Cheap Luxury Car Ownership Cost Isn’t as Bad as You Think

by Gabrielle DeSantis

It’s more or less common sense among used car buyers: There’s no such thing as a cheap luxury car. However, with a little mechanical know-how and some research, that may not be the case. Moreover, vehicles in this category are known to depreciate, so you’ll be able to take full advantage of it. There’s plenty of options available, and some vehicles have remained relatively unaffected by recent market absurdity.

A Luxury car shares parts with cheaper models

Mercedes-Benz logo | Jakub Porzycki via Getty Images

Parts sharing is common in the auto industry. Producing cars is an expensive thing to do, even for a big group of companies like the Volkswagen Auto Group or Toyota. As a result, manufacturers will often build parts to be used across a wide range of vehicles. Thus, the cost of parts is cheaper because they’re ending up in more vehicles. This is one of the largest aspects that’ll help you out on your quest for luxury car ownership.

If you take a close look at the window switches in the Audi A6, you’ll see the same ones as a range of other Audi and Volkswagen models. However, the Audi dealership will charge you Audi prices for that window switch. So, why not figure out the part number and see if VW has a same-but-cheaper window switch waiting for you at the dealership? However, not all models parts share, like a Bentley. Those will be more expensive to fix.

Be prepared to do the work yourself

An Audi A6 in silver
2013 Audi A6 | National Motor Museum via Getty Images

Speaking of fixing, another great way to save money on a luxury car is doing a little wrenching yourself. Fundementally, a luxury car is still a car. Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty. Of course, this only applies to those with the space and tools to do maintenance dealer-free. You’re best finding another way to get work done if you live in an apartment.

Some models will be easier to work on than others, especially hybrids. Best to leave all that high-voltage repair work to someone else. Happily, there’s plenty of examples of easier to maintain luxury cars. Numerous Audi models, like the A5 and A6, including earlier Lexus vehicles will share parts, and be free of more modern mechanical complications.

Sometimes, it is about the money

A silver Lexus GS 300 sedan
A Lexus GS series sedan | Sjoerd van der Walvia via Getty Images

Unfortunatley, there will inevitably be something that will break in a big way. This is the gamble of luxury car ownership. That Lexus GX470 SUV may be a Toyota Land Cruiser underneath, but at some point you’re bound to run into an expensive Lexus-only part or repair job. In that instance, it’s best to weigh you options. Are the benefits of ownership and the affordability of a parts-shared platform going to outweigh the inevitable big repair bill? If the answer is yes, look into any of the models listed above, just be sure they’ve been looked after. Who knows, maybe you’ll be the first cheap luxury car owner?

RELATED: These Are the Hardest Car Colors to Maintain

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What Is the Future of Bentley in the Volkswagen Group?

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Volkswagen owns Bentley, but Audi has managed it since March 1, 2021. The subsidiary’s move follows the Volkswagen brand’s projected drive toward electric and autonomous technology, an expensive proposition when fully moving from gasoline- or diesel-powered engines to electric.

Although Volkswagen considered offloading four of its brands to reduce costs, it decided not to offload Bentley but instead integrate it into the Audi brand’s goal of completely switching to electric vehicles by 2030.

The Volkswagen-Bentley backstory

2021 Bentley Flying Spur | 2021 Bentley Motors

Automobile notes that the enticing 100-anniversary history of Bentley’s niche brand is a couple of decades older than Volkswagen. Walter Owen Bentley founded Bentley in 1919 after World War I. Known as W.O. in the auto industry, Bentley, originally trained as a railway engineer, designed light-alloy pistons and short-stroke engines that the auto industry still learns to study today.

Despite a Depression-era conflict over the Bentley brand in 1932, the brand is synonymous with today’s engineering know-how. Furthermore, it is a massive mark of luxury found under the Volkswagen umbrella.

Volkswagen before Bentley

Adolf Hitler wanted an economical, speedy vehicle that most Germans could afford. BBC News reports that the Nazi organization known as the German Labour Front founded Volkswagen as a state-owned manufacturer on May 29, 1937, per Hitler’s directive.

