If you’ve reached a point in your financial life where you can afford your dream car, congratulations! But now that you have the cash stashed away, you face a much more exciting challenge — sorting through all the amenities to pick the perfect luxury vehicle for you. Need some inspiration? Here are the cars you are most likely to see on your state roads.
Key Results:
- Porsche was the most popular luxury car brand in 37 states, including the District of Columbia; the 911 model was shopped for most often in Q1 2021.
- Jaguar, the second-most popular luxury car brand saw a quarter of its shoppers look at the F-Pace SUV
Below are the most popular luxury cars by state, in order from least to most number of luxury cars in the state.
West Virginia
- % of Total Car Purchases of Luxury Vehicles: 0.3%
- Most Popular Car Brand: Porsche
Alaska
- % of Total Car Purchases of Luxury Vehicles: 0.4%
- Most Popular Car Brand: Porsche
Nebraska
- % of Total Car Purchases of Luxury Vehicles: 0.4%
- Most Popular Car Brand: Porsche
Iowa
- % of Total Car Purchases of Luxury Vehicles: 0.4%
- Most Popular Car Brand: Alfa Romeo
Kansas
- % of Total Car Purchases of Luxury Vehicles: 0.5%
- Most Popular Car Brand: Porsche
Idaho
- % of Total Car Purchases of Luxury Vehicles: 0.5%
- Most Popular Car Brand: Jaguar
Montana
- % of Total Car Purchases of Luxury Vehicles: 0.5%
- Most Popular Car Brand: Porsche
Alabama
- % of Total Car Purchases of Luxury Vehicles: 0.6%
- Most Popular Car Brand: Jaguar
Mississippi
- % of Total Car Purchases of Luxury Vehicles: 0.6%
- Most Popular Car Brand: Maserati
Kentucky
- % of Total Car Purchases of Luxury Vehicles: 0.6%
- Most Popular Car Brand: Porsche
North Dakota
% of Total Car Purchases of Luxury Vehicles: 0.6%
Most Popular Car Brand: Jaguar
Maine
- % of Total Car Purchases of Luxury Vehicles: 0.7%
- Most Popular Car Brand: Porsche
Arkansas
- % of Total Car Purchases of Luxury Vehicles: 0.7%
- Most Popular Car Brand: Alfa Romeo
Vermont
- % of Total Car Purchases of Luxury Vehicles: 0.7%
- Most Popular Car Brand: Porsche
Utah
- % of Total Car Purchases of Luxury Vehicles: 0.7%
- Most Popular Car Brand: Porsche
South Dakota
- % of Total Car Purchases of Luxury Vehicles: 0.7%
- Most Popular Car Brand: Porsche
Louisiana
- % of Total Car Purchases of Luxury Vehicles: 0.7%
- Most Popular Car Brand: Jaguar
Wisconsin
- % of Total Car Purchases of Luxury Vehicles: 0.8%
- Most Popular Car Brand: Jaguar
Oklahoma
- % of Total Car Purchases of Luxury Vehicles: 0.8%
- Most Popular Car Brand: Jaguar
Indiana
- % of Total Car Purchases of Luxury Vehicles: 0.8%
- Most Popular Car Brand: Porsche
New Mexico
- % of Total Car Purchases of Luxury Vehicles: 0.8%
- Most Popular Car Brand: Porsche
New Hampshire
- % of Total Car Purchases of Luxury Vehicles: 0.8%
- Most Popular Car Brand: Tied: Maserati & Porsche
Missouri
- % of Total Car Purchases of Luxury Vehicles: 0.9%
- Most Popular Car Brand: Porsche
Oregon
- % of Total Car Purchases of Luxury Vehicles: 0.9%
- Most Popular Car Brand: Porsche
South Carolina
- % of Total Car Purchases of Luxury Vehicles: 0.9%
- Most Popular Car Brand: Porsche
Michigan
- % of Total Car Purchases of Luxury Vehicles: 1.0%
- Most Popular Car Brand: Tied: Jaguar & Porsche
Minnesota
- % of Total Car Purchases of Luxury Vehicles: 1.0%
- Most Popular Car Brand: Porsche
Massachusetts
- % of Total Car Purchases of Luxury Vehicles: 1.0%
- Most Popular Car Brand: Porsche
Arizona
- % of Total Car Purchases of Luxury Vehicles: 1.1%
- Most Popular Car Brand: Porsche
Ohio
- % of Total Car Purchases of Luxury Vehicles: 1.1%
- Most Popular Car Brand: Porsche
Tennessee
- % of Total Car Purchases of Luxury Vehicles: 1.1%
- Most Popular Car Brand: Porsche
North Carolina
- % of Total Car Purchases of Luxury Vehicles: 1.2%
- Most Popular Car Brand: Porsche
Virginia
- % of Total Car Purchases of Luxury Vehicles: 1.2%
- Most Popular Car Brand: Porsche
Pennsylvania
- % of Total Car Purchases of Luxury Vehicles: 1.3%
- Most Popular Car Brand: Porsche
Hawaii
- % of Total Car Purchases of Luxury Vehicles: 1.3%
- Most Popular Car Brand: Porsche
Rhode Island
- % of Total Car Purchases of Luxury Vehicles: 1.3%
- Most Popular Car Brand: Porsche
Texas
- % of Total Car Purchases of Luxury Vehicles: 1.4%
- Most Popular Car Brand: Porsche
Maryland
- % of Total Car Purchases of Luxury Vehicles: 1.4%
- Most Popular Car Brand: Porsche
Georgia
- % of Total Car Purchases of Luxury Vehicles: 1.4%
- Most Popular Car Brand: Porsche
New York
- % of Total Car Purchases of Luxury Vehicles: 1.4%
- Most Popular Car Brand: Porsche
Washington
- % of Total Car Purchases of Luxury Vehicles: 1.5%
- Most Popular Car Brand: Porsche
Connecticut
- % of Total Car Purchases of Luxury Vehicles: 1.5%
- Most Popular Car Brand: Porsche
Nevada
- % of Total Car Purchases of Luxury Vehicles: 1.5%
- Most Popular Car Brand: Porsche
Illinois
- % of Total Car Purchases of Luxury Vehicles: 1.5%
- Most Popular Car Brand: Porsche
Colorado
- % of Total Car Purchases of Luxury Vehicles: 1.6%
- Most Popular Car Brand: Porsche
Wyoming
- % of Total Car Purchases of Luxury Vehicles: 1.9%
- Most Popular Car Brand: Porsche
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Delaware
- % of Total Car Purchases of Luxury Vehicles: 1.9%
- Most Popular Car Brand: Jaguar
Florida
- % of Total Car Purchases of Luxury Vehicles: 2.2%
- Most Popular Car Brand: Porsche
New Jersey
- % of Total Car Purchases of Luxury Vehicles: 2.2%
- Most Popular Car Brand: Porsche
California
- % of Total Car Purchases of Luxury Vehicles: 2.5%
- Most Popular Car Brand: Porsche
Washington, D.C.
