The Best Used Luxury Car Buys

Because the original owner absorbs the 20 percent instant depreciation and financing costs of a new car, a used luxury car can represent a significant bargain when the two are compared. Though a "used" car may not come with the cache of a new one, the fact is that a two year old car is probably just as good as one off the showroom floor. This is especially true of higher-end cars, which often come with extended warranties and factory service plans.

BMW 3 Series

BMW 3 Series cars are popular because they're some of the best cars ever spot-welded together, and used ones are often phenomenal deals. A three-year-old 328i with an original MSRP of over 30K can now be had for 16K and it will still retain every bit of its style, and performance. Better yet, an M3 of the same vintage comes with a hefty 25K discount over new, running around 30K to its original 55K MSRP.

Audi A3

TheA3 offers king-sized luxury and performance in a smaller package and can be had at a substantial discount from new. Prices for the VR6 Quattro versions fall at about $2,000 per year from new, and the base 2.0T A3s run about 5 to 6K less per year of age from new. Many are still covered under warranty and run as good as new. Whether you get the 2.0L of turbocharged version, or crave the thrust of a 3.2L V6 and its excellent Sequential Manual gearbox, the Audi A3 is a sure bet for practical performance.

Porsche Carrera

If your wallet has the means to satisfy your super-car needs, then 2005 997 Porsche Carrera Turbo might just do the trick. A variable-vane turbocharger gives this flat-6 wonder a mind-blowing 476 horsepower, and legendary Porsche tuning ensures that this beast's excellent handling in no way compromises its day-to-day driveability.

A 2005 Turbo can be had for between 45 and 50K, which is a massive 25K drop from the car's MSRP. When one considers that Porsches usually see little highway mileage and that the last three year's worth of maintenance has been factory-assured, used 997 Turbos stand out as an ideal way to get super-car performance for less than the cost of a well-equipped SUV.

Additionally, because 997s were the top of the line Porsche for the time, you can rest assured that their value will probably never drop below the price of a nice, new sedan. This may come of some comfort to those who are hedging their bets on a future sale.