It was, and is, headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany.  However, World War II put the brakes on production until the late 1950s, when the VW Beetle debuted.

It wasn’t until 1960 that Volkswagen went public, selling a majority of its stock. No longer a state-owned company, it would take many years for consumers to disassociate Volkswagen from its Nazi-run roots. Today, the internationally-known Volkswagen Group has had its share of hard knocks, including a scandal threatening to destroy the marque.

The diesel scandal almost sinks VW, Audi, and Bentley

Volkswagen, whose parent company is Porsche, is chaired by Dr. Herman Diess. Volkswagen became embroiled in arguably the greatest automobile scandal that ever threatened to bring down a marque. VW was outed by researchers in 2014 for cheating on emissions tests.

The ensuing scandal, often known as diesel-gate, cost the company billions. Sales of its diesel models from the Audi and Bentley brands plummeted, costing Volkswagen an estimated $80 billion in consumer compensation, fines, and recalls.

With that scandal close to being behind them, today, Bloomberg Business calls VW “the No. 1 car seller on the planet, with staggering electric goals.” However, the diesel scandal has had a far-reaching effect as Audi has recently been subject to investigation. Nevertheless, Bentley has something to be said, as it delivered a record-setting sale of 11,206 units in 2020 despite the pandemic.

What about the other brands under the VW umbrella?

In addition to the brands of Audi and Bentley in the Volkswagen Group, other members include Bugatti, Ducati, Lamborghini, Porsche, Scania, Man, Seat, and Skoda. Light commercial trucks also fall under this marque. These 10 brands manufacture 355 models while offering countless color and trim combinations.

With 118 production plants on five continents and VW venturing into other fields like finance and chemical reactors, one might wonder if Bentley, Audi, and the move to electric vehicles won’t get lost with all those hands in all those different pots.

RELATED:  The 2022 Bentley Bentayga S Is Peak SUV

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Here Is Why the Automatic Seat Belt Was a Terrible Idea

by Gabrielle DeSantis

If you look at just about any new car’s feature list, you’re sure to notice a lot of automatic safety features. Most cars nowadays have automatic parking brakes, automatic transmissions, and even automatic emergency braking systems. But did you know that cars in the 90s used to have automatic seat belts? Well, not all of them, which is a good thing because it was a terrible idea.

The automatic seat belt ensured some of your safety

An automatic seat belt in a 1991 Honda Civic | Wikimedia Commons

If you’re not familiar with how the automatic seat belt works, then allow us to explain. When you entered the front seat of the car, either on the driver or passenger side, the motor-driven cross-chest belt would move along the A-pillar and then rest by the B-pillar. The purpose behind this mechanism was to automatically draw the belt across the passenger’s chest, reports the News Wheel.

However, with the cross-chest belt secure, the process was only half over. Next, the passenger would still be responsible for pulling over and buckling the separate lap belt. Without the lap belt in place, the cross-chest belt could cause a lot of damage to a person’s neck in the event of an accident. So technically, the automatic seat belt only kept you partially safe, unless you completed the process.

Issues with the automatic seat belt

Now that we can see how the automatic seat belt turned a simple one-second “pull and click” affair into a clunky two-step process, we can see why it wasn’t around for too long. Since the cross-chest belt automatically moved into position, many drivers and passengers would neglect the need for the lap belt. In fact, a study done in 1987 by the University of North Carolina concluded that only 28.6% of passengers actually clicked the lap belt.

Unfortunately, this malpractice ended up killing many drivers and passengers during the time that automatic seat belts were popular. According to a report by the Tampa Bay Times, a 25-year-old woman was decapitated when the 1988 Ford Escort that she was riding collided with another car. It turns out that she was only wearing the cross-chest belt at the time. Her husband, who completely buckled up, came out of the accident with serious injuries.

What’s even more unfortunate is that many automakers adopted the use of them. Automatic seat belts could be found in many GM cars from the early 90s, in addition to many Japanese cars like Hondas, Acuras, and Nissans.

