We are looking for a very nice top sedan.
A big car is a lot of fun, but you still have a lot of depreciation. You don’t want that. An old, big car is very cheap, but then you have a lot of maintenance costs. You don’t want that either. Isn’t there another ‘middle’? That’s what Autoblog reader Hendrik wondered. Over the past year he has been looking for a successor to his 2007 Mercedes E500. That car is now getting a bit old and has less than two thousand euros on the clock, so it can now be easily resold as a youngtimer.
Great top sedan
For now, Hendrik is not looking for anything fatter. He is looking for an absolute top class sports sedan with a powerful engine. Look, we’d like to hear that. Money has to flow and despite the fact that its budget of 50 grand seems enormous to mortals like us, you won’t buy a new Golf GTI for it these days. In fact, even a nice, young, used one won’t work for that kind of money.
Big engine, lots of luxury
Consumption doesn’t matter that much, as long as it has a big and nice engine. Hendrik has already looked at an Alpina B7, but reliable ones are impossible in this budget. The Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG is an option. An S500 could be possible, but it has to be something special. So a BMW 750 is not necessary. Even though Hendrik now has a Mercedes, it certainly does not have to be German. As long as there is plenty of room for his two tall children, enough luxury for his wife (he deliberately avoids parking beepers) and more than enough to have fun on the Autobahn.
You can read the wishes and requirements for a big top sedan below:
| Current/previous car(s) | Mercedes E500 |
| Buy / Lease | Buy |
| Private business | Privately |
| Budget | Up to 50,000 euros |
| Annual mileage | About 20,000 km per year |
| Fuel preference | Petrol! 98! No diesel or EV! |
| Reason for purchasing another car | I want a big, fat top sedan with a cool engine |
| Family composition | 1 lovely wife and two big children |
| Preferred models | German is allowed, but not necessary |
| No go | Alpina B7 or Merc edes S63 (old too old, new too expensive) |
Consumption via Spritmonitor/Fuelly
Fuel price: 2,332
Insurance: 5 years claim-free,
MRB: province of Utrecht
Audi S8 quattro Pro Line Plus (4H)
€45,950
2015
115,000 km
What is it?
The ultimate car that can do everything without being noticeable. Where an Alpina B7 or S63 AMG are quite vulgar, the Audi S8 is almost boring. Some see this as a disadvantage and others as an advantage. Take off the pictures and everyone thinks you have an Audi A6. But don’t let that fool you, this is an absolute top class car with a very powerful engine and an eight-speed automatic transmission.
How does it drive?
Like a souped-up tank! It’s not that it’s a rock-solid raw sports sedan, but the S8 has a slightly sportier edge than most cars in the class. It’s all relative, but it’s a typical ‘point and go’ car. The S8 is lightning fast under all conditions. With a few minor modifications you can easily keep up with an (okay, standard) RS6. And where the RS6 has become a caricature, the S8 is nice and inconspicuous.
Cost Audi S8
- Consumption: 1 to 7.15
- Fuel costs: €544
- Weight: 1,965 kg
- Motor vehicle tax: €117
- Insurance: €120
- Total per month:
Maintenance forecast
High, higher highest. Audis are extremely expensive to maintain and the most expensive Audi sedan is therefore also expensive to keep running. Some parts can be inexplicably expensive at Audi. In addition, the layout is very smart and compact, but it is very difficult to work on the car. That said, you can maintain the car at the dealer and parts are widely available. The engine has also been supplied in a lot of other Audis, so it is not as exotic as its predecessor.
Depreciation forecast
Large Audi sedans depreciate like crazy. In this case, the previous owner did most of the work. Especially when you consider that the new S8 hasn’t really pushed the bar, this is the best buy you can make. You can count on it that you will write off for a while. Investing in good and timely maintenance at the Audi dealer does increase the residual value.
Jaguar XJ Supercharged Supersport (X351)
€37,500 (NL, specialist)
2011
65,000 km
What is it?
The most special car in this overview. The exterior is special and so is the interior. Beautiful or not, it still looks fresh and modern. But there is more special about the Jaguar XJ. In this case it is not an XJR, but it is a supercharged V8. The car is made of aluminum, which ensures a low weight. Result: these are very fast cars! As mentioned, this is not an XJ-R, they came a lot later and are still slightly above budget.
How does it drive?
