Perhaps you are wondering if you should drive a luxury car like a sports car. In case you do, know first that luxury cars are not at all the same as sports cars, although there can be a small overlap in some instances. On the other hand, sports cars are not necessarily luxury cars simply because they cost a lot, and it’s difficult to build them.
Should you drive a luxury car like a sports car? If you want to know the answer to this question, find out that there are many aspects to consider when driving a luxury car. Analyze these aspects when trying to buy or rent your car and determine if a luxury or a sports car that fits your liking the best.
Asking yourself whether you should drive a luxury car like a sports car or vice versa, then here we address the things you should consider. This way, you could come across many angles, but this article will answer your question the most precisely. Don’t hesitate to give it a read, if that’s what you are after.
Let’s start by defining a luxury car…
What Is A Luxury Car?
Luxury cars are cars that provide increased levels of comfort and feature advanced technologies or equipment. These vehicles often use the most expensive materials and have unique surface finishes for more appealing aesthetics. If you want to impress family, friends and others with your elegant ways when driving, choose a luxury car.
A luxury car will work well because the most intelligent engineers have worked hard to build it. Since they have a high price, luxury vehicles are of higher quality than other types of cars. On the other hand, you mustn’t forget that not everyone can afford them.
Saying so, don’t get a lot between luxury cars, prestige cars and exotic cars, as they have only subtle differences.
Buying or renting a luxury car is not easy. Visit a car rental company and ask how much it would cost you to purchase or buy it. Check with an automobile engineer or mechanic about what you should ask about and determine if the price is fair. You can also refer to our best luxury car list to get some ideas.
Which Are The Most Impressive Luxury Cars?
Some of the most impressive luxury cars are Lexus, BMW, Audi, Porsche and Mercedes. In the US, I enjoyed driving a Chrysler for three months. Chrysler is one of the most reliable luxury cars in America, although not very popular in Australia. The good news is that you can drive a Chrysler anywhere in the world, not only in the US, if you really want to find one.
BMW makes both luxury and sports cars. You don’t need to travel to Europe to buy or rent a BMW. The car brand is popular all over the world. You can find BMW representatives in the US, Australia, and New Zealand easily too. Don’t forget that BMW stands for power!
Mercedes is for more elegant people. For example, a businessperson could drive a Mercedes when going to a meeting. If you are the type of person who doesn’t want to make a classy impression, it would be a better idea for you to get a Lexus, BMW or Audi.
If you have a deep pocket, then Porsche is the way to go. It will give you an experience that you struggle to forget. However, don’t forget the cost of owning a Porsche can break your bank.
Now, let’s turn to Sports Cars – what are they?
What Is A Sports Car?
Sports cars are designed especially for dynamic performance. They work flawlessly when it comes to acceleration, handling, racing capabilities, and top speeds. What’s also interesting is that no other cars in the world can make driving more thrilling. Therefore, if you want to race or enjoy race track drives, get a sports car.
Meanwhile, you could get a sports car if you are interested in making an appearance too. You don’t have to race it anywhere if you don’t like speed and are interested only in looks. In other words, buying and driving a sports car doesn’t necessarily mean you want speed. But, that may mean you are actually under-using the car while bearing the running cost of a sports car.
Some sports cars accelerate to the highest speeds, whereas others are perfect for drifting. Depending on how you want your driving experience to be, you can ask a car rental company about what you need.
If you want to buy a sports car, don’t forget about your budget first. While there are many non-luxury or non-premium car brands such as Subaru, Nissan, and Mitsubishi offer less costly sports cars good for racing, the most mainstream racing cars are supercars.
Which Are The Most Impressive Sports Cars?
Once again, Porsche and BMW, as well as supercars such as Lamborghini, make some of the most impressive sports cars. Other car manufacturers that make outstanding sports vehicles are Ferrari, Acura, and even Lexus and Toyota.
If you can’t afford a Ferrari or BMW yet, you can always get a Toyota Supra or a Nissan Skyline.
Audi also makes impressive sports cars, but you might not like their designs because they are too elegant. Another manufacturer that follows the same principles is Mercedes.
