Top 10 best luxury cars to buy 2024
Indulge yourself with our list of the best luxury cars on sale today
To be considered one of the best luxury cars on the market, a vehicle must be made of the finest materials, feature the very latest technology and offer the most refined experience possible for both the driver and passengers. Our road test experts have driven every luxury car in the UK, and we’ve rounded up the very finest models right here. Celebrities, business leaders, sports stars and VIPs take note.
The best luxury cars to buy
- BMW 7 Series
- Range Rover
- Rolls-Royce Spectre
- Bentley Flying Spur
- Range Rover Sport
- Mercedes S-Class
- Rolls-Royce Ghost
- Bentley Continental GT
- Rolls-Royce Phantom
- Porsche Panamera
1. BMW 7 Series
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- Prices from £102,000
As with many of BMW’s current cars, the latest 7 Series has looks that are best described as divisive, but there’s no doubting this flagship’s sheer appeal as a prestige cruiser. It’s incredibly quiet, beautifully smooth and has a brilliant ride and handling balance that rivals a Rolls-Royce for outright comfort. For maximum refinement and silence, there’s also the fully-electric BMW i7.
Inside, the high-tech yet luxurious cabin is no less impressive, especially when you’re sitting in the back seats. With acres of space, fully-reclining seats and tonnes of equipment, the 7 Series’ interior feels like a step into a new generation of luxury. There’s even the option of a 31.3-inch 8K folding cinema screen to keep the back seat occupants entertained. This costs an extra £4,400, but this number probably won’t be an issue if you can afford this six-figure BMW in the first place.
The whole 7 Series package sets a very high bar for this exclusive sector of the market, and it’s one that’s undoubtedly worthy of our 2024 Luxury Car of the Year award.
2. Range Rover
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- Prices from £104,000
Ultra-luxury SUVs can now be found lurking within several manufacturers’ line-ups, but the original luxury off-roader, the Range Rover, is still king. It’s been with us for five decades, and the latest Range Rover mixes exceptional levels of capability and technology into a contemporary package.
Yet the key is that these elements sit upon a foundation of exceptional build quality and comfort, with a unique sense of imperiousness that no other rival marque has yet been able to beat. Diesels and plug-in hybrids are our preferred powertrain choices, with the latter being better suited to urban driving thanks to an impressive electric range. A purely-electric version is also on the way.
Unsurprisingly, the Range Rover is by far the most practical car on this list. With the extra height this SUV has over its rivals, it feels truly massive in the back. The standard-fit air suspension lowers the car to aid access, too – a helpful touch considering how tall it is. With over 700 litres of boot space and the option of a seven-seat LWB version, your whole family can travel in the lap of luxury.
3. Rolls-Royce Spectre
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- Prices from £330,000
- Best for efficiency
Charles Rolls predicted electric propulsion would be the future of the car, and more than 120 years later the Rolls-Royce Spectre is the first EV to wear the Spirit of Ecstasy. It also serves as the spiritual successor to the Phantom Coupe to some, as well as the start of a new era for the British brand after it pledged to go electric-only by the end of the decade.
In the meantime though, if you open the Spectre’s huge rear-hinge doors and you will see that this four-seat, two-door coupe is awash with the finest leathers, woods and metals. It’s ridiculously hard to find fault in the cabin, but you’d expect that to be the case when you’re paying well over £300,000 for a car. The combined power output of the twin motors should prove acceptable to the most discerning driver, too, with 577bhp and 900Nm of torque on tap.
There are still some teething troubles, though. Refinement is exceptional at cruising speeds, the steering is well-judged and it even claims a range of up to 329 miles on a single charge. However, the suspension causes this three-tonne car to become noticeably unsettled when driving at lower speeds – particularly around town–- and the regenerative braking system can be a bit too intrusive.
4. Bentley Flying Spur
| Pros | Cons |
| Fantastic interior Huge performance Great to drive | Poor fuel economy Seriously expensive to buy Pricey optional equipment |
- Prices from £180,000
The Bentley Flying Spur is perhaps the quintessential British luxury saloon, embodying everything the brand has stood for, with a modern twist. Sharing lots of its DNA with the Porsche Panamera has given it a much more engaging driving experience than before, and aside from a slight compromise in ultimate ride comfort, gives nothing else away to its predecessor in terms of refinement or luxury.
With the W12 engine being phased out, it’s the twin-turbo V8 that is our choice, rather than the PHEV version, feeling opulent and imperious in typical Bentley fashion. The cabin exudes luxury, thanks to the exceptional quality of its wood, leather and turned steel, clothed in an exterior design that’ll turn heads whether you’re at your Holland Park mansion or Cotswolds country estate.
5. Range Rover Sport
| Pros | Cons |
| Excellent comfort levels Impressive infotainment system Rear-wheel steering option | Expensive to buy Running costs Questionable Reliability |
- Prices from £75,000
In comparison with the full-fat Range Rover, the slightly smaller Range Rover Sport is actually better suited to the UK, Although it loses a little bit in terms of luxury and refinement, the Sport’s slightly more tied down handling makes it the more comfortable car to drive on tighter roads, while its more athletic design appeals to a wider customer base.
