Luxury cars are great, right? Not always. Most are decent. A few are exceptional. Some of them are real “garbage.” We took a look at the official reviews from well-established organizations that are known for their fair assessment of vehicles. We also did an exhaustive search of the comments from owners of these vehicles.

We chose twenty luxury cars to report about. We list them in order from the best ones to the very worst ones. To be listed last on our list is to be the worst one, which means that luxury car is considered by almost everyone to be complete garbage.

Here are the luxury cars that we considered:

20. Cadillac CT6 – MSRP $54,790

Ratings:

Car and Driver – 4 of 5

U.S. News – 8.7 of 10

Kelly Blue Book – 8.5 of 10

Edmunds – 4.5 of 5

Car Connection – 8 of 10

AVERAGE RATING (adjusted for a ten-point scale) = 8.44

Cadillac appears once again on our list of luxury cars that may not live up to having the true label of “luxury.” Looking at this vehicle from the side seems to indicate a mid-sized vehicle from Toyota, Lexus, Nissan, or others. If you are going to spend $55k on a vehicle, forget this one. It is imitation luxury at its best and the Cadillac brand name means nothing. You will simply look stupid for having bought this car.

If you want to impress with this Cadillac, you might do better with a 14k gold-plated five-pound Cadillac emblem key fob like Flava Flav would have, which you wear around your neck and give to the valet who parks your car.

Maybe the guy who parks your car for a nice tip will be impressed. Others will probably not be impressed with this car. It looks too normal, too simple, and way too boring to be considered a “luxury” vehicle. Just because you paid north of $54,000 for this vehicle, nobody is going to care.

19. Volvo S90 – MSRP $46,950

Ratings:

Auto Car UK – 4 of 5

Car Buyer UK – 4 of 5

Car Wow – 7.9 of 10

U.S. News – 8.7 of 10

Motor Trend – 4.5 of 5

AVERAGE RATING (adjusted for a ten-point scale) = 8.32

The return to the style of Volvos from the years past happened because of a major new outside investor in the Volvo Company. The Volvo S90 is a comfortable sedan that is a strong competitor in its class, rivaling the BMW and the Mercedes-Benz offerings. It is a vast improvement over the Volvo S80, which is now discontinued.

One very good thing about this car is the crash protection. One of the reasons you buy a Volvo is because you want to be safer if you have an accident. It has automatic cruise control and will give an alarm to wake you up if you take your hands off the wheel. It has radar sensors that give early warnings about large animals in or near the edge of the road. It does not drive like a sports car; instead, its focus is on comfort.

18. BMW i3 – MSRP $42,400

Ratings:

Car and Driver – 4.5 of 5

U.S. News – 8.5 of 10

Edmunds – 4.5 of 5

Top Gear – 9 of 10

Car Connection – 6.6 of 10

AVERAGE RATING (adjusted for a ten-point scale) = 8.42

The BMW i3 is an electric vehicle. Most of the past complaints were about the limited range, so for the 2017 model, BMW decided to upgrade the battery from a 60 amp hour battery to a 94 amp hour battery. People either really love or hate the look of this vehicle. It kind of resembles an SUV that shrunk in the wash. Is the boxy style luxurious? The vehicle does not look like any other BMW car at all. The beauty of any auto design is in the eye of the beholder it seems. Save money on gasoline, go green, and look like a dork in a box!

It has the backwards-opening “suicide” doors that are used to enter the rear seats. It has interior climate control. It’s too bad that the climate control cannot extend to address the problem of global warming. Those who go “green” often forget to consider how the electricity they are using to recharge a vehicle is made. If the electricity used for recharging does not come from a renewable alternative power source such as a wind farm or solar panels, there is nothing “green” about this. Much of the electricity is produced using coal-burning or fossil fuel burning power plants and that is about as far away from green as you can get.

It is OK to “go green” and buy the BMW i3 as long as you also buy the solar panels to recharge it. However, if it is cloudy and rains you better be willing just to stay home.