All Luxury car makers have their sports line, but performance is what matters the most. Those cars may give a ‘sporty’ experience while driving on streets; people who are serious about track racing may laugh loud at some of those cars, as their performance is nothing closer to a real sports car.
Real sports cars are not your everyday cars. For example, you need to be a good driver to keep them working flawlessly. You can’t drive a BMW Z4 like you would drive a Mercedes C-Class. If you drive both in the same way, perhaps you are missing out on the whole point. There are differences in engineering and steering, and the driver needs to remain in charge.
You will understand the key differences between sports and luxury cars better once you read the below.
9 Differences Between Sports Cars And Luxury Cars
As noted earlier, Luxury and sports cars
are not the same. There are luxury sports cars too, and depending on what you prefer, you can choose either a sports, luxury, or sports luxury model. But now let’s look at the 5 key differences between sports and luxury cars.
· Different Capabilities
Before buying a car, you need to understand its capabilities.
As mentioned above, sports cars are more performant when it comes to speed, acceleration, and dynamics. Luxury cars are not that fast. However, they compensate through elegance, class, and increased comfort.
I can’t say that a luxury car will ever perform like a real sports car.
· Maintenance And Upkeep
It’s more difficult to keep a sports car working for the simple reason that these types of vehicles are performant. Performance with heavy use always leads to wear and tear, so you would need to upkeep your sports car better if you would drive one for a long time.
· Suspension And Handling
Since sports cars are made for the racetrack and advanced highways, sports cars have high-quality suspension systems. At the same time, you need to be careful with how you handle them. As mentioned, driving a sports car is different from driving a luxury car.
· Driving Techniques
You can drive luxury cars just like you would drive any other car. But things are different when it comes to sports cars. Some of the sports driving techniques involve knowing when to accelerate and to brake, using the “Heel and Toe” method, or driving up inclines.
· Legal Implications
We all know it’s legal to drive all luxury cars on roads in the US, New Zealand, and Australia. However, I can’t say the same about sports cars. These types of vehicles can be very dangerous for the streets, so authorities in some countries decided to make them illegal on every day commuting roads.
· Tires And Wheels
Sports cars have wheels and tires that are superior to those equipped with luxury cars. As I mentioned above, car manufacturers such as Lamborghini and Ferrari make sports cars for racing. To clarify, you can’t equip the tires of a luxury car on a real sports car because they either wouldn’t fit, wouldn’t last or not be efficient.
· Braking And Cornering
If you want to drive a sports car successfully, know that your braking and cornering skills are very important. These types of vehicles have brakes with a very good friction level. They feel as if they offer a great level of performance when cornering. Therefore, drive carefully.
· Power And Acceleration
Other important things to keep in mind when buying or renting a sports car are acceleration and power. Sports cars are vehicles that accelerate at great speeds and offer great power. For this reason, you should pay attention when driving or racing them. Don’t accelerate when not necessary.
· Insurance Prices
Insurance for sports cars is more expensive than insurance for luxury or other types of cars. Sports cars have a higher price, and thus, it costs more to insure them compared to regular cars. Since their maintenance and repair costs are higher, make sure you put some money aside for insurance when buying them. Multiply that cost by at least tenfold for insurance if you would like to own and insure a real sports car.
Why Might People Want To Drive A Luxury Car Like A Sports Car?
Driving a luxury car like a sports car is not a good idea in most cases. If you do so, you might mess with the acceleration and braking systems of your vehicle. People who don’t own a sports car yet usually try driving their luxury car like a sports car to prove they’re good drivers.
Luxury cars are not the same as sports cars because the purposes of both these types of vehicles are different. For example, luxury cars are rides for people who want to show that they have money, style, and class. On the other hand, sports cars are for those who want to race.
On the other hand, luxury sports cars could give you a sense of sporty acceleration, but still, they are not made for real racing.
People might want to drive a luxury car like a sports car because they want speed and a sense of increased performance. While some luxury cars offer both these things too, they’re never as rapid and technologically and mechanically advanced as real sports cars. But people like driving sports cars more, because that’s really fun!
