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2010 Range Rover; Budget Luxury car

Stimulus Check Stuntin’ – 5 Luxury Cars For Less Than $20,000

Thanks to our ever-caring government, our accounts will be looking fat with this second round of stimulus funding. So, after you’ve bought your second home and 18 PS5s, what are you going to do with all the extra cash? Maybe buy a Ferrari? A few limos, maybe? Well, let’s not be ridiculous. Even though the …

Thanks to our ever-caring government, our accounts will be looking fat with this second round of stimulus funding. So, after you’ve bought your second home and 18 PS5s, what are you going to do with all the extra cash? Maybe buy a Ferrari? A few limos, maybe? Well, let’s not be ridiculous. Even though the stimulus is a lot of money, you may be limited to a budget luxury car after your lavish spending spree. Don’t fret, though; there are some great options for looking like a baller, even on a budget

Nothing says Luxury like a Ranger Rover

SUVs have only recently become luxurious as commonplace. These days nearly every SUV has a fully-loaded luxury option; even Jeep Wranglers have leather seats now. Even though the trend is only recently picking up, the Range Rover has been classy for a long time. They positively ooze up-town vibes. According to Gear Patrol, these luxury SUVs were not all created equal. You can indeed find temptingly cheap Range Rovers from the early 2000s, but we don’t recommend them. However, some models around 2010 are solid vehicles that can be found around the $20k mark. 

2010 Range Rover; Budget Luxury car
2010 Range Rover | Lucas Oleniuk-Toronto Star 1/11/06

The Porsche Boxster is still a Porsche

Look, you may not be met with much enthusiasm at the Porsche meetup, but who cares. Gear Patrol says you can swing a 2005-2006 Porsche Boxster for around $20k. Even if the Porsche nerds don’t take it seriously, you will, and most people who see it will still give you the “oh, you got a Porsche, now” look. And, let’s be honest, that’s like 89 percent of why most people want a Porsche anyway. 

A silver 1997 Porsche Boxster with a hard top sits in the middle of a garage.
1997 Porsche Boxster | Bringatrailer.com

The Jaguar XJ is an understated luxury car

The name “Jaguar” even feels fancy to say (when you say like a Jag owner). These British pillars of old-money luxury are undeniably classy, and even the most commonplace Jag is still noticeable from afar. The Jaguar XJ is the flagship of luxury cars. The early 2010s models with low mileage can be found for around the $20k mark. As Gear Patrol notes, past Bring A Trailer auctions have sold even older and more stately Jags for less than that. I mean, they may not run, but you could put one in the front yard and look fancier than the Queen at a caviar tasting. 

2011 Jaguar XJ; budget luxury car
2011 Jaguar XJ | Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times

Yes, but is a Maserati Quattroporte any good?

Every time someone sees a Masserati, they immediately think, “Oh, that’s nice.” It’s built into us. Maseratis are Italian and expensive, and that’s all most people know and care to know. For several reasons, Maseratis tend to depreciate dramatically. This makes buying a new one a tad foolish, but if you want to flex on a budget, the Maserati Quattroporte between 2003-2012 can be found for less than $20k, and many have reasonably low miles. 

Maserati Quattroporte: Budget luxury car
Maserati Quattroporte | Maserati

The Mercedes Benz SL-Class is coming back around

1982 Mercedes Benz 500SL
1982 Mercedes Benz 500SL | Getty Images

The R107 generation Mercedes-Benz SL may not look like all that today, but they were hot when they were new. This generation of Merc ran from 1971-1989. These cars have already proven to be timeless and almost even Iconic. I would argue that none of the other cars on this list will be revered in nearly the same way as the old Mercedes SL.

Seeing as how many of these were bought to be a weekend runaround for fancy folks at the time, many lived cushy lives that now means many of them are still in great shape. Although you can certainly spend more than $20K on an SL, with some hunting, you can find them for under that number as well. 

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