- % of Total Car Purchases of Luxury Vehicles: 2.9%
- Most Popular Car Brand: Porsche
Drivers are also shopping for…
- Alfa Romeo: 35% of all luxury cars shopped for in Arkansas were Alfa Romeo
- Aston Martin: 11% of all luxury cars shopped for in Michigan were Aston Martins
- Bentley: 25% of all luxury cars shopped for in North Dakota were Bentleys
- Ferrari: 9% of all luxury cars shopped for in Massachusetts were Ferraris
- Jaguar: 50% of all luxury cars shopped for in North Dakota were Jaguars
- Lamborghini: 25% of all luxury cars shopped for in Montana were Lamborghinis
- Lotus: 20% of all luxury cars shopped for in Idaho were Lotus
- Maserati: 38% of all luxury cars shopped for in Mississippi were Maseratis
- Maybach: 1% of all luxury cars shopped for in New York were Maybachs
- McLaren: 9% of all luxury cars shopped for in Rhode Island were McLarens
- Porsche: 100% of all luxury cars shopped for in Alaska and Wyoming were Porsches
- Rolls-Royce: 14% of all luxury cars shopped for in Iowa were Rolls-Royces
6 tips for buying a luxury vehicle
To help you find a vehicle that’s the epitome of both luxury and function, here are some tips on what to keep in mind before making your purchase.
1. Don’t let your eyes be bigger than your wallet
Before buying your dream car, create a car budget and stick to it. This will help you keep your emotions in check if a car salesperson shows you a car you love that’s out of your price range.
When creating your car budget, make sure it represents the total costs of car ownership, which includes:
- Monthly car note (if any)
- Interest fees
- Car insurance
- Car repairs
- Cost of gas
If you choose to finance a car, make sure you accurately estimate the payments. For example, let’s say your dream car is $30,000 and your down payment amount is $2,000 with an interest rate of 2.5% and a loan term of 60 months. Your estimated monthly auto payments would be $533.66, and the total cost of the loan would be about $32,020.
Also, before you purchase your dream car be sure to research the price and shop around. You can use Kelley Blue Book to compare the price of your dream vehicle with others that have the same make, year and model.
2. Consider buying used to save money
If you can’t afford to buy a brand new luxury car, consider purchasing used. That way, you can save money and let someone else take the depreciation hit — according to Edmunds, new cars depreciate an average of 23.5% after the first year of ownership.
Additionally, depending how old the car is, you might find a used luxury car that’s under $10,000. Before purchasing a used version of your dream vehicle, you should weigh the pros and cons. For example, although a used luxury car may cost less, it may come with more maintenance issues than a brand new car.
3. Make sure it can handle your needs
Although turning heads while cruising around town is nice, make sure your dream car is functional as well. For example, if you have a long commute, you may want to look into getting a more gas-efficient vehicle or hybrid if you want to minimize your gas expense.
Also, if you plan on hauling a lot of stuff around daily, like kids sports equipment, musical instruments or camping gear, you should consider getting a truck or a car with a large trunk space or rear seats you can fold down.
4. Test-drive the vehicle
Before you drive off the lot in your dream car, be sure to test-drive the vehicle multiple times to see if you like driving it. You want to make sure your dream car matches all your real world expectations. Ask the dealership if it’ll allow you to take it home for a few days so you can see if you love driving it.
It’s important to spend as much time with the vehicle as possible before purchasing it — most auto dealers don’t have a car return policy, and they aren’t legally obligated to accept a return once the purchase has been finalized.
5. Get the car inspected by a mechanic
When purchasing a vehicle — especially a used vehicle — it may look nice on the surface but have mechanical problems you can’t detect on your own. To minimize the chances of buying a lemon, take it to your mechanic so they can do a rigorous car inspection.
6. Get a vehicle history report
In addition to getting a mechanic to inspect the vehicle, make sure to ask the dealer for a copy of the vehicle’s history report, if you decide to buy a used luxury vehicle. If the dealership can’t provide you with a copy, consider getting a copy of the report from CarFax — it’s the most exhaustive type of vehicle history report and it costs $40. The CarFax report can tell you important information, such as whether the car’s title has been salvaged, how many owners the car has had and how many accidents the car has been in.
Methodology
For a luxury automaker to qualify, their least expensive base model needed to have an Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) over $40,000. Data pool represents those who shopped for cars in Q1 2021.
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