Buying the cheapest "x" in the USA has become a pretty widespread trend in the wonderful world that is Car YouTube. Plenty of content creators are doing it: finding the cheapest version of a particular old luxury or performance car, milking it for all its YouTube profitability and then selling it on to either a mechanic who can deal with its ever-growing list of faults, or to another YouTuber who will do it all over again.
Now, if you've ever felt like doing this yourself, your immediate instinct should be to never, ever buy a heavily depreciated luxury car, unless you hate having money and time and you really love your local mechanic. But, if you are prepared for the inevitably huge repair bills and semi-constant headaches, dive into the list below for 10 surprisingly good deals on depreciated luxury cars. There are some popular ones that you've probably seen on YouTube, but some others that may not have crossed your mind.
Prices quoted were observed at the time of writing.
10 1997 Bentley Brooklands - $16,000
The late-1990s was the final era of what some consider to be a true luxury: quality and craftsmanship over outright performance and technology, comfort and restrained style over gaudy looks, and loud exhausts. Indeed, the 1997 Bentley Brooklands is one of the last bastions of this philosophy, and it can now be yours for less than a used Focus. The Brooklands came with the venerable six-and-three-quarter-liter Rolls-Royce V8 with a four-speed auto and "sufficient" horsepower.
9 2009 Mercedes-Benz S-Class S550 4Matic - $13,000
When the general taste in luxury shifted from the old style (like the Bentley above) to modern technology and features, the S-Class quickly became the segment leader for full-size executive sedans. This 2009 S550 comes equipped with a 5.5l V8 that puts out just shy of 382 horsepower. It may not be an AMG super-limo, but it is still plenty quick and looks the part. If you're shopping old S-Classes though, avoid the 2007 model year since those particular engines had a notorious issue with a cam gear that would cause catastrophic engine failure without warning.
8 2010 BMW 750i xDrive - $15,000
If you prefer a more subtle luxury experience under $20,000, the 2010 750i is more your speed. It looks like a stretched 3-series (and drives like one), so you can waft around in absolute serenity without worrying that you look like you have connections to the mob. The car used BMW's N63 twin-turbo V8, which put out a decent 402 horsepower, sent to all four wheels through BMW's xDrive system.
7 2007 Lexus LS460L Executive - $16,000
If notoriously unreliable German sedans scare you away, allow this 2007 Lexus LS460L Executive sedan to envelop you in calm serenity. You can rest easy knowing your cheap luxury sedan came from a brand that puts reliability and durability above all other aspects of the experience. The "L" designates a long-wheelbase model, and the Executive package includes a drink cooler and a screen in the back seat, even back in 2007. Unfortunately, hiring a private driver would blow the budget for this car completely out of the water.
6 2004-2006 Volkswagen Phaeton V8 - $8,000
Phaetons are so damn cool. This car is an over-engineered German 'Bahn-stormer designed and built to the absolute highest quality standard of the day. It had subdued looks and an ergonomically simple cabin, but it also came with a healthy amount of what 2004 would have considered modern technology. In a way, it was the car that bridged the gap between old and new luxury, while looking like the nicest Passat you've ever seen.
5 2007 Maserati Quattroporte Sport GT - $15,500
Oh, dear. The Quattroporte is that one extra drink you regret having the next day. It was great at the time, very appealing, and satisfying at the moment, but when you wake up the next day you have to face what you've done. Luckily, however, the Quattroporte is a beautiful car with a fantastic Ferrari-sourced 4.7l V8. It's just such a notorious basket case for reliability issues that the prospect of ownership is way too scary for most of us.
4 2001 Jaguar XJR Supercharged - $8,000
The early-2000s Jaguar XJR is one of the best-looking sedans ever made. It drew on classic Jag styling lines and proportions, with minimal modern-car bloating and over-styling of small details. It looks purposeful, and a little bit mean. To drive, it's largely what you'd expect: a bit numb and heavy, but brutally quick and lacking the layers of computer filtering you'd get on something newer. It used a 4.0l supercharged V8 that produced 370 horsepower, which is more than enough to pin you back into the welcoming embrace of a Jaguar leather seat.
3 2007 Audi S8 V10 - $16,000
This Audi S8 suffers from a similar problem as the VW Phaeton: it doesn't look like much more than a stretched A4. However, it was Audi's intention to make it a subtle beast. This understated super-limo uses the same 5.2l V10 engine up front that you'll also find behind the driver's seats of the Audi R8 and Lamborghini Gallardo. Yes, an Audi luxury sports sedan, with an engine shared with Lamborghini. Said engine produces 450 horsepower, which propels all four wheels of this rolling Saturn-V to 60 mph in just over 5 seconds.
2 2011 Volvo S80 T6 - $10,000
If the Volvo S80 seems like a boring choice to you, consider that some people need some semblance of sensibility even in a completely irrational purchase. This car is plenty sensible, using a transversely-mounted 300 horsepower inline-6 and all-wheel drive. This is the luxury car you can depend on (if you don't own a first-gen Lexus LS400), built using very high-quality materials that meet Volvo's notoriously high standard for safety, durability, and reliability.
1 2005 Cadillac CTS-V - $13,000
If you took a traditional Cadillac buyer from even a decade before this car came out, and showed them this thing, they would never believe that it came from the same brand as the El Dorado. The CTS-V a tight, European-style sports luxury sedan with a 5.7l LS6 V8 that sends 400 horsepower to the back wheels exclusively through a Tremec 6-speed manual transmission. And yet, it was also a reasonably-sized luxury sedan with room to sit people relatively comfortably - that is, until you throw it into a corner when your passengers aren't paying attention.