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    Popular Used Luxury Cars to Avoid and What to Buy Instead

    These models deliver the reliability, comfort, and performance expected from a luxury sedan

    2019 Audi A6 and 2015 Lexus GS
    Should car buyers consider the 2019 Audi A6 or skip it in favor of the 2015 Lexus GS?
    Graphic: Consumer Reports

    Advertisements make luxury cars look fantastic. But in reality, if you buy the wrong used model, it could mean an uncomfortable ride, maddening controls, a cramped interior, and a fortune spent on excessive out-of-warranty repairs.

    To help you pick the one that won’t leave you fuming, Consumer Reports put all of the models listed below through our road-test evaluations when they were new, so we know how they perform.

    Plus, we collect data from CR members in our Annual Auto Surveys so that we can tell you how many problems a model has had compared with the average problem rate for all vehicles of the same model year.

    In this article Arrow link

    This allows us to present models that are popular in their category but aren’t good choices to buy. Then we present two alternatives:

    A better choice: Another vehicle that’s widely available and reliable and has better owner satisfaction ratings.
    An under-the-radar alternative: A reliable and satisfying model that didn’t sell as well—if you aren’t concerned with following the crowd.

    MORE ON USED CARS

    The better choices and under-the-radar alternatives are vehicles recommended by Consumer Reports, meaning they scored well in our road tests when new, have good reliability, performed well in crash tests, and were available with key active safety features such as forward collision warning (FCW), automatic emergency braking (AEB), blind spot warning (BSW), and rear cross traffic warning (RCTW).

    If you’re a CR member, this article and the list below are already available to you. If you haven’t signed up, click below and become a member to access the list and all our exclusive ratings and reviews for each vehicle we buy and test. Joining also gives you full access to exclusive ratings for the other products our experts evaluate in several categories, including electronics and home appliances.

    Consumer Reports members can also search our Used Car Marketplace for vehicles for sale in their area, sorting by the factors that matter most.

    Become a member to read the full article and get access to digital ratings.

    We investigate, research, and test so you can choose with confidence.


    Jon Linkov

    Jon Linkov is the deputy auto editor at Consumer Reports. He has been with CR since 2002, covering varied automotive topics including buying and leasing, maintenance and repair, ownership, reliability, used cars, and electric vehicles. He manages CR’s lineup of special interest publications, hosts CR’s “Talking Cars” podcast, and writes and edits content for CR’s online and print products. An avid cyclist, Jon also enjoys driving his ’80s-era sports car and instructing at track days.