Top six luxury cars to ring in the New Year
New Year’s Eve is almost upon us — just as you would dress to impress for the big night, the following luxury cars are sure to wow both your friends and hotel valets alike. Yet, they will still be great choices long after the NYE hangover has passed.
Mini Cooper S 3 door hatchback
If you’re looking to inject a dose of excitement into your daily commute, the Cooper S may be the answer for you if you don’t need a lot of space to carry passengers.
With its distinctive MINI styling, an upgraded chassis, nimble handling, and an upscale interior with a lot of infotainment and drive assist technology borrowed from parent company BMW, the Cooper S is an excellent choice for you to have some fun without breaking the bank. Both the eight-speed automatic transmission or six-speed manual transmission are great choices.
Cooper S pricing starts at $25,490.
Audi S3
All new for the 2015 model year, the A3 luxury sport compact sedan has been well received by both customers and the motoring press. The S3 brings more power and performance to the game, with a bump up from 170 horsepower in the standard car to a whopping 290 hp from its 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder mill.
As with other Audis, a Quattro all-wheel drive system is fitted. In “S” trim, the car also receives 18-inch wheels, performance tires, a six-speed automatic transmission, and a lowered sport suspension.
Price starts at $44,000.
BMW 328d
What is a diesel doing on this list, you may ask? BMW’s 328d brings to the table all of the attributes that make it a winning package. The 3 Series is the epitome of a compact sports sedan having literally written the book on this category. Now in its sixth generation, the latest iteration doesn’t disappoint.
Add a wonderfully balance and athletic chassis, available xDrive all-wheel drive, a high quality and high tech interior, and you have all the makings of a great vehicle. Add to it BMW’s impressive four-cylinder diesel engine, which can attain almost Toyota Prius-like fuel consumption figures in real world conditions, and that’s the icing on the cake!
Price of the 328d starts at $47,700.
Infiniti Q50
The Q50 is a bit of a gadget and technology buff’s dream car: it combines Japanese reliability, in a mid-size sport sedan package, with advanced Safety Shield system driver assistance features allowing the car to literally almost drive itself.
The Q50 is also the first production car to be fitted with a full steer-by-wire system (optionally available), allowing the driver to not only select the steering feel and weight, but also how quickly the system reacts to driver inputs.
Choose from rear-wheel or all-wheel drive, and either a powerful 328 hp, 3.7 L V6 or an even more impressive 360 hp hybrid model.
Price starts at $37,500.
BMW M5
This souped up version of the 5 Series has a twin-turbo V8 engine that puts out a staggering 560 hp. Coming from a long line of high-performance sedans tuned by BMW’s Motorsport division, the latest version of the M5 is seriously fast and exceedingly capable. Thanks to sophisticated electronic driving aids, it is both equally at home on the public roads or on the track, despite its high horsepower rating.
Inside, you’ll find a comfortable, quiet, and ultra-luxurious interior, much like other BMW 5 Series sedans. If you’re looking to impress, this is the vehicle to do it in.
Price starts at $101,500.
Audi A8L
No article on luxury sedans can be complete without including Audi in the mix.
The A8 is the pinnacle of the German company’s uber-luxury sedans, with an understated yet impressive exterior. Like most Audis, the interior is beautiful, and in “L” form, the A8’s wheelbase is stretched, translating to an extra 5.4 inches of extra rear seat legroom.
With its lightweight all-aluminium space frame construction, the A8 can still be quite athletic regardless of the engine you select. Choose from a 333 hp, 3.0 L supercharged V6, a 240 hp, fuel sipping 3.0 L turbo-diesel V6, a 435 hp, 4.0 L twin-turbo V8, or even the 500 hp, 6.3 L W12 engine.
Quattro all-wheel-drive is standard, ensuring safe and reliable transportation for you and your guests to New Year’s Eve festivities and beyond, regardless of rain or snow.
Price of the A8L starts at $91,400.