automotive luxury automobiles
Many consider luxury cars to be sports cars: Ferrari, Porsche, Maserati, Lamborghini, Bugatti and Jaguar for instance. Why, just these manufacturers’ names sound luxurious! By price, these brands more than qualify with vehicles approaching $1M dollars! By looks and price, these are beautiful, exotic, expensive, luxury cars. Now that we’ve looked at some luxury automobiles we won’t be seeing on our roads anytime soon, if ever (with the exception of the Jaguar), let’s look at luxury cars that we do see and would consider luxurious, practical, aligned with our Inland Northwest culture and values, and that actually can be driven around here. Here, then, in my finest well-heeled British accent, if I had one, are the Top 10 Luxury Automobiles for the Inland Northwest, as chosen by me, your auto writer. There was no particular science-based analysis or comparison undertaken to arrive at this list. They are what I consider luxury cars, what I’ve seen on our roads and would love to own myself. In alphabetical order, with MSRP price and brief descriptions of what makes these vehicles the luxury car stars they are: Audi S8 Sedan - $114,900 This performance luxury sedan offers a turbocharged, 520-hp engine, legendary Quattro® all-wheel drive, torque-vectoring sport differential, 8-speed Tiptronic transmission with paddle shifters, Valcona leather seats with diamond stitching, headup display, full navigation and lightweight technology featuring a high strength aluminum frame. High tech and high fun! BMW 6-Series Gran Coupe - $89,045
BMW is world-famous for its technology and the Gran Coupe doesn’t disappoint. 134
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TwinPower turbo engine, auto startstop, 8-Speed automatic transmission with Driving Dynamics Control, Active Roll Stabilization, onboard navigation system with traffic alerts, voice command Bluetooth, Bang & Olufsen sound; adaptive LED headlights, full color head-up display, lane departure and night vision. It will take you weeks to figure everything out. But oh, what fun! Cadillac Escalade SUV - $84,135 Cadillac says, “Is the next-generation Escalade the arrival of the most anticipated generation of Cadillac crown jewel worth merely an introduction or a celebration? The latter, considering the level of design, craftsmanship and detail that transforms the Escalade into the epitome of luxury.” Pretty heady words. Example: Cadillac uses handpicked natural finish elm, Santos Palisander and American walnut woods. The steering wheel, center armrest and instrument panel are cut-and-sewn masterpieces. This is not your father’s Cadillac. Chrysler 300 SRT-8 AWD - $59,075 What can you say about good, oldfashioned American muscle? Yes, it’s a HEMI! The 300 is a refined luxury car with a shot of adrenaline added for your enjoyment. With all wheel drive, you can be confident in all seasons; just press down on the accelerator pedal gently. Chrysler’s Imported from America marketing campaign is true – this car is my choice for the most luxurious way to do an American burnout! Ford F250 Platinum Edition - $53,995 Can a pickup that weighs nearly five tons be a luxury vehicle? The Platinum Edition offers an interior surprisingly refined and high-tech. Extensive sound deadening provides a luxury car-quiet cabin – the Bluetooth-based SYNC system is easy to hear when you place calls, listen to incoming texts and stream music using voice commands or steering wheelmounted buttons. Heated and ventilated seats, heated steering wheel and premium leather upholstery are matched by chrome door handles, mirror caps, running boards,
exhaust tip, perforated mesh accents and satin chrome surround the grille. Jaguar XKR-S GT - $174,925 The interior combines intuitive technologies and functional ergonomics in a luxury sporting style while in true Jaguar lineage, the 5.0L V8 550 hp engine featuring a Roots-type twin-vortex supercharger mated to the QuickShift ZF automatic transmission with eight closely spaced gears adds the adrenaline to your driving experience. This is one cool cat! Lexus LS 460 Sedan - $79,920 The only thing the Lexus LS 460 doesn’t do is drive itself (that’s coming). From the Shimamoku pure art wood-trimmed steering wheel and accents to the Mark Levinson Surround Sound acoustic audio system, the Climate Concierge and Lexus Enform App Suite, this isn’t a car, it’s a space ship! Mercedes-Benz C-Class C63 AMG $69,805 As the original luxury performance sedan, Mercedes-Benz just keeps refining an already incredible car. Yes, it has all the leather goodies and technology. Yes, it has the ride and handling. But it’s that glorious sound; we are not talking stereo here. The 6.3 liter V-8 just roars and the one feature I really like is the self-blipping throttle on downshifts! Turn the shift mode to comfort auto and you return to stately luxury. Porsche Cayenne Turbo SUV $146,975
The Cayenne’s 4.8-liter twin-turbo V8 provides the direct response typical of a sports car, phenomenal power and high levels of torque, making this SUV the choice of luxury sports car owners who want year-round driving capabilities. Imagine a SUV that hits 60 mph in 4.2 seconds and 173 mph. Everything about