Fanciest car brands of all time

Posh. Bougie. Lux. Call them what you want, but fancy cars are all the rage these days, with sales of premium models at record levels. 

From Alfa Romeo to Volvo, and every prestige brand in between, there is no shortage of fancy cars to choose from, there’s fancy luxury cars, fancy sports cars, fancy old cars, fancy vintage cars and fancy new cars.

And, as you could expect given the amount of choice, they come at a variety of price points, which is helping their modern popularity.

In this article we’ll explain what exactly is a ‘fancy’ car and help you get a better understanding of what they’re all about.  

What is the definition of a fancy car?

Obviously ‘fancy’ isn’t a technical definition, so you can take some liberties with what you consider a fancy car. The simple answer is a luxury or prestige car, so you would say a BMW is a fancy car.

However, there are also plenty of well-equipped mainstream cars you could say blur the line. For example, a Toyota fancy car is something like a top-of-the-line Kluger or LandCruiser, complete with leather trim and all the other creature comforts.

Basically, it’s anything you consider above average in terms of a car’s level of luxury and comfort.

Do some manufacturers only make fancy cars?

Most definitely there are specific luxury car manufacturers that are only building fancy car models for those who want the fanciest set of wheels. There’s a detailed list below but some high-profile fancy car brands include Rolls-Royce, Ferrari and Cadillac.

How much does a fancy car cost?

This is an impossible question to answer simply, because as we’ve already mentioned, fancy cars come in such variety. A fancy Toyota will obviously cost a lot less than a fancy Rolls-Royce, for example.

But, it is important to note a fancy car doesn’t have to be an expensive car. Anything that you personally perceive as special can be considered fancy.

What are the defining features of a fancy car?

These days, with car brands pushing each other to add more and more standard equipment, the line between normal and fancy cars is blurry.

Once again, the level of fanciness comes down to personal perspective, but we’d say to really be a fancy car it must have premium materials and plenty of creature comforts - including but not limited to - climate control, wireless smartphone charging, a sunroof or moonroof and a power boot.

What hire options are available for these types of cars?

If you can’t afford to buy a fancy car you can always turn to fancy car hire, as there are several companies now hiring luxury cars by the hour or day. Check out our in-depth piece on luxury car hire to get yourself into a fancy car without a fancy lifestyle or budget.

Fancy cars of the world

While there’s no way to specifically define what a fancy car is, below is a rundown of each brand considered above-average in terms of luxury and premiumness.

So, while not a definitive list of fancy cars, it will give you a clear idea of what to look for. To make it easier to understand, we’ve split them into three categories.

Popular fancy cars

The most common type of fancy cars are the brands you’re probably very familiar with. Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz are the best-selling luxury brands in the country, and around the world.

But there are challengers, old and new. The more established rivals include Lexus (sometimes referred to as ‘fancy Toyota’), Land Rover and Volvo. While Genesis (aka ‘fancy Hyundai’) is a newer rival, as is the all-electric Polestar.

Mini, which is owned by BMW, is the default name in fancy small cars.

Premium fancy cars

If those ones aren’t fancy enough for you, you’ll need to move up in the world to the level of fancy that, for reasons that aren’t entirely clear, is exclusive to Great Britain. Bentley and Rolls-Royce are considered the height of fanciness these days, and Jaguar is hoping to make the duo a trio when it relaunches as an all-electric car maker.

Sporty fancy cars

While Great Britain loves luxury, mainland Europe is the home of fancy cars with a sporty flair. From Italy comes Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Lamborghini and Maserati, while Germany is the home of Porsche.

Not that the land of His Majesty completely misses out, with Aston Martin, Lotus and McLaren waving the Union Jack.