There's no question, $10K in today's market buys plenty of used luxury car. Two likely candidates could be said to represent opposite ends of the spectrum: the first Lexus LS400 of the very early 1990s and the last of the first generation Jaguar XJ range, the Series III Sovereign of 1979-1985.
You can buy a tidy, high kilometre Lexus or a condition one 1985 Sovereign, if you shop in the $10K-$12K range. I did, and chose one of each, a Le Mans Red 1985 Jag and a metallic steel blue '92 LS.
But which is the better car? Does the question even make sense? And is there a point to asking it?
How many Yen to the Sovereign?
The Lexus brand was Toyota's attempt to challenge Mercedes, BMW and Jaguar by raising quality and servicing to a whole new standard. Conservatively styled, the first Lexus, the LS400 had obviously copied some key cues from its German rivals -- especially the one based in Stuttgart. When the Lexus turned its large face towards the big end of town, the scepticism was an unhushed whisper. This Toyota by a flasher name faced the W124 Mercedes, the dearer S-Class, the BMW 5 and 7 Series, and Jaguar's XJ40 (successor to the Series III).
On performance, standard inclusions, silence and build quality the Lexus surpassed all but the very flagship BMWs and Mercedes. It left the XJ40 for dead.
All these years on, the marque has long left Jaguar in its sales dust. The virtues are still apparent.
My car was just run in at 310,000km when I bought it. Cruising at the legal limit between Victoria and Queensland, its four-speed automatic teams with the 190kW 4.0-litre V8 to deliver economy of 10lt/100km.
The engine is barely audible, except when you kick down a gear or two for overtaking heavy vehicles. It still runs 0-100km/h in 9sec or thereabouts and could, at least in theory, max out at 240km/h. The climate control rarely needs to approach its coolest setting. After 20,000km in less than 12 months, the oil level still hadn't dropped. And the boot is huge (even if the rear legroom isn't).
It was the LS400 that almost overnight rendered old style luxury cars like the Jaguar Series III obsolete, at least by any empirical standard of measurement.
Consider: the old 4.2-litre XK engine is said to deliver 153kW. The automatic transmission has just three forward speeds and at a true 110km/h is running at close to 3000rpm (compared with less than 2500 for the Lexus). Around town, this is a silent car, almost the equal of the Lexus but travelling interstate engine noise intrudes, although the ride remains uncannily quiet and almost matches that of a big Citroen.
Performance? Sort of -- 0-100km/h takes 12sec and top speed is limited by the tachometer's 5000rpm redline to 190 or thereabouts. Fuel economy? The Jag is proud of itself when consuming just 14.5lt/100km. That's a lot more Optimax than the Lexus demands, indeed almost 50 per cent more!
The air-conditioning is currently on sabbatical, but even when these Jags were new the system barely coped with a spring day in Melbourne, let alone a summer's afternoon on the road between Goondiwindi and Milmerran. (At least the radiator hasn't boiled yet.)
The Series III was designed from new to rust around the front and rear screens. You have to budget on getting this fixed maybe every five years. I can't even imagine rust in a Lexus.
And on it goes: paint quality, panel gaps, switchgear, etc. (Incidentally, the 1985 cars are vastly better than the cars 'built' just two or three years earlier!) The boot is absurdly shaped and shallow, a tradeoff for exterior beauty.
Does the Supersize-Me Cressida have no faults, then? Well, the digital readout for the climate control has faded to invisibility despite the system itself continuing to work with Nippondenso ease. Oh and the seats are appalling, especially the driver's which has more or less collapsed under the weight of a non-Japanese occupant, before I assumed custody.
Any other faults are a matter of perception. Yes, it's bland in the visual department, but has almost achieved Japanese classic status: the first of the new generation.
So why do I usually prefer to drive the Jaguar? Could it have something to do with the view down the bonnet, the overwhelming classic British luxury of the interior, including the excellent front seats? Or the constant knowledge of its graceful style? I confess that I don't mind hearing the XK engine spinning at 3000rpm (and maybe somewhere in the back of the brain is an image of D-Type Jaguars triumphing at Le Mans). This is a very old-fashioned car, which to me is part of its appeal.
The Lexus by contrast is the best appliance I've ever owned. I have yet to discern any automotive personality beyond the silently competent. The steering and handling are fine but there is little sense of involvement for the driver. The ride is good, although ultimately a little too soft, but without the suppleness of the Jaguar's.
Finally, there is a slightly anaesthetised quality to the driving experience. Perversely, the old Jag, which could not match the Lexus in acceleration, cornering speed or braking, feels the sportier carriage. It is highly strung, a temperamental thoroughbred. As an enthusiast, faced with the choice, I would wave farewell to the effortless Lexus without a qualm.
Making your currency the Deutschmark
And what of the Germanic options for cheap luxury motoring?
>> 1985 BMW 735i Executive
Right at the end of the model life of the first 7 Series, BMW upgraded its Executive variant to create the most luxurious sedan you could buy in 1985. Equipment included buffalo hide (even on the transmission shifter and the handbrake) and the rear armrest housed a duplicate set of controls for the elaborate Becker sound system.
The willing inline six-cylinder engine delivered strong performance through a four-speed automatic, so that the 735i could sprint to 100km/h in 10sec on its way to a top speed of more than 210km/h, putting it well ahead of the Series III Jag. It was also the most overtly sporting of the luxury sedans and one of the last BMWs with the mixed blessing of readily available oversteer. Low-speed ride was firm but the steering was superb.
This was the last Seven to be designed for leaded fuel and its immediate successor may have looked more modern but lacked the urge and the bespoke feeling.
Unfortunately the buffalo trim did not withstand Australian conditions and the cylinder head is renowned for giving pricey trouble. An immaculately maintained car is a potential future classic and a truly distinctive car.
>> 1984-1991 Mercedes-Benz 420 SEL
By 1986 the S-Class which gathered Wheels magazine's COTY for 1981 was beginning to show its age with styling, dated more by the arrival of the smaller W124 300E than by any of its direct rivals.
Compared with either the outgoing or incoming BMW 7, it was somewhat stolid and less involving, although more rugged and less prone to giving expensive trouble.
Its quality was demonstrably superior not only to the old Series III Jag but also the then new XJ40. Although the interior trim is of high quality, there is a less plush feeling than rivals, all of which were considerably less expensive when new. I owned a 380 SEL for some years and it was a lovely car, although somewhat lacking in urge. This problem was solved by its 420 successor.
Positives include the solid feel, spacious interior and excellent ride, while negatives are too-light steering and plain styling, while rust is not unknown in early '80s examples, even if Australian-delivered (like mine).
Despite the four-speed automatic, these cars cannot match a 735i or Lexus on economy. The 380 was geared low to maximise acceleration.