5 Used Luxury Cars You Can Find For Less Than A 2026 Honda Civic

The Honda Civic exemplifies an everyman car that ticks so many boxes: Affordable, reliable, safe, and easy on the eyes — going strong since 1973. While there are a ton of great used Civics to consider, a fresh-off-the-lot 2026 model is a solid bet. With the 11th generation, the base LX sedan's base MSRP is $24,695. Civics offer a strong value proposition for drivers, excelling in so many ways, except one: luxury. For some, the option to buy a used luxury car with all the splendor you don't get in a new Honda is more appealing. 

Luxurious features like premium sound systems, advanced acoustic insulation for a quieter cabin, genuine wood trim and accents, adaptive air suspensions, and a more plush overall level of comfort are simply not on the menu with Civics. Forgoing the warranty and peace of mind of a new car in favor of a used luxury model might appeal to you. 

Freight charges and dealership add-ons notwithstanding, if you take the rounded-off cost of an entry-level Civic at $25,000, you'd be surprised what this can get you in the luxury car classifieds. There's a multitude of high-end cars to consider, with European imports tempting used-car consumers. Here, we take a look at five cool older luxury whips you can find for less than a 2026 Civic.

If you're of a certain age, you might remember the Lexus LS 400, equally celebrated by rappers and people with corner offices. It had a certain foothold in pop culture – the infamous 1989 champagne glass commercial comes to mind – and it won over car journalists with its engineering excellence. You might be wondering just how reliable the original LS was, and if it's still worthy of such high praise today. 

While you'd be hard-pressed to find a low-mileage option, according to Classic.com, the first generation LS goes for around $10,000, which is around half the cost of a 2026 Civic LX. Its styling, though refined and elegant, might seem outdated to some drivers, but buying an original LS means you're embracing vintage aesthetics and a very comfy ride.

Back to the reliability: Thanks to those Lexus engineers and their hard work to launch the pinnacle of early 90s Japanese luxury, buying an original gen LS — if it's well-maintained — would likely provide several years of problem-free, ultra-luxe cruising. Just stay on top of the major maintenance stuff like timing belts, and try to find a dealer-maintained car if you can. For a taste of Clinton-era CEO swagger, the first gen LS still fits the bill.

BMW has an overwhelmingly positive reputation among car fans, with German engineering and luxury panache coming in a variety of styles. While some models are more reliable than others, the 5 Series has always been a great mid-way option between the 3 and 7 Series. The E39 generation of the 5 Series, introduced in 1997, is often hailed as a high watermark for the mid-tier executive sedan, offering a level of refinement the modern Civic simply can't touch. 

The E39 5 Series was one of the chief competitors of the W210 Mercedes E-Class. All these years later, for less than a base 2026 Civic LX, you can snag a decent inline-six 530i or, taking it a step further, a brutish 540i with a V8. If we examine second-hand market pricing closely, we see that an E39 goes for around $12,000 on average.

The E39 provides genuine, gorgeous wood trim and some pretty heavy-duty acoustic insulation that keeps the cabin whisper-quiet. You'd be trading the Civic's CVT for a rear-wheel-drive architecture and a near 50:50 weight distribution that remains a strong benchmark for a truly connected feel. You'll need to budget for upkeep, like cooling system refreshes or timing belt changes, but you're getting a stalwart luxury sedan for a fraction of the Civic's MSRP.

German car maker Audi might occasionally get overshadowed by its compatriot competitors BMW and Mercedes, but it's been making a range of impressive cars for over 100 years now. The C6 generation of the A6, available from 2005 through 2011, was the third generation of the executive sedan, a competitor to the 5 Series and E-Class. 

Available in an Avant station wagon configuration, or a standard four-door sedan, it featured the brand's signature lighting, soft but assertive lines, and refined interiors. A lot of them came with Audi's renowned Quattro all-wheel drive, praised by those living in dynamic and challenging climates. 

Here, for comparison against the 2026 Civic, we'll look at the 2007 model year of the A6. Back then, its MSRP was $41,950, but today you can find a base model, all the way to a premium S6 with a beefy 4.2L V8, for just under 10 grand. While many Hondas are likely to hit 250,000 miles on the odometer thanks to exceedingly high quality, with a used A6, your mileage may vary, pun intended. Still, for a slice of swank mid-2000s luxury, the A6 makes a strong contender for aftermarket consumers craving German excellence.

You might not understand how Mercedes-Benz structures its "classes", but you probably know that the brand has an undeniable luxury DNA. Back in 2003, Mercedes-Benz debuted the W211 generation of the E320 sedan, which was available in dealerships until 2005. 

For less than the cost of a new Civic, you could get behind the wheel of an E320, powered by a smooth 3.2-liter V6, designed with Autobahn speeds in mind, and a plush, well-appointed cabin. They tend to go for around $8,000 on average, with lower mileage variants fetching upwards of $15,000. You could save 10 grand or more here, choosing a well-maintained W211 over a new Civic LX.

Some of the luxury components of the W211 include heated seats and a heated steering wheel, a panoramic sunroof, and a pillowy ride thanks to its AIRmatic DC Air Suspension System, though the latter was only for the V8 models. Speaking of, alongside the 224 hp 3.2-liter V6, there was also a thirsty 5.0-liter V8, both of which will no doubt be less efficient than a modern Civic. Keep in mind, though, luxury sedans — especially ones made over 20 years ago — weren't about penny-pinching on gas, after all. If you want a key fob with the Mercedes logo for less than a modern Civic, chase down an early 2000s E320.

While Cadillacs were always the zenith of American luxury in the 20th century, the brand may have been overshadowed by a slow trickle of German and Japanese imports over the years. The team at GM, sensing this, wanted to go toe-to-toe with these competitors in the late 1990s. Naturally, GM opted to go to Germany for research and development to see what it could learn. 

The engineering team spent time at the hallowed Nürburgring track to develop the CTS luxury sports sedan, first unveiled to consumers in 2003. The CTS acronym stands for Catera Touring Sedan, which is a reference to the car's predecessor, the Catera. First generation CTS sedans were sold until 2007, and were seen as an outright success, helping to revamp the Cadillac brand for the older generations who sought Detroit luxury with Euro flair. 

Over 20 years later, you could easily pick up a first-gen CTS for around $7,500 – almost $20,000 less than a brand-new base Honda Civic. To spice things up, Cadillac offered a CTS-V with a small block V8 in 2004, a year after the CTS first came to market. The V also carried on until 2007. It brought a 400 hp to the table, meant for those who wanted V8 rumbles and performance, while still riding in pristine comfort. Oh, and those who wanted to shift gears themselves, as well. Those models can be snagged for $17,500, generally speaking, which is still much cheaper than a 2026 Civic LX.