Driving a luxury car like a sports car is like waiting for a big fat repair invoice!
5 Potential Risks Of Driving a Luxury Car Like A Sports Car
If you want to drive a luxury car like a sports car, you should know there are some dangers involved. For instance, you are more likely to get into accidents when driving a luxury car like a sports car on a regular road. Well, there are more…
Let’s look at the 5 potential risks of driving a luxury car like a sports car.
· Colliding
Because of speed and acceleration, while trying to overcome other cars, you can collide with another vehicle on the road. Therefore, you shouldn’t drive your luxury car like a sports car because your vehicle won’t put up with it. That is to say, speed is not the answer and does not go hand in hand with ‘luxury’.
· Crashing
If you drive your luxury car like a sports car, you are also at risk of crashing. When you accelerate to get to a farther point, you can lose control of your vehicle easily. Afterwards, you might crash into a building, lamppost, tree, an innocent driver or pedestrian.
· Falling From Bridges
If you insist on speeding to drive your luxury car like a sports car, you can also fall from bridges. Keep in mind that luxury cars can’t take up speed like real sports cars, especially at speeds. If you don’t want to risk your life on the highway and fall from bridges, know your car well.
· Running Over Pedestrians
When you are in the city, driving your luxury car like a sports car can be very dangerous. You can hit pedestrians because you lose control of your vehicle.
Keep in mind that driving in the city or agglomerated places is all about being mindful behind the wheel.
· Losing Control Over The Car
If you think your luxury car is a sports car, you could have some serious problems driving it in traffic. When accelerating or trying to drift, you can lose control of the vehicle. At this point, you are no longer able to follow the road and can cause an accident.
Saying so, there are some instances you could consider driving your sports luxury car, as a sports car.
When Should You Drive A Luxury Car Like A Sports Car?
You shouldn’t drive your luxury car like a sports car all the time. On the other hand, you could do this when you need more speed and to accelerate over short distances by using ‘sports mode’ if your luxury car has that feature.
For example, the F-Sport version of Lexus cars. Luxury cars never drive like sports cars, but this doesn’t mean you couldn’t give them a try in this instance.
Some luxury cars are tuned so that you can drive them like sports cars. If you own a tuned luxury car, then you shouldn’t have any problem driving it like a sports car. Many people decide to improve their luxury cars because they want more performance. That’s a trend among European luxury car brand users.
For example, among BMW users.
Some tuned luxury cars are as performant as sports cars, whereas some work even better. Let’s take Porsche as an example. It all depends on what you can afford.
However, keep in mind that, in time, tuning and driving a luxury car is more expensive than buying and driving a sports car of a Toyota, Subaru, Nissan or Mitsubishi brand.
When Shouldn’t You Drive A Luxury Car Like A Sports Car?
You shouldn’t drive a luxury car like a sports car if your vehicle doesn’t feature the equipment for the track. In other words, you shouldn’t drive luxury cars like sports cars if your vehicle doesn’t have what it takes to handle the speed and corners. Don’t force your luxury car because it will break sooner rather than later. And, that is costly!
Further, don’t drive your luxury car like a sports car if the weather conditions are not suitable. Luxury cars are built and equipped for driving carefully especially when it’s raining or snowing, so don’t think they can be driven like sports cars in bad weather. But this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t always make sure to drive them safely regardless of the weather conditions.
Don’t treat your luxury car like a sports car because it simply doesn’t have what it takes. Therefore, don’t take it to the racetrack just because you want speed. Instead, tune it and turn it into a race car if you really want the most thrilling as well as a safe driving experience.
Let’s turn into some fun sports luxury cars; you could consider driving like a sports car…
7 Best Sports Luxury Cars You Can Drive Like A Sports Car
There are many luxury sports cars you can choose to drive. But if you want to know which ones are the best, don’t hesitate to give this section a read.
Here you will learn more about the Lexus F-sport range, for example, Lexus ES F-sport, and other car models that can turn your driving experience into something extraordinary during everyday driving.
