30 Cars Worth Splurging On
Some people splurge on high-end rides because they’re fast, others because they’re luxurious, others because they’re powerful, others because they’re high-tech, others because they’re status symbols — or all of the above.
See: Luxury Cars You Can Lease for $1,000
Find Out: The Rarest Supercars in the World
GOBankingRates created a list of 30 pricey cars that are worth the cash for anyone who has the means. The list was compiled by looking at roundups of the best 2020 and 2021 car models from trusted car experts like Motor Trend. To be considered a splurge, the MSRP had to be above the average price for a new car as determined by Kelly Blue Book in May 2020, which is $38,940. GOBankingRates then found the mpg for all cars fitting that criterion and ranked them in ascending order from the lowest MSRP to the highest.
Only one costs less than $40,000 and only four start at under $50,000. Not only do these cars cost a lot to buy — they’re also expensive to drive. Every single gas-burning vehicle on the list has a fuel economy lower than 28 mpg.
These costly gas guzzlers aren’t scored because there’s such a broad range of vehicles, one can’t really be compared to another. They’re all, however, among the coolest, fastest, best-looking and most luxurious cars on the road.
Last updated: Aug. 9, 2021
1. 2020 Lexus ES
Starting MSRP: $39,900
City mpg: 22
Highway mpg: 33
Combined mpg: 27.5
Related: These 20 Cars Cost the Most To Maintain
2. Audi A5
Starting MSRP: $42,900
City mpg: 24
Highway mpg: 32
Combined mpg: 28
Read: 28 Tips for Negotiating With Car Dealers
3. Lincoln Continental
Starting MSRP: $46,305
City mpg: 17
Highway mpg: 26
Combined mpg: 21.5
Find Out: 17 Hidden Auto Costs Your Dealer Will Never Tell You About
4. Genesis G80
Starting MSRP: $47,700
City mpg: 18
Highway mpg: 26
Combined mpg: 22
Also See: The Rarest Supercars in the World
5. Lexus GS 350
Starting MSRP: $51,065
City mpg: 20
Highway mpg: 28
Combined mpg: 24
6. Volvo S90
Starting MSRP: $51,195
City mpg: 21
Highway mpg: 31
Combined mpg: 26
7. BMW 5-Series
Starting MSRP: $53,900
City mpg: 25
Highway mpg: 33
Combined mpg: 29
8. Mercedes-Benz E 350
Starting MSRP: $54,050
City mpg: 20
Highway mpg: 28
Combined mpg: 24
Read: 2021 Cars and Trucks That Are Worth Saving Up for Next Year
9. Acura RLX
Starting MSRP: $54,900
City mpg: 20
Highway mpg: 29
Combined mpg: 24.5
10. Audi A6
Starting MSRP: $54,900
City mpg: 22
Highway mpg: 29
Combined mpg: 25.5
11. Chevrolet Corvette
Starting MSRP: $58,900
City mpg: 16
Highway mpg: 25
Combined mpg: 20.5
Check Out: 30 Surprising Cars That Lose Value Fast
12. Porsche 718 Boxster
Starting MSRP: $59,600
City mpg: 16
Highway mpg: 23
Combined mpg: 19.5
13. Kia K900
Starting MSRP: $59,900
City mpg: 18
Highway mpg: 25
Combined mpg: 21.5
14. Audi A7
Starting MSRP: $69,000
City mpg: 22
Highway mpg: 29
Combined mpg: 25.5
15. BMW M4
Starting MSRP: $69,150
City mpg: 17
Highway mpg: 25
Combined mpg: 21
16. Tesla Model S
Starting MSRP: $69,490
City mpg equivalent: 101
Highway mpg equivalent: 102
Combined mpg equivalent: 101.5
Don't Miss: 35 American Cars To Buy When the Auto Industry Is Back
17. Jaguar I-Pace
Starting MSRP: $69,850
City mpg equivalent: 80
Highway mpg equivalent: 72
Combined mpg equivalent: 76
18. Mercedes-Benz CLS 450
Starting MSRP: $69,950
City mpg: 24
Highway mpg: 31
Combined mpg: 27.5
19. Lexus LS 500
Starting MSRP: $75,450
City mpg: 19
Highway mpg: 30
Combined mpg: 24.5
See: 25 Ways the Coronavirus Has Upended the Auto Industry Across the Globe
20. Audi A8
Starting MSRP: $85,200
City mpg: 17
Highway mpg: 26
Combined mpg: 21.5
21. BMW 7-Series
Starting MSRP: $86,800
City mpg: 22
Highway mpg: 29
Combined mpg: 25.5
22. Porsche Panamera
Starting MSRP: $87,200
City mpg: 19
Highway mpg: 27
Combined mpg: 23
Related: Cars, Trucks and SUVs With the Best Gas Mileage
23. BMW 8-Series
Starting MSRP: $87,900
City mpg: 18
Highway mpg: 25
Combined mpg: 21.5
24. Lexus LC
Starting MSRP: $92,950
City mpg: 16
Highway mpg: 25
Combined mpg: 20.5
25. Mercedes-Benz S 450
Starting MSRP: $94,250
City mpg: 19
Highway mpg: 28
Combined mpg: 23.5
26. Porsche 911 Carrera
Starting MSRP: $99,200
City mpg: 18
Highway mpg: 24
Combined mpg: 21
Beware: Don’t Get Suckered Into Paying For These 25 Useless Things at Car Dealerships
27. Porsche Taycan 4S
Starting MSRP: $103,800
City mpg: N/A
Highway mpg: N/A
Combined mpg equivalent: 225-mile range
28. Maserati Quattroporte
Starting MSRP: $104,199
City mpg: 17
Highway mpg: 24
Combined mpg: 20.5
29. Audi R8
Starting MSRP: $169,900
City mpg: 13
Highway mpg: 20
Combined mpg: 16.5
30. Mercedes-Benz AMG S63
Starting MSRP: $171,400
City mpg: 17
Highway mpg: 27
Combined mpg: 22
More From GOBankingRates
What Money Topics Do You Want Covered: Ask the Financially Savvy Female
Nominate Your Favorite Small Business To Be Featured on GOBankingRates
Methodology: To find the cars that are worth splurging on, GOBankingRates referenced U.S. News and World Report’s “Future Cars: The Best New Cars Arriving by 2021” and "Best Car Rankings for 2020," as well as Motor Trend's "Future Cars: 2021 and Beyond" roundups. Then, GOBankingRates used individual manufacturer websites for each model to provide their predicted starting MSRP. GOBankingRates used U.S. News & World Report and Edmunds.com to collect fuel efficiency data for each model. To be considered a "splurge" the starting MSRP had to come in above the Kelley Blue Book May 2020 average for a new car purchase. All data were collected on and up to date as of June 23, 2020.
Photos are for illustrative purposes only. As a result, some of the images may not reflect the model, trim, or year listed in this article.
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 30 Cars Worth Splurging On