It’s also significantly cheaper, but if you’re after the ultimate luxury experience, the full-size Range Rover still has its unique attributes and an even more imperious demeanour.
Considering that this large SUV weighs 2.3-tonnes, the Range Rover Sport offers a genuinely engaging drive with admirable capability in both performance and handling. The steering is precise, the air suspension keeps the car’s weight in check when cornering, and every powertrain will launch the Sport from 0-62mph in well under seven seconds.
6. Mercedes S-Class
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- Prices from £110,000
Many owners and enthusiasts class the Mercedes S-Class as the pinnacle of luxury motoring. While many rivals have worked their way up to matching (or even surpassing) the flagship Mercedes’ standards in recent years, this venerable German limo is still a top purchase for those seeking plenty of opulence.
The current S-Class does a particularly wonderful job of portraying ultimate comfort in both the front and rear. Space is cavernous, and the tech on board is bang up to date, despite being short of the wow-factor displays of rivals such the BMW 7 Series or even Mercedes’ own all-electric EQS. The only downsides are some less than desirable interior plastics and the ride on the larger 21-inch wheels, which just isn’t as good as on the smaller wheels.
7. Rolls-Royce Ghost
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- Prices from £250,000
It may be the brand’s cheapest model, but the Rolls-Royce Ghost still delivers luxury and refinement in spades. There are only two parts carried over from the previous model - the Spirit of Ecstasy that sits atop the bonnet, and the umbrellas hidden within the doors.
The Ghost is based on Rolls-Royce’s ‘architecture of luxury’, which can also be found beneath the Cullinan SUV, flagship Phantom and even the all-electric Spectre.
Although perhaps a little less conspicuous than its Phantom sibling, the Ghost is still five-metres long and 2.5-tonnes in weight, so it can hardly be called understated. You won’t have to worry about merging from slip roads, either, as the 6.75-litre V12 petrol engine produces 563bhp, which allows a 0-62mph time of 4.8s and a 155mph top speed.
8. Bentley Continental GT
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- Prices from £237,000
Every generation of the Bentley Continental GT has followed a similar design language, but each one has brought an array of upgrades with them. Now it’s the turn of the fourth-generation model, and one member of the latest Continental line-up happens to be the most powerful road-going Bentley to date.
With a 771bhp plug-in hybrid V8 at its heart, the range-topping Continental GT Speed churns out a whopping 771bhp and 1,000Nm of torque. This powertrain launches the opulent coupe from 0-62mph in just 3.2 seconds, but if you’re not quite that much of a speed demon, the less extreme Continental versions still offer plenty of power to go with the prestige.
On the subject of prestige, the Continental’s cabin is typically Bentley. The fit-and-finish is absolutely top-notch and there’s plenty of class-leading materials, too. If you’re a fan of the fresh air, there’s always the option of the convertible GTC variant.
9. Rolls-Royce Phantom
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- Prices from £420,000
There’s no doubt that the Rolls-Royce Phantom is an incredible car. It's powered by a 6.75-litre V12 petrol engine, which produces 563bhp and a satisfying 900Nm of torque. This allows you to plant your right foot and accelerate from a standstill to 62mph in 5.3 seconds and on to a limited top speed of 155mph.
The price is suitably large to go with the Rolls’ grand dimensions, and the least you can expect to pay is north of £400,000. If you so much as look at the options list, you will find that this figure heads upwards very quickly.
On the road the Phantom is unbelievably quiet and comfortable – as you would expect – but should you find yourself in the driver's seat, you will have a mixture of features to make sure you enjoy your time there. Firstly, there is four-wheel steering to aid in low-speed manoeuvres and high-speed stability, then there is the air suspension and active roll management to prevent unwanted lurching of the body through the corners – all of which make this enormous car a lot easier to keep under control.
10. Porsche Panamera
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- Prices from £83,000
- Best driving experience
The third-generation Porsche Panamera follows a very similar formula to its predecessors. In essence, this flagship model is a careful blend of luxury combined with Porsche’s typical sporting flavour.
Many of the cars on this list are well-suited to those who have a chauffeur at their disposal, but the Porsche Panamera is a luxury car that’s best enjoyed by those who are sitting behind the wheel. Even the entry-level model has a 348bhp twin-turbocharged V6 under the bonnet, so there’s a steady amount of performance punch on offer. The Panamera’s sophisticated chassis means it can handle itself with real composure in the corners, too, making it exciting to drive.
The trade-off for this level of driver engagement is a firmer and less refined ride than most other luxury cars on this list, but that’s not to say that the Panamera is without its fair share of plushness. Step inside and there’s plenty of room for four passengers, along with lashings of high-quality materials and technology that’s bang up-to-date.
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