17. Infiniti Q60 – MSRP $38,950

Ratings:

Car and Driver – 3.5 of 5

U.S. News – 8.2 of 10

Car Connection – 6.8 of 10

Edmunds – 5 of 5

PC Mag – 4 of 5

AVERAGE RATING (adjusted for a ten-point scale) = 8.00

We are very sorry. Do not even try to “dis” this car. For the price and for the style, it is excellent. Edmunds gave it five out of five stars, which is something they never do. If you want to buy a car that screams luxury and performs in an excellent way at a price that is a bargain, then run out to buy this car right now! Upgrade to the red sports version with all the options. If you do this, this car is a $50k luxury sports car and very cool.

16. Cadillac ELR – MSRP $65,000 (discontinued in 2016)

Ratings:

Car and Driver – 4 of 5

U.S. News –  7.1 of 10

Edmunds – 5 of 5

Motor Trend – 3 of 5

Cars.com – 4.3 of 5

AVERAGE RATING (adjusted for a ten-point scale) = 7.94

The ride in this vehicle is not that comfortable, especially in the rear seats. This car, in practical use, is only good as a two-seater. Very few people or even tiny kids will be small enough to fit in the rear seats. The engine is noisy. There is so little space in the rear seats that it has less cubic feet in the trunk than is found in a standard economy car. The base price is too high when compared to other offerings in this same class of luxury vehicle that sell for around this same price point.

15. Lincoln MKZ – MSRP $49,720

Ratings:

Car and Driver – 3.5 of 5

U.S. News – 7.5 of 10

Edmunds – 4.9 of 5

Kelly Blue Book – 7.5 of 10

Car Connection – 6.5 of 10

AVERAGE RATING (adjusted for a ten-point scale) = 7.66

The Lincoln MKZ is a 400 horsepower all-wheel drive in a mid-sized sedan. Drivers can adjust from normal drive mode to sports mode depending on the style they prefer. This car comes with the option of a 3.0-liter twin turbo six-cylinder engine that makes it a nice car to drive. By selecting this upgrade, expect to pay more for gas, but also to hit 60 MPH in about 4.6 seconds.

It matches the size of a Ford Fusion, but the Lincoln MKZ is so much quicker, handles better, and is far superior, even though it is built on the same chassis as the Fusion. It comes with a 19-speaker Revel sound system. The backseat is a bit cramped for larger persons, with a sloping roof that makes the headroom less comfortable for taller persons.

It is a nice mix of performance with comfort. There are massage seats that can be temperature controlled to warm up or cool down as desired. The feelings of the seats are completely customizable. This model is a significant upgrade from the last year’s model. With the key fob in your pocket, you simply approach the vehicle, put your hand on the door knob and the car unlocks automatically. Handling is a little bit rough, especially when going around turns. Inside, it is very comfortable and quiet ride. While we would like the hate this car, we cannot, as long as you opt for the sports model with the 3.0-liter turbocharged engine.

14. Lexus CT Hybrid – MSRP $31,250

Ratings:

Car and Driver – 2 of 5

U.S. News – 7.7 of 10

Edmunds – 4.5 of 5

Kelly Blue Book – 8.9 of 10

Car Connection – 4.8 of 10

AVERAGE RATING (adjusted for a ten-point scale) = 7.64

This is a mid-sized car trying to pose as a luxury car. It does a pretty good job in its masquerade. Yes, it is an electric/gas hybrid and great for fuel efficiency. We get that. Lexus is known for high quality, but to say this is a luxury car is a big stretch. This vehicle is not a “stretch” limousine by any means.

This is a mid-sized car with high-quality features. The features are not enough to be considered a luxury car. Sorry Lexus, but saying something is luxury does not make it so.

This car is tiny and cramped and not very powerful and does not have a strong presence when viewed by others. It saves on gas and if you drove it for about thirty years it might pay for itself.

13. Jaguar XJ – MSRP $74,400

Ratings:

Car and Driver – 4 of 5

Car Connection – 3.7 of 5

Auto Car UK – 4.5 of 5

Top Gear – 7 of 10

What Car? – 3 of 5

AVERAGE RATING (adjusted for a ten-point scale) = 7.48

Who does not like a Jaguar? Everyone who owns one. These are “hand-made” cars from the formerly “great” Britain, which is no longer so great. It seems like most of these cars are made leaving out a few critical parts by accident. It is very common for the owners of a Jaguar to have their car for longer periods in the repair shop than actually enjoying the driving experience.

