There’s no shortage of luxury cars on the road. On any given highway, you’re bound to come across a luxury traveler whisking their occupants away on a one-of-a-kind adventure. Although they may just be on their way to the grocery store, pulling up beside a Rolls-Royce makes you imagine its passengers exchanging jars of Grey Poupon, or popping the bubbly in the back seat on the way to their chartered flight to the Maldives. It turns out that this may not be far from the truth. With the features inside some of these luxury rides, your assumptions about how these people are traveling may just be spot on. Is it time to ditch the Corolla and save up for a luxury car?
I’ve always been on the fence about putting my money toward a luxury car. After all, once a rogue grocery cart dings its doors, it triggers automatic anger and stress about getting it fixed. You may worry more about your car, seeing as you paid so much for it, thinking that maybe you should’ve stuck with the Corolla this whole time. Although I’ve never seen myself behind the wheel of a luxury car, some of these features have me majorly contemplating the idea of traveling in lavish luxury.
Opulent Features
What makes a luxury car so luxurious? You may be thinking that a luxury car is just like any other car, except with leather seating. But even that Corolla is available with leather seats. There are a few features that you’ll find in luxury cars that are to be expected, and others that you’d be surprised to find, yet wonder how you ever traveled without them. Here are a few features that I’d want in a luxury car.
Premium Appointments
Load my luxury car up with genuine leather heated and ventilated seats, a heated leather-wrapped steering wheel, power-adjustable seating, and massaging features. I want to feel completely comfortable behind the wheel, whether it’s chilly or brutally hot outside, and whether I’m stuck in traffic or cruising down the interstate. Luxury cars take comfort a step farther than regular vehicles, with detailed stitching, programmable seating, real wood accents, and more to set the mood during your journey. I’d personally add a panoramic moonroof to not only take in the views of the skies above, but also to make the cabin feel extra spacious and inviting.
Air Purification
I’m a big fan of filtration systems. We have a quadruple water filtration system in our home, as well as an air purification feature built into our HVAC system. So why can’t my vehicle have one as well? Many luxury models have air purification systems built in to help make the air quality inside the cabin better than you ever imagined. Tesla even features a bioweapon defense mode, something I hope I’ll never need.
Sleek Lighting Elements
From projected logos to ambient interior lighting, luxury cars are loaded with cool lighting elements. I think it’s especially fun when you see the brand’s logo projected on the pavement when it’s parked. It just adds a little flair to the upscale aura it’s radiating.
Groundbreaking Tech
Larger touchscreens, night vision, parking assistance, hands-free driving capacities—luxury cars have a mix of all of it. If you want to take advantage of some of the most impressive tech in the industry, you’ll find it within the confines of a luxury car.
Splurge-Worthy Luxury Cars
Whether it’s the champagne chiller in the Rolls-Royce Cullinan or the fingerprint-activated biometric storage compartment in the Bentley Bentayga, there’s something awestriking about luxury cars. With all of the new luxury models that have been unveiled recently, there’s no shortage of splurge-worthy features. Here are some of my favorites.
BMW XM: Curved Infotainment Display
Infotainment displays keep getting larger, and now they occupy most of the dashboard. The BMW XM, the brand’s newest crossover SUV, showcases a beautifully designed curved touchscreen display, which runs the innovative iDrive 8 Operating System. Acting as both an ingenious infotainment system, as well as a digital gauge cluster, this system displays all of the information you could ever want in brilliant definition across two-thirds of the dashboard. It stands out from the vintage-inspired leather seating materials, and give this model a certain James Bond look and feel.
Ferrari Purosangue: Auto-Tinting Glass Roof
The first-ever four-door, four-seater SUV from the iconic Ferrari brand isn’t just explosive on the road, but it’s also one of the most beautiful luxury models you’ve ever laid eyes on. For me, the electrochromic glass roof is the star feature. This enables you to instantly tint the glass roof of the vehicle to enhance the experience inside. It’s just like KITT’s automatic tinting windows from Knight Rider, except this one is real. The coating on the glass is made from an electro-sensitive film, which causes it to darken when an electric current passes through.
Mercedes-Benz EQE: Hyperscreen
To say that it’s mesmerizing is a major understatement. This gigantic 56-inch display, found in the all-new Mercedes-Benz EQE electrified sedan, consists of three dedicated screens. One screen serves as a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, which displays pertinent driving information such as speed, range, and more. The remaining two consist of a 17.7-inch infotainment display in the center of the dashboard and 12.3-inch passenger screen. Not only is this system utterly exquisite, it also streamlines the experience with a zero-layer interface, which eliminates the need to scroll through various menus to find what you’re looking for during your ride.
Maserati Grecale: 21-Speaker Sound System
It’s hard to believe that 21 speakers could even fit into a compact crossover SUV, but Maserati achieves it with its all-new Grecale model. Stunning from all angles, the Grecale is also impressive when it comes to its engine selection and available features, including a 21-speaker premium audio system. This class-act also showcases more than 33 inches of dazzling display surfaces, innovative connectivity features, plus a buttonless cabin experience.
You may be captivated by intense beauty that’s typically found in luxury vehicles, or by the ingenious add-ons, like Mercedes-Benz’s exclusive scent system, Rolls Royce’s optional star-inspired headliner, and more. It’s these touches of opulence that make luxury vehicles so inspiring today. Among some of the newest luxury cars lie some of the most elaborate features, and we’re bound to see more examples of excellence in the future.
Are Luxury Cars Worth It?
We’ve come back to the initial question of are luxury cars worth it, and here’s my answer: It depends. It depends on what you want to get out of your travels. It depends on how much money you want to devote to your vehicle. It depends on the expectations you have from your car.
I believe that if your goal is to drive a luxury vehicle, then you should try to achieve it. For some, splurging means buying an expensive item of clothing, or in this case, a luxury car. For others, it’s taking a one-of-a-kind vacation to the tropics, and for others it’s the simple things in life that they want to allot time and money to. All of this is perfectly fine. Although luxury cars are interesting with many helpful features, they aren’t for everyone, especially those who don’t venture out of the house too often or who simply don’t want to drive one. They may not work for your budget, or you may want to spend your money on something else. Luxury cars are worth it if it’s worth it for you to have these elite features. If that’s not your cup of tea, there are plenty of other quality cars out there that will offer what you need in your ride.