Fortunately, airbags took over

Airbags deployed in a Peugeot
Airbags deployed in a Peugeot | Wikimedia Commons

After a short run in the production lines of many automakers, automatic seat belts were eventually phased out in favor of making airbags standard on all cars. However, we can now view the automatic airbag as a valuable learning lesson in automotive history. It’s just too bad some people were injured or killed along the way.

The good news is that in-car and safety technology is progressing at a rapid rate. So much so that our cars even brake for us when we’re not paying attention and alert us when we’re tired. Either way, we can thank our automatic driving features every time they intervene. While they might be annoying sometimes, at least they are not automatic seat belts.

RELATED: How Effective Are Seat Belts?

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Buyer’s Guide: BMW E46 M3 (2000-2006)

by Gabrielle DeSantis

The E46-generation BMW M3 is praised in just about every category. Should you be in the market for one, this guide will serve as a helpful stepping stone to M3 ownership. Used cars on the whole are experiencing a shift in value, but that’s been the case for the E46 for quite some time. However, it’s still possible to find a good deal if you know where to look, and what to look for.

2000-2006 BMW M3 options and pricing

2002 BMW M3 Coupe | National Motor Museum via Getty Images

Now, paint can have quite a lot to do with value on these cars. The Silbergrau Metallic you see above is the most common. There’s also the Phoenix Yellow, which is quite rare. The blues are more common, but still rare. Those are just the BMW M colors, and more standard colors like black and white can be had. As for the interior, there’s either a gray, black, red, or “Cinnamon” leather option. Lucky for you, I listed those in order of rarity.

As for other options, a sunroof and cold weather pack with heated seats was available, as well as a Harmon Kardon sound system that sounds excellent to this day. Slicktop (no sunroof) cars do exist, but they’re exceedingly rare. Finally, the BMW M3 could be specced with either the infamous “SMG” automatic ‘box or the six-speed. Get the six-speed. The M3’s six-pot motor makes 333 hp and 269 lb-ft of torque straight to the rear wheels.

Known issues and reliability

The M3's S54 inline six motor
BMW’s S54 powerplant | BMW

There’s a lot to discuss here. Of course, these cars are already 14-20 years old, and they can show it in some ways. There’s four big items to be concerned with, in order of importance. First, all cars before 2003 will need the rod bearings done. That’s what helps the pistons spin around the crank, and could be a very expensive fix. Expect around $1,500 for that. Next, the subframe bushings will eventually wear on all cars. If not taken care of, they’ll tear the frame. Fix it immediately, just like the bearings, for around $2,000.

Ensure the VANOS camshaft timing system has been rebuilt. Otherwise, much smoke and oil are in your future. That’ll run you a comparatively cheap $500-$800. Finally, consider going through the cooling system, as these cars can overheat. A new radiator can run around $500-$1,000. You’ll also want to be sure that the car has strong service records. The BMW M3’s 3.2 liter S54 motor is built to incredibly tight tolerances, so don’t go buying a cheapo thinking you’re getting a deal.

A rare experience

A profile shot of the Silbergrau Metallic M3
2002 BMW M3 Coupe | National Motor Museum via Getty Images

The E46 BMW M3 is arguably one of the last great driver’s cars, but you’ll pay for it. If you manage to find a full resale-spec E46 with under 50,000 miles, expect to pay around $50,000. Quality cars with anywhere from 50,000 to 100,000 miles can be had for around $20,000-$40,0000. However, the good news is even high-mile cars hold value as long as they’re close to unmodified and well-kept. It’s a car you can likely drive for free.

That’s a lot of facts and figures, but what do you get for all that? Frankly, you get an experience no longer available in new cars. The days of small, rear-wheel drive, naturally aspirated cars are almost gone, especially when you consider the manual transmission. There’s a reason I’ve bought one, and you should too.

RELATED: Buyer’s Guide: Toyota 4runner (2014-2017)

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