Now, if you pronounce the brand name property as “Jag-u-aaar” with an extension between each syllable, you may find this impresses your friends. This works until they actually ask to take a ride in this vehicle and either the car is in the repair shop or riding in it feels like riding on a tractor passing down a rough farm trail.

For so many years, this company has relied more on the brand name and the exclusive, high prices rather than making a great luxury vehicle. After all, it is a “Jag-u- aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar!” Please, hand out barf bags when pronouncing the name of an exotic endangered species of animal in this overly British way. It is like stale fish and chips.

12. Hyundai Equus – MSRP $61,500 (replaced by Genesis G90 in 2017)

Ratings:

Car and Driver – 4 of 5

U.S. News – 7.6 of 10

Car Connection – 7.8 of 10

Car Gurus – 8 of 10

Auto Car UK – 3 of 5

AVERAGE RATING (adjusted for a ten-point scale) = 7.48

Hyundai has a brand identification problem. Just like when Toyota entered the luxury market they chose the new brand called “Lexus.” Hyundai needs a new brand name also if it wants to try to compete successfully when selling luxury cars. Hyundai makes great cars, but none of them have the luxury “cache.” All that Hyundai needs to do is to brand their luxury cars with a new name and they can compete because they make really great cars. However, few people are willing to pay over $69k for a Hyundai. Call the new brand “Elegance,” instead and watch the sales soar!

11. Lexus ES Hybrid – MSRP $41,820

Ratings:

Car and Driver – 2 of 5

U.S. News – 8.5 of 10

Car Connection – 7.5 of 10

Kelly Blue Book – 8.1 of 10

Edmunds  – 4.5 of 5

AVERAGE RATING (adjusted for a ten-point scale) = 7.42

Grant Roberson says that designing vehicles is an art.

We would like to complain about this car, but we cannot.

For the price, it is great!

10. Land Rover Discovery Sport – MSRP $46.595

Ratings:

Car and Driver – 3 of 5

U.S. News – 7.8 of 10

Car Connection – 7.2 of 10

Kelly Blue Book – 7 of 10

Auto Express – 4 of 5

AVERAGE RATING (adjusted for a ten-point scale) = 7.20

This is the SUV you may need to take your spoiled brats to their “posh” school each morning and to pick them up in the afternoon. Or get the maid to drive them instead. You will get bonus points if you are British or of British heritage, especially if you are loyal to the Land Rover brand. This is the type of vehicle that British adventurers used to drive through the bush, which is how the Land Rover brand became established as a rugged vehicle for all-terrain travel in the last century.

Now, you can call this a “Street Rover” with a design that is meant to impress and a price tag to go with it. Just resist the urge to drive this SUV off the road, because this vehicle is made for comfort, not for endurance. There is plenty of headroom and legroom in the back. If the kids want to have a knockdown fight in the back seat it is easy to ignore them. There is a third-row seating area that is just for kids or tiny adults. This car claims to carry seven, but that is seven people with three of them children and none of them with luggage. If you want to carry anything along in terms of luggage, then the third optional row of seats folds down to get out of the way.

9. Acura RLX – MSRP $54,450

Ratings:

Car and Driver – 3 of 5

U.S. News – 7.8 of 10

Edmunds – 5 of 5

Motor Trend – 3 of 5

Car Connection – 3.3 of 5

AVERAGE RATING (adjusted for a ten-point scale) = 7.28

This is just another “also-ran” for the luxury category that tried to make it and missed. Mid-sized luxury cars are automatically inferior because luxury cars should be luxury-sized, which means full-sized. Duh! The rear seats in this car are fine if you are less than five feet tall, but a severe torment for any regular person. If you want to hit your head on the roof, while riding in the backseat at every bump in the road, this is the perfect vehicle for that. Throwing the kids in the backseat is OK, but who takes the kids along for a luxury escape weekend? They should be left at home with the nanny while the adults enjoy the good life.