1. Lexus LS F-Sport
This luxury sports car boasts an extremely quiet cabin and changes its gauge cluster according to your driving mode. Its centre console has a trackpad with a touchscreen and climate control buttons to keep you in comfort while you accelerate. When it comes to performance, you can take it to the race without any problems.
| Pros | Cons |
| Makes driving more fun | Rare cases of faulty infotainment system |
| An exterior design that’s daring | The engine makes an artificially generated sound |
| Offers the softest ride | I couldn’t find the car’s crash scores |
2. BMW Z4 Roadster
The BMW Z4 Roadster is built with expensive materials and offers advanced control placement. If you want to take this car to a race, you can. However, if you want to win all the time, you can also tune and upgrade it for maximum performance.
| Pros | Cons |
| The ideal combination of looks and performance | Brutal and risky acceleration |
| Rides fast and is easy to handle | Not a very spacious cabin |
| Very comfortable for the driver | Very small trunk |
3. Lexus ES F-Sport
The ES from Lexus impressed me for years. This luxury sports car is styled conservatively and offers more options for the power train. Besides, it has a four-cylinder V-6 engine that ensures performance and fuel economy at the same time.
| Pros | Cons |
| All-wheel drive | An infotainment system is often considered ‘boring’ |
| F-sport race package for enthusiasts | Not the most serious sports luxury sedan |
| It is one of the most reliable cars in the Lexus lineup | Styling that not everyone might like |
4. Porsche 911
This luxury sports car is not only easy to drive but also very comfortable. Its exhaust system is superior, and when it comes to its suspensions, these are lowered. Its GT steering wheel is multifunctional and heated, whereas its acceleration power can astonish you.
| Pros | Cons |
| One of the most incredible engines | Very expensive car |
| Effective automatic transmission | Faulty multimedia system |
| Faster than ever before | Rather skimpy safety features |
5. Lexus LC F-Sport
It is another impressive sports Lexus, but this time with an exotic look. However, don’t be deceived by design because this car can indeed be very comfortable. To clarify, it offers you the experience of a luxury sedan and performance. Drive the Lexus LC F-sport and feel like a gentleman behind the wheel.
| Pros | Cons |
| Affordable for many people | Not the most powerful luxury sports car |
| Reliable, no matter where you drive it | Rather ostentatious design |
| It has great resale value, so it is a good ‘investment’ | Difficult to handle on bumpy roads |
6. Audi TT Coupe
The TT Coupe has an alluring shape, so it might not impress angrier drivers. On the other hand, it’s attractive and safe to drive. If you want to impress with speed and class, it is perfect for you. It has a turbocharged engine, so get ready for fun.
| Pros | Cons |
| Engaging standard power train | You would have to pay too much for extra options |
| The best handling for a luxury sports car | No manual transmission |
| A unique style for any road | Lacking some important safety features |
7. Chevrolet Corvette
This American luxury sports car impresses not only when it comes to handling. It also has explosive acceleration power. Its flashy design can impress anyone, whereas its cabin is very comfortable and cozy. In its trunk, you can store not only your groceries but also your luggage.
| Pros | Cons |
| Doesn’t cost that much | Not too many standard safety features |
| Incredible transmission | A strange seat for the passenger |
| Settings that you can personalize | Low visibility |
Conclusion
If you want to feel comfortable and safe while speeding on a track, you have to carefully choose a luxury sports car as most of the luxury sports cars are not built for this purpose.
Generally, in a luxury sports car, you will not only enjoy thrilling rides, but you will also get to your destinations without panicking. After all, not everyone is made for sports cars and “owning” the roads.
There are many luxury sports car models on the market (while a few are real sports cars), so you should make an informed decision when choosing one. Before buying, analyze my reviews and the above suggestions.
Also, don’t drive a luxury sedan like you would drive a sports car because the experience wouldn’t be the same; most likely, it will be a disaster waiting to hit.
Now that you know what it feels like to own and drive a luxury sports car, get one for yourself. You can rent one from Rent A Prestige! However, before you do, consider performance levels, comfort amenities, and design styles.
Note that buying a car is not an easy decision to make. Get a vehicle that suits your liking as well as your budget. Don’t forget the ongoing costs!