If you’ve ever wondered what makes a luxury car a luxury car, you’re not alone. While many people assume it’s just the high prices of these vehicles, in reality there’s much more to it than that. Luxury vehicles usually offer tons of amenities that are simply not available on most standard vehicles, and from the way it is made to the number of fancy features inside of the vehicle, these are truly cars that stand out among the rest. If you’re curious what makes a luxury car truly luxurious, keep reading.
The Quality That Makes a Difference
Think of it this way: the typical luxury car will have the same parts and components as a standard car, but the difference in the quality of those parts and components is striking. For example, let’s take a look at car interiors. All car manufacturers make the interiors of their cars comfortable to drive and to ride in, but luxury car manufacturers go a step beyond that. In a luxury vehicle, every inch of the interior is made to provide the ultimate in comfort for both drivers and passengers. Drivers and passengers will be pampered to the point where they are protected against the noise and various imperfections in the road.
Another example is the suspension system. Suspension systems are there to keep the wheels firmly planted on the ground during most driving scenarios. A luxury car, on the other hand, has upgraded suspension systems that seemingly eliminate all bumps and ruts in the road so that the riding and driving experience is super smooth. In fact, with a luxury car, you likely won’t even notice those ruts and bumps are even there. Some luxury cars even have adjustable suspensions on air springs, and these automatically compensate for the road conditions you will incur.
Features Make a Big Difference
When it comes to luxury cars, one of biggest differences between them and standard cars is the number and quality of the features they offer. For example, while a standard car may have cloth seats that are super comfortable, a luxury vehicle may have real leather seats that are heated and come with different settings for that heat. While standard vehicles have radios, CD players, and sound systems, luxury cars have the absolute best sound systems on the market, such as Bang and Olufsen.
Other features commonly found in luxury cars include:
- Atomizer fragrance for the cabin
- Cup holders that are heated or cooled
- Digital cockpits
- Folding trays to set food on
- Front and back seats with massagers
- Hood ornaments that retract so no one can steal it
- LED headlights
- Mood lighting throughout the car
- Power running boards
- Power sliding rear windows
- Roofs that show stars and moons
- Satellite-aided car transmissions
- Twin-panel moon roofs
So as you can see, it isn’t just extra features, such as cup holders or comfortable seats, it’s heated and cooled cup holders and seats that massage you that make a luxury car a luxury car. You can think of it like buying a suitcase. If you purchase a suitcase from a department store or even a luggage store, it will keep your clothes protected and get them from one location to another as it should. But if you buy a Louis Vuitton suitcase, it will not only last longer and look more attractive, but its logo will tell the world that you can afford the very best.
You usually also find that luxury vehicles have features such as bodies made out of aluminum or carbon fiber instead of steel, sound insulation that keeps the ride much quieter, numerous safety features that keep everyone inside of the car safer, telematics that automatically detect a crash and summons help, and even concierge services such as vehicle pickup and delivery when it’s time for routine maintenance or even warranty repairs.
You definitely won’t get these features with standard vehicles, and these are just a few of the features that make luxury cars, well, so luxurious.
What About Under the Hood?
Of course, there is still more to a luxury car than its comfort and convenience features. Luxury cars are very different when it comes to items under the hood as well. This includes very powerful engines and transmissions, and one of the results of this is the average luxury car’s ability to get from 0 MPH to 60 MPH or faster in record time – usually in under five seconds, depending on the car. The Mercedes AMG Coupe, for example, takes only 3.7 seconds to get up to 60 MPH, and its 563 HP engine also allows the car to have a top speed of 200 MPH.
So while luxury vehicles have features that provide a smooth and quiet ride and perks that make you feel the same way you feel when you fly first-class, they are also much better built when it comes to the items that make them run well, that is, their engine and everything else located under the hood. In other words, luxury cars run better, look better, and pamper drivers and passengers better than your standard cars do, which are just a few of the many reasons why they are considered luxury cars.
While there is no minimum price that comes with a car known as a luxury car, you can safely assume that going by today’s car prices, no luxury car on the market today is likely going to be available for under $35,000 to $40,000. This is just the minimum. A good example is the new Jeep Grand Wagoneer. While as a general rule, a Jeep is not considered a luxury vehicle, this particular model costs more than $100,000 when it’s completely loaded, which definitely puts it in the “luxury” category.
Other luxury vehicles have had prices such as $3 million, $6 million, and even in the $12 to $15 million range, so if you can find a true luxury vehicle for $35,000 to $40,000, consider yourself lucky. Indeed, a lot of things make a luxury car a luxury car, and once you start researching luxury vehicles, you’ll start to get some idea of why these cars are so sought-after by so many people.