If you plan on buying an Acura and pretending it is a luxury vehicle, you might as well also buy a canoe and then pretend it is a yacht. This car may be fine for those on a budget, but at the price tag of about $55k this car in not a low-budget item. One can buy a brand new double-wide manufactured home and put it in a trailer park to live in the lap of “trailer-trash” luxury for the same price.

8. Acura ILX – MSRP $34,980

Ratings:

Car and Driver – 3 of 5

U.S. News – 7.6 of 10

Car Connection – 6.7 of 10

Motor Trend – 3.5 of 5

Edmunds – 4.3 of 5

AVERAGE RATING (adjusted for a ten-point scale) = 7.18

One of the main complaints about this “supposed” sports luxury vehicle is that it is offered only in an automatic transmission format. This is really offensive to drivers who want to have physical control over how a vehicle shifts. Part of the fun of learning how to drive a sports car is learning how to shift properly and this car does not have this option.

That being said, it can go fast and accelerate quickly. However, calling a car that is priced less than $35k and comparing it to others that are tens of thousands of dollar more is unfair. This is a nice upscale medium-sized car; however, not close the true “luxury” category.

7. Lincoln MKS – MSRP $44,720 (replaced by Lincoln Continental in 2017)

Ratings:

Car and Driver – 3 of 5

U.S. News – 7.1 of 10

Car Connection – 7.6 of 10

Motor Trend – 3 of 5

Edmunds – 4.3 of 5

AVERAGE RATING (adjusted for a ten-point scale) = 7.06

This car looks great. The problem is the car is simply not very good. It only sold about 5,000 units during the entire year of 2016, which is an abysmal sales performance. This lackluster response caused Ford to discontinue the model and replace it with the new 2017 Lincoln Continental which sold about 20,000 units in the first month of 2017.

6. Cadillac Escalade – MSRP $74,590

Ratings:

Car and Driver – 3 of 5

U.S. News – 8.5 of 10

Car Connection – 7.7 of 10

Consumer Affairs – 2 of 5

Motor Trend – 4.5 of 5

AVERAGE RATING (adjusted for a ten-point scale) = 7.04

If you want to “pimp” your ride, the Cadillac Escalade is the “propa” choice. If you are close to hitting something while trying to park, the seat starts to vibrate. It also has an alarm to remind you to take your child out of the child seat and not leave them in the hot car. The Cadillac Escalade is based on the GMC Yukon truck with its V-8 engine. You will be paying a lot for gas with an EPA estimate of 15 MPG city and 20 MPG on the highway.

For those of you wanting a luxury vehicle that feels like riding in a fancy pickup truck, the Cadillac Escalade is perfect for you. Get it custom painted bright lime green for a real distinctive look. Depending on what part of the country you live in, get the extended version of this car. When it is fully loaded with all the extras, this will cost over $100,000. You can buy a home in many parts of the country for the same amount. If you want to be homeless and live in your car, maybe then this is not such a bad deal. The heated seats will keep you warm during those nights when you are sleeping in your car.

5. Mercedes-Benz CLA250 – MSRP $32,400

Ratings:

Car and Driver – 3 of 5

U.S. News – 7.9 of 10

Car Connection – 3.3 of 5

Top Gear – 5 of 10

Edmunds – 4.5 of 5

AVERAGE RATING (adjusted for a ten-point scale) = 6.90

The Mercedes-Benz CLA250 is an entry-level luxury car for those seeking to have a vehicle at about half the price tag of the more refined Mercedes-Benz. This car is somewhat stylish without all the pricey additions that are available. Owners complain there is a high level of road noise when driving. Space in the rear seat is cramped.

To get the best fuel economy on the highway means to sacrifice shifting speed and use the “economy” mode when driving. Manual shifting is possible but the transmission is not immediately responsive. There is a delay unless shifting is in the automatic mode. It seems like the vehicle knows more about driving and shifting itself than a manual driver. For power mad, control freaks, this is really annoying.

The Mercedes-Benz CLA250 is a very small “luxury” car about the same size as a Honda Civic. It does not have the opulence or the higher price tag of the traditional Mercedes-Benz vehicles. Its target market is younger owners who cannot afford a “real” Mercedes-Benz.