Special. It is not a sporty car like the Audi is. The balance inherent in the concept is. In addition, the Jaguar is very light and the engine is a gem. Such a supercharged V8 responds immediately, with a lot of torque and a wonderful sound. It is a car in which you go crazy fast without noticing.
Cost Jaguar XJ
- Consumption: 1 in 7.5
- Fuel costs: €519
- Weight: 1,879 kg
- Motor vehicle tax: €109
- Insurance: €140
- Total per month: €768
Maintenance forecast
It is a 10 year old, complex and British sedan that is no longer produced. That’s a recipe for many sleepless nights. That is not entirely correct. A Jaguar XJ is not significantly more reliable or unreliable than its competitors. That said, always check whether everything works and maintenance is complete. Always. You can watch all the points of interest in the video below:
Depreciation forecast
The advantage of this copy is that the price is very reasonable. There is simply much less to depreciate than with a new one. In fact, we weren’t even at the top of the budget with this one! We didn’t even get close. The depreciation isn’t too bad. A good XJ will always be worth 10K and this latest generation with this great engine will always have an appeal.
Cadillac CT6 3.0TT Platinum
€49,000 (private)
2017
70,000 km
What is it?
All the big top sedans in this overview have a V8, but not the American version. This Cadillac CT6 was briefly supplied with a 4.2 Black Wing biturbo engine, but in the Netherlands we had this 3.0TT with indeed two turbos.
How does it drive?
Wouter can tell you that, because he has driven it. In short, it is a car that could not compete with the competition when new. The CT6 was very expensive and the competition was very good. Now the depreciation has largely done its job and for 50 grand you have a top sedan with only 70,000 km on the clock. Watch the driving test below:
Cost
- Consumption: 1 in 8.9
- Fuel costs: €437
- Weight: 1,892 kg
- Motor vehicle tax: €109
- Insurance: €90
- Total per month: €636
Maintenance forecast
We don’t have much experience with it in the long term. Judging from the American forums, it’s not that bad. The transmission is not very fast, so check whether it shifts well and smoothly. If that is not the case, then you have found a good CT6 because they all seem to shift poorly. When it is warm, it shifts better. Also check here whether everything works, of course. Oh, and find a specialist in advance who can handle it.
Depreciation forecast
This will be the most painful. Nobody knows the Cadillac CT6. One is currently for sale to a private individual (at the time of writing). A handful are for sale in Germany. So this will sag for a while. Advantage: you can underbid and still have a chance. Disadvantage: there are so few that when a second buyer comes along, there is suddenly twice as much demand. But keep in mind that it will continue to drop and drop. The predecessor of the CT6, the STS, is now also available for less than 10K.
YOLO: Maserati Quattroporte GTS V8 (M156)
€47,950
2013
110,000 km
What is it?
Literally translated it is a Maserati four-door. It is the largest sedan of the brand with an impossible task: it had to succeed the previous generation. While that generation felt like a four-door Ferrari 612 with V8, this one comes across as a Chrysler with a Maserati logo. When new it was a poor offer: considerably more expensive than the German competition, while the car was significantly cheaper. Used it is completely different, because for 50 grand you can get a large Maserati with Ferrari V8 and more than 500 hp!
How does it drive?
Temperamental. It is the car that involves you most when driving. It’s not an effective silent killer like the Audi S8. You recognize the sound of the V8 from the South. Not as beautiful as its predecessor, but it was almost embarrassing for a limo.
Maserati Quattroporte costs
- Consumption: 1 in 6.6
- Fuel costs: €589
- Weight: 1,900 kg
- Motor vehicle tax: €109
- Insurance: €150
- Total per month: €848
Maintenance forecast
Hahahaahahahahahaha. Hahahahahahahaha.
Depreciation forecast
It is a Maserati, so the first owner in particular suffered a lot from it. The fact that you can find this car for 50k now means you shouldn’t worry about depreciation. That said, we don’t think this car has the classic potential of its predecessor.
Conclusion: great top sedan
You can also go in any direction in this segment without ending up with The Usual Suspects. Our choice would be the Jaguar in this case. A special exterior, low weight and unique engine with character. The pricing is very competitive at the moment. However, the best all-rounder is the Audi S8.
Do you also want advice about your next car? Please complete this form, providing us with all relevant information. Who knows, we might find your next dream car!
This article Thick top sedan for €50,000 – Autoblog Advice first appeared on Autoblog.nl.
#Great #top #sedan #Autoblog #Advice