Best luxury cars for £20,000

The high-performance Maserati Quattroporte luxury saloon has all the Italian flair and style you'd expect from a famous Italian brand.  Clever suspension means the car rides very comfortably and is able to absorb the worst any road can throw at it, while still being sporty and its 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine offers a good mix of power and economy.

Inside, there’s plenty of quality on show - the leather seats are particular high point - but there are a few let downs, like some cheap-looking switches. Given that it cost £70k new, you’d expect a bit better.

Still, few cars can match a Maserati for a sense of occasion and sheer ‘wow’ factor. Add to that the fact it is a pleasure to drive and you can definitely make a case for putting your money into one.

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To look at this BMW 7 Series, you wouldn’t think it was nearly five-meters in length - but it is. A fact it hides well thanks to its well-proportioned designed and stylish lines. Sometimes, luxury saloons can fall into the trap of looking a bit ungainly, but there’s no such problem here.

With self-levelling air suspension (something which most cars on our list have) the 7 Series rides like its, well, ‘on air’. The clue is in the name, after all. Add the ‘light as a feather’ ride quality to impressively refined engines and levels of soundproofing and you really do ‘waft’ around.

At this price point, you’ll be looking at a 730d. That’s good for 265PS but more impressive is the 620Nm of torque. In real terms - it’s properly quick. And if you get on with xDrive four-wheel drive then you’ll have more grip than you know what to do with.

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If the Range Rover does one thing brilliantly, it’s that it’s just as happy on Kensington High Street as it is towing horseboxes across muddy fields. It’s a vehicle that so many have tried to imitate, but in the end there’s only one Range Rover.

But while it’s silhouette retains its classic design, under the skin its packed with tech. For example, it’s suspension is advanced that it can waft along the motorway, stiffen up for quick cornering, and then make its way onwards long after the road has ended.

Inside, it’s almost palatial, and if you can find one with all the toys then you’ll probably want to rent it out as a summer home because it’ll be nicer than most people’s houses. At this price, you’ll be able to find a 4.4-litre V8 diesel that’ll offer a 0-62mph time of about seven seconds while still returning 30mpg.

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While most people think of Porsche as making two-seater sports car, they also make this four-door luxury saloon – it's called the Porsche Panamera. It’s not to everyone’s tastes, granted, but we reckon it offers something a little bit different to cars like the Audi A8 or Mercedes S-Class.

For a start, it’s got a Porsche badge on the nose. Then there’s the fact it’s got a 3.0-litre diesel engine under the bonnet. That’s a good thing because it means you can get to 62mph in six seconds while also getting around 44mpg.

And how does it feel? It’s every bit a Porsche. Inside there’s lots of expensive touches that state the brand’s commitment to quality. The interior is very different to what you might expect, but not in a bad way. There’s also plenty of room for rear seat passengers. Oh, it’s also a joy to drive with great steering, sharp handling, and excellent performance.

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Jaguar’s flagship saloon has been around a long time. Critics argue that it’s past its best and lament the passing of the classic ‘wood and leather’ Jaguar. But we think this stylish sporting saloon is a great luxury car.

Ride up front, you’ll enjoy the compact-feeling cockpit and sharp steering, while in the back you can stretch out and relax in limousine-like calmness. So it’s a perfect car, then? Not quite. It falls short of its German rivals not only on technology but also on parts. The air vents, for example, look a little cheap while the touchscreen interface has a really low-res screen. That said, it does have ‘twin view’ mode which means driver and passenger can see different things.

As much as we’d love to point you towards a supercharged V8, you’ll be better looking at a 3.0-litre diesel for £10k. But it’s a quick V6 which can return 44.8mpg, so who's caring?

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The original Mercedes CLS proved something of a surprise hit. Critics likened its slippery shape to that of an upturned banana, but they missed the point. Here was a coupe that offered the some of the practicality of an E-Class saloon and was also fabulous to drive. Buyers loved it.

You could even say it started a scene. Until its 2005 launch, there was almost nothing like it but it wouldn’t be long before BMW launched the 5 Series GT, while Audi would follow up with the A7 Sportback.

For £20k, you’ll have some choices when it comes to engine - mainly between a 3.0-litre petrol and the 2.2-litre diesel, both of which are pretty good. There’s also a host of goodies such as all-LED headlamps, and a ton of safety kit.

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If you’ve got £20k to spend on a luxury car, then you should definitely consider an Audi A8. We reckon you’ll be able to pick one up that’s only a few years old  and despite it being launched in 2010 (and having since being replaced) – it is still a standout car. Classy styling, great engines and packed full with tech. 

Whether you're driving it or being driven in it, the refinement level will give a Roller a run for its money. That’s thanks in part to a clever suspension and some smooth yet powerful engines. We’d recommend the 3.0-litre diesel mated to the four-wheel drive system.

What about the fuel economy? Well, Audi was ahead of the curve here and it’s weight-saving aluminum body that paid dividends not only when it came to mpg but also handling.

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The Infiniti Q70 might not be the biggest car on our list, but it’s still pretty clever. Aimed more at the executive saloon market (think BMW 5 Series) it’s a stylish rival. Well built, refined, comfortable - it makes a great shout for a luxury car.

But should you spend £20k on it? That’s the big question. Buyers never really took to it in the same way as they did, say, the Jaguar XF. And it’s this ‘unknown’ quantity that has all of us scratching our heads. You see, it’s a very good car and a very exclusive one as so few were sold - but that could mean then when you need to sell it, Q70 values have plummeted. Hmm...

Still, if you do buy one you’ll get to enjoy a rather stonking 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine producing 238bhp and 550Nm of torque. It’s good, although perhaps not as good as its German rivals. It could be worse though - 37.7mpg and CO2 emissions of 199g/km. And you won’t be too worried as you and the Q70 effortlessly munch those miles. Grab an S or S Premium models and you get 4-Wheel Active Steer system and sports suspension, which results in much sharper and composed handling.

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The Mercedes S-Class has long made a claim for the title of ‘Best Saloon in the World' - which when you consider the competition, is no small feat. If you’d like to spend your money and find out if it delivers, we don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

Here is a car that offers you pretty much everything you could ask for in an incredibly stylish package. Inside, there’s huge amounts of space and extremely high levels of comfort (for both driver and passengers). 

For a car that’s so focussed on ride quality, we’re always amazed that it’s so good to drive. It does this thanks to some cleverly suspension tech (called Magic Body Control). That means it can soak up the bumps and potholes but also tighten up if you need to press on. Neat.

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The Lexus LS is what car maker’s like to call a ‘halo’ model. The very best of the best that sits at the top of their range. As a result, the it combines sharply-styled lines with a high-quality limo-like interior. Expect to use words like ‘opulent’ and ‘exquisite’ when describing it.

So far so good… until you get under the bonnet. At first glance, the 4.6-litre V8 sounds like it should be enough to tickle your fancy, but its performance is a bit lackluster compared to some of its rivals while the poor fuel economy means it’s hard to make a strong case for it. 

That said, if you’re looking for something that is all about the style, then you’ve found it. There’s a four-zone climate control, air conditioned seats and automatic rear window sun shades. There's also a huge 12.3-inch screen integrated into the dashboard, along with a DVD player and 19-speaker sound system.Then there’s deeply cushioned leather seats are comfortable and the LS has excellent sound proofing, which makes the cabin a relaxing place to be. One to be driven in rather than drive, perhaps.

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