4. Kia K900 – MSRP $49,000

Ratings:

Car and Driver – 2.5 of 5

U.S. News – 8.3 of 10

Edmunds – 3 of 5

Kelly Blue Book – 7.6 of 10

Car Connection – 6.6 of 10

AVERAGE RATING (adjusted for a ten-point scale) = 6.70

A Kia as a luxury car? Give us a break! This severely overpriced economy car, at close to fifty-thousand dollars, is not what anyone thinks of when they think about luxury. All of the economy, mid-sized, fuel-efficient brands, like Kia, need to rethink their lame efforts to enter the field of selling luxury vehicles.

First of all, for luxury buyers, the brand identification with Kia is a major turnoff. Even with the very high price of this car, it is still only a Kia. Does anyone expect to drive up to the red carpet at the Academy Awards and be taken seriously when arriving in a Kia? Maybe some comedian might do this as a joke, but nobody else will see this car as a serious luxury vehicle. The ratings are poor. The comfort is lacking. The best thing for this car to do is to step back down, recognize its true place in the world, and sell for a much lower price to be a nice addition to the Kia economy car line.

3. Alfa Romeo 4C – MSRP $55,900

Ratings:

Car and Driver – 4 of 5

Auto Car UK – 8.3 of 10

Car Connection – 5.8 of 10

Top Gear – 5 of 10

What Car? – 3 of 5

AVERAGE RATING (adjusted for a ten-point scale) = 6.62

A sports car for this price with a 1.75 liter four-cylinder engine; is this a joke? It looks nice until you look under the hood, to see not much there. You cannot even open the hood. This car is a really expensive go-kart. There are plenty of super cheap economy cars that have the same kind of wimpy engine. It’s also very cramped and cannot be used as a regular vehicle.

So, why did Alfa Romeo make a sports car with no space in the trunk, no headroom, deafening road noise, heavy steering, lousy shifting, and not much power to do anything? This car is most useful simply to be a bright red placeholder and sit parked in your space in front of your high-tech startup while you use a bicycle to get back and forth from your home to work.

2. Buick Cascada – MSRP $33,065

Ratings:

Car and Driver – 3 of 5

U.S. News – 7.6 of 10

Car Connection – 5.6 of 10

Kelly Blue Book  – 8.3 of 10

Motor Trend  – 2.5 of 5

AVERAGE RATING (adjusted for a ten-point scale) = 6.50

Do you think of a Buick as being a luxury car? Well, no. And neither do we. This pricey convertible from Buick is in the same price range as the entry-level luxury car from Mercedes-Benz, which is the C250. If you drive up to a fancy restaurant and have the valet park your Buick or as an alternative park your brand new Mercedes Benz, which car do you think will be most likely to turn heads? This is not your father’s Buick, but it really should not be yours either.

1. And the worst car with the worst score is the… Volkswagen CC – MSRP $37,820

Ratings:

Car and Driver – 3.5 of 5

U.S. News – 7.6 of 10

Car Connection – 5.6 of 10

Motor Trend – 3 of 5

What Car? – 3 of 5

AVERAGE RATING (adjusted for a ten-point scale) = 6.44

To say that a Volkswagen can be a luxury car is just like saying a flea can be an elephant. Even though the price tag for the Volkswagen CC is so steep and a fully-loaded version can easily cost over $40k, there is nothing about a Volkswagen that conveys luxury. Originally, the “volks” wagen (people’s car) was conceived as a budget car that was affordable by everyone when Hitler came to power in Germany during the late 1930s. After that, there was WWII and luckily the people’s car did not fall down completely with the third Reich. However, to try to make this brand into a luxury vehicle now is like putting lipstick on a pig. No matter what you do and how great the reviews are, it is still a pig.

Summary

The class of “luxury” cars has now changed to include some rather boring regular cars and some really over-priced luxury cars. There are still some great luxury cars. However, you may have to spend some time explaining why your car is a really cool luxury car and not just a piece of garbage that is trying to imitate a luxury car. If you are going to spend the big bucks, do not buy a car that fails to live up to a major historical brand’s promises for style, comfort, opulence, and luxury.

Sources: autoguide.com, caranddriver.com, edmunds.com, motortrend.com, topgear.com