lexus in quiet and quick style. Although you can't keep up with a 300C Hemi, there's nothing to lament about a zero to 100km/h split of eight seconds. Fuel economy is class-leading too with nine litres per 100 kilometres readily achievable in steady cruising.
The ride is plush and the handling surefooted but the LS430 never feels like a BMW. That is despite the fact it is actually a very accomplished car. The steering is a bit on the light side to suit North American tastes. Never forget: Lexus equals Luxury Export to the US!
With its trademark leather upholstery and dark wood, the LS430's cabin is plush but conservative. The quality resonates though and this really does constitute a lot of car for our $30K to $35K budget.
Find used Lexus LS430 models for sale here
Mercedes-Benz W220 S320
For many prospective customers the three-pointed star continues to sparkle more brightly than any other automotive emblem. To buy an S-Class in this price range you need to settle for a 3.2-litre six-cylinder S320, which is modestly powered by comparison with the rest. Maximum power is 165kW and the engine makes 315Nm of torque, not much more than half the Ford's V8. But this is a smooth, quiet V6 that delivers excellent overall economy and careful drivers will be rewarded with usage of around 9.5 litres per 100 kilometres. Less satisfying is the acceleration and the heavyweight Mercedes needs all of 10-plus seconds to breast 100km/h.
On the road it feels immensely solid and reassuring, while displaying a readiness to be hustled through corners. The steering boasts just the right amount of weight, making the car more communicative than the Lexus but with an equally compliant ride.
Opinions differ on the interior treatment, but the W220 S-Class cannot match the opulence of the Jaguar. Nevertheless the quality of all materials used is high and the controls are logically arranged. There is a technically correct feeling to the car which tends to run with this marque. It also has the best record for reliability of all the imported cars here except the Lexus. Approaching middle age it is surely less likely to produce electronic glitches than the BMW.
Find used Mercedes-Benz S320 models for sale here
The Driver's Choice
It is difficult to choose any other car over the BMW. Perhaps surprisingly, the Ford LTD runs it a fairly close second.
The Sensible Choice
This group divides itself into cars you buy from the heart and those you buy from the head. In the former category are the BMW 740iL, the Jaguar Sovereign and the Chrysler 300C Hemi. Of these, only the Chrysler is a candidate for most sensible choice. So this decision is more difficult, coming down to the Lexus LS430, 300C or the underrated Ford LTD.
If you are likely to swap cars within two or three years, then the Chrysler should depreciate least. If this is the last car you plan to own then choose the one that appeals to you most.
Over the long haul, it is the Lexus that is least likely to put you on intimate terms with your service manager.
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