Mid-Range Luxury Cars: Mercedes, Cadillac, BMW and More

When people think of luxury cars, they often think of car manufacturers Cadillac, Lincoln and Porsche. However, there are a number of luxury car manufacturers and many models of luxury cars on the market. In order to make the luxury car category more manageable, people often divide luxury cars into three categories:
  • entry-level luxury cars
  • mid-level luxury cars
  • high-end luxury cars.
 
Cars are placed in their respective categories according to price, performance level and features available, among other things. While some people's budgets allow them to purchase a high-end luxury car, far more people are interested in buying a mid-level luxury car.

Mid-Range Luxury Cars: Key Components

Strict restrictions outlining which luxury cars are mid-range luxury cars do not exist. However, some general guidelines for classifying vehicles as mid-range luxury cars include:
  • advanced technological innovations
  • base manufacturer retail price between $34,000 and $60,000 (However, some mid-range luxury vehicles may be as low as $30,000 or as high as $92,000.)
  • latest safety standards
  • very high degree of comfort.

Although mid-range luxury cars are focused on safety, comfort and style, many owners also seek high-performance vehicles in this class. Many mid-range luxury cars feature V8 engines or highly sophisticated six-cylinder engines to produce the expected performance level.

Some of the added safety features found in many mid-range luxury cars include:

  • crash-resistant door pillars
  • crumple zones
  • electronic stability systems
  • side and side curtain airbags
  • traction control.

Mid-Range Luxury Car Manufacturers

The mid-range segment of luxury cars is mainly composed of cars made by manufacturers with roots in the following countries (listed in order of market dominance):
  1. Germany
  2. United States
  3. Japan.

The luxury car manufacturers that sell models of mid-range luxury cars include:

  • Audi AG (Audi A6)
  • BMW (BMW 5 Series)
  • General Motors (Cadillac DTS and Cadillac STS)
  • GM Holden, Ltd. (Holden Caprice and Holden Statesman)
  • Jaguar (Jaguar S-Type)
  • Mercedes-Benz (Mercedes-Benz E-Class and Mercedes CLK-class)
  • Peugeot (Peugeot 607)
  • Porsche (Porsche Boxter and Porsche Cayman S)
  • Renault (Renault Vel Satis)
  • Saab (Saab 9-5)
  • Toyota (Lexus GS)
  • Volvo (Volvo S80).

Other manufacturers not normally associated with luxury cars offer high-end sedan models (sometimes referred to as flagship models) that are considered mid-range luxury cars. Flagship vehicles that fall into the mid-range segment of luxury cars include:

  • Acura RL (manufactured by Honda)
  • Alfa Romeo 166 (parent company, Fiat Group)
  • Chrysler 300
  • Citroën C6
  • Infiniti M (parent company Nissan)
  • Lincoln Town Car (manufactured by Ford Motor Company).

Variety of Mid-Range Luxury Cars

Some mid-range luxury cars can be further classified depending on additional features, which appeal to different types of drivers. Sub-categories of mid-range luxury cars include:
  • Hybrids: Concern over the environment has caused many carmakers to produce hybrid models of their high-end luxury cars. These models are able to operate off of both gas and electricity.

    Because of their already-higher price tag (hybrid models tend to cost more than their gas-only counterparts), there are not many mid-range luxury cars that are offered as hybrids. However, Lexus released a hybrid model for its GS line in 2007.

  • Performance/Sports Cars: The lavish comfort and quality of mid-range luxury cars is not always enough for some driving enthusiasts. Some also want the performance and handling of a sports car. To meet the desires of these customers, some manufacturers have conceived and produced special-edition versions of their models.

    Some mid-range luxury cars built for sports-car-level performance include:
    • Audi S6
    • BMW M5
    • Cadillac CTS-V
    • Cadillac STS-V
    • Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG
    • Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG
    • Porsche Cayman S.

  • Roadsters: A roadster is a two-seater convertible car. In the mid-range segment of luxury cars, there are two available roadster models: Porsche Boxster and Mercedes SLK.

Mid-Range Luxury Cars: Final Considerations

Like all classes of vehicles, mid-range luxury cars vary in many characteristics, from cost to comfort to safety features to performance. Because these vehicles are a large investment, it is important for drivers to find the right cars to fit both their needs and their budgets.

Prospective buyers need to determine what their top criteria are when selecting mid-range luxury cars and then test drive a number of models to see which cars meet their needs.