There are plenty of vehicles out there that feel as gaudy as they are pricey. This is intentional, as many people want their vehicles to reflect how much they spent on it, whether or not they can actually afford it. What isn’t talked about are the expensive cars that don’t look the part. Depending on whom you ask, this can either be a positive or a negative. There are still some out there that have the money to spend on a nice sports car, but at the same time don’t want to stand out.
In addition to this, some expensive cars simply don’t get a lot of coverage for various reasons. In both cases, it seems hard to fathom that some expensive vehicles don’t garner a lot of attention, but take our word that it happens.
8 Toyota Land Cruiser
The Toyota Land Cruiser has always been somewhat of a sleeper. This is because it does not have a flashy exterior to match its price tag. Though it got discontinued in the United States after the 2021 model year, this Toyota started in the $80,000 range when new, and it would not be hard to find one used in that price range still. It's easy to mistake this large SUV for a cheaper Chevrolet Tahoe or Ford Expedition. This is further reinforced by the fact that the Land Cruiser was always a low-volume seller, meaning not many people know what it is.
7 Hennessey Venom F5
The Hennessey Venom F5 is one of the fastest production vehicles out there – and one of the most expensive. But many are not familiar with what this hypercar is. Hennessy is a small automaker and tuner based out of Texas that doesn’t hit the radar of many because of the niche market it fills.
Hennessey is well known for taking a fast car like a Hellcat or Raptor and making it even faster. But the Venom F5 is completely made by Hennessey and claims to reach 300 miles per hour. To match the high speed is a high price – $1.8 million to be exact.
6 Lexus LS
The LS has fallen out of the spotlight since its golden years, when it launched the Lexus brand in 1989. Back then, the LS was revolutionary and was a serious competitor to the likes of a Mercedes-Benz S-Class and BMW 7 Series.
Now it is not a main competitor in its segment, which means that it does not get a lot of attention. But it still commands a price that can easily hit and exceed six figures.
5 BMW Z8
The BMW Z8 has not been available new for sale since the early 2000s, but it still sells for a very high price. Its slightly odd looks add more to the mystery of why it costs so much.
It was actually designed by the legendary Henrik Fisker, so some may disagree that the Z8 is not visually appealing. But the common Z8 spends most of its time not on the road, but in someone’s collection. The fact that the Z8 looks relatively unassuming and quite rare is what makes this BMW so surprising of its high price.
4 Dodge Durango Hellcat
The Dodge Durango Hellcat is an expensive version of a mainstream car. This is why it does not get as much attention as a fast vehicle. In terms of visual exterior differentiators, the Hellcat Durango does not look much different than a basic Durango R/T which has almost half the horsepower of the high-powered Hellcat. Furthermore, the Hellcat is by far one of the most expensive midsized SUVs, ringing in at more than $92,000.
3 Polestar 1
The Polestar 1 was the first vehicle to launch the Polestar brand. And, it is the most expensive. Though it clearly looks like the grand tourer that it is, it does not get the attention of other grand tourers like an Aston Martin or Mercedes-Benz SL. This could be largely attributed to its relatively restrained style that looks very close to its Volvo parent company. But this six-figure coupe deserves all the attention that it can get because it does its job so well.
2 Maserati Levante
The Levante is Maserati’s first SUV, and it has gotten some attention at the beginning due to the fact that it was such a departure of what the Italian automaker has done in the past. But it does not get the same attention that SUVs from other luxury brands get. The Levante does not look bad, but it also does not have anything going for it in terms of it standing out amidst stiff competition.
1 Aston Martin DBX
The DBX is just as expensive and fast as something such as a Lamborghini Urus, but it does not have the same draw to it. This is a shame because this Aston SUV has the attractive modern Aston Martin look, and it honestly looks far less garish than its competitors. It is fast and is tasteful while still letting everyone know that it is an Aston Martin. If it was up to us, the DBX would spend a lot more time